Newport Beach with the Cousins

We had so much fun this summer in California.  Our favorite thing to do is go to the beach, of course.  The kids made sand castles, body boarded, dug holes, caught unsuspecting sand crabs, buried each other, and ate pounds of snacks because playing at the beach is hard work.

 

You can't really tell but the girls were lying in a hole they dug.  Avery dubbed it: Hole Everest

 

Skate Park with the Cousins

I will love this picture forever! 

Swimming

My high jumper

 



 

Is that a nice dive, or what?

Coming down the slide

Oh come on, that's pretty cute

I can't believe I have a hamster.  I never wanted a hamster, but when you're given a free hamster, free cage, and free food and all of your children look at you with those eyes, you have a hamster.  To top it off, I even like the hamster.  He's adorable.  I even paid a ridiculous amount of money to amputate his foot when he broke it.  This is no longer a free hamster.  He has also been renamed.  The hamster formerly known as Pickle is now called Stumperton or Lieutenant Dan.  

Camping at Christopher Creek

The ax man

Our backyard - loved it

There were tons of crayfish in the water

Mallory slipped off the rock and fell into the water.  For some reason I thought this was hilarious.

Look at Megan's face.  She's saying, "Mom, why are you laughing?  That's so mean."

Hearty was so adorable on this trip.  I was strong-armed into bringing her, but I'm so glad I did.  She followed the kids everywhere, played in the creek, and completely tuckered herself out by dark.  

Some of the unfortunate yet tasty crayfish we caught.

Connor hugging his sister...once in a lifetime shot.

The girls caught lots of caterpillars.  I think their names were Jellybob, Juliebob, and Jellybean.