Visiting Lincoln for the day

A few weeks ago, I took the kids up to Lincoln to visit their friends.  These boys rode with us to school everyday and throughout the two years, became the best of buds.  Getting them together was so fun.  I love seeing them laugh and play.  Those smiles are priceless.  

 And these two monkeys just hung out by me, happy as little clams, despite the heat.  Couldn't have been a better day.

Spies like us

I love these two little boys and how they are always coming up with super fun games using their little imaginations.  Dress up is and always has been a favorite for Landon.  Now that Cohen is older, they are always coming up with fun things that they can play together.  I love it!  Especially when it doesn't involve changing clothes 20 times!

Landon's First trip away from home

Landon got to experience his first trip away from home.  This was a big moment for him.  I am dead set against sleep overs.  I tend to keep an iron grip on my children and feel completely responsible for keeping them out of harm's way.  Which is impossible if they are not with you.  Hence the BIG deal.  

I agreed to let Landon's best friend's family take him camping with them for almost an entire week.  

Landon had the time of his life.  They went to James P Taylor campground (I'm pretty sure thats the name) which is by Dillon's beach.  They hiked in Muir woods, went to Heart's Desire beach, Dillon's beach, ate calamari, played on a rope swing, played in a creek, rode bikes, made lots of smores and had an absolute blast.  I am greateful for our friends that treat him like one of their own children and for the fact that he trusts them and feel safe with them.

Although he was super nervous the day he left (tears and all), once he got in their car he never looked back.  It was a great experience for him and I know it will be a memory that he will have forever.

Lillian and Greyson

Yesterday after church I decided to break out the camera and try to catch some shots of Lillian in her super cute outfit.  I know that nothing that I took did her outfit justice. For some reason she just felt so beautiful to me yesterday and I wanted to capture her in the moment.  Greyson was being so cute while I had the camera out, I snapped a few pictures of him. 

Lillian still feels so petite to me.  When I was dressing her today, I looked at her and thought, "That's about what the boys looked like at 2 months." I will give the full update on what she's been up to later this week when she hits the 4 month mark.

 These pictures were this morning of these two together.  I think it still amazes me every day that Grey loves Lily as much as he does.  He is always wanting to hold her and always is kissing her.  He talks to her in the sweetest voice and is just such an amazing big brother.

Carlsbad

We took a trip to Carlsbad for the 4th of July.  I was TERRIBLE about getting my camera out the entire trip.  It was so much fun and we did so many different things, that I am so mad that I only have a few lame pictures to show for it. 

Steve wanted to leave earlier than we were supposed to and stop in Victorville where his grandparents lived when they were alive.  We toured the mobile home park and a few of the areas that Steve remembered visiting.  We also went and saw where they were buried.  Not super exciting, but interesting to see a part of his history. 

The first part of our vacation we spent with some of Steve's friends that he has known for years from work.  They have 2 boys that are 9 and 11 that are way into baseball. Each morning they went out and played these games called 'spring training' and 'golden glove'.  My boys loved it, of course.  We played at the  pool most of the trip while our friends were there.  After they left, we spent a day at the beach, and then really just laid low because Steve had to work.  

We did get to visit my favorite mexican restaurant there called Old Town Mexican Cafe.  The boys had fun watching the ladies make the tortillas through the window. 

It was such a relaxing and fun vacation.  We had great conversation around the pool, the kids had friends to play with, we ate great food, we slept in, watched a great fireworks show and all the kids were amazing.  The drive both ways couldn't have gone better and we feel so lucky to have had some great family time. And even more excited that we get to do it all over again in just 6 weeks with my best friend!

Monterey

At the end of June we took a super quick trip to Monterey.  It was the first time we have been since we have been in the Bay Area.  The last time we went, Grey was about 2 months old.  We got there on a Tuesday afternoon and met our friends and went and grabbed some dinner.  We planned on taking the kids back to the hotel and watching a movie, but after our husbands got back with the snacks, we ended up just letting the kids play and eat treats.  It was totally crazy, but super fun.  

The next morning Steve went with us to a super cute little breakfast place called Em Le's and we had their famous french toast.  It is deep fried with funnel cake on top.  Totally heavy, but very delicious.  

Steve had a work meeting, so he left me with the kids and headed to his meeting and I headed to the Monterey Bay aquarium.  

The aquarium was fun.  Grey absolutely loved it.  His favorite were the crazy penguins that seems to know you were taking their picture. The boys had fun, but I think the hi-light was having their friends there.  Lillian was wonderful as usual.  She is such a trooper.  We headed to the Dennis the Menace park to let the kids run around before heading home.  It was wild and crazy, super quick, but lots of fun.  I always surprise myself at what I can survive with all 4 kids.  

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