Roasting smores

We roasted smores a couple of times on the beach. This time we escaped the giant wave that almost doused our fire last year. And despite being full from well-prepared, great tasting meals, we all managed to scarf down a smore or two each time.

It was really beautiful on the beach at sunset — so peaceful with moderate temperatures. It’s easy to see why so many people live in California. Then again, when you drive around, it’s easy to see why so many people move out of California. It’s difficult being popular.








Yes, that's marshmallow drool on my lower lip. Thanks for telling me it was there, Vick! I noticed it that night when I went to bed and all Vickey said was, "I figured you'd notice it sooner or later."

Our day at Laguna Beach

On the Friday of our beach trip we made our annual excursion to Crazy Shirts at Laguna Beach and stopped by a few other stores, including a Wyland gallery.

Our trip home included a stop at Ruby’s which usually has great food and service. This year they were slammed and the service, from finding a parking spot until the moment we left, was disappointing. Still, the food was tasty to a hungry group of tired tourists.

Surrey with the fringe on top

On Thursday at the beach we rented a surrey to pedal our way up and down the shore. Mark thought we’d go up and down Beach Road (where the beach house was), but I pushed for a trip to Dana Point. I even packed a cooler with snacks and drinks. And boy did we need them.

It was a long bike ride with lots of weight to transport. We had fun on our journey and created smiles everywhere we went. The kids were as crazy as usual and began calling out to bystanders. Not like we didn’t already get enough attention.

Eliana and the beach

Despite a few complaints about the salty water and sand, Eliana was pretty excited to be at the beach. Here she’s sporting her new lifejacket and, on another day, showing her enthusiasm for being at Capistrano Beach.

The sand pit

The kids — with a little help from me and Mark — decided to dig a pretty big hole on the beach. They enjoyed playing in it for a few days until the kids from a few doors down came over and filled in the hole.

The kiddie pool

We bought a blow-up pool for the little ones at the beach.

Here are some shots of Dominic, Eliana and Mijken enjoying fun in the shallow water.