On Monday morning we hit the road for sunny California! After lunch at In-N-Out in Barstow we headed for our hotel in Anaheim. We checked in and then the kids couldn't trade their clothes for their swimsuits fast enough. We went straight to Newport Beach for an awesome afternoon playing in the surf. It was January so the water was super cold. But, that didn't stop anyone from having an incredible time. Don't they look like they're having the time of their lives?
I absolutely love this picture. If I could freeze this moment in time forever, I probably would. The beach was practically empty except for us. The kids were so happy. The air was filled with sunshine, the sound of the waves crashing into the shore and my beautiful children laughing and exploring all they could see. It was perfect!
Jenna felt something in the water by her feet. When she looked down to see what it was she found this starfish. She was thrilled. Can't you tell by her big smile? She brought that starfish home with her and it's currently drying so she can put it in a shadowbox to remember this trip always. I know I'm her mom, but you have to admit this is a beautiful picture of her.
Abby loves seashells. When she wasn't playing in the surf she was scouring the sand for the perfect seashells to take home. As usual, she has that big smile on her face. She has to be the happiest kid on earth. She loves the ocean so this afternoon at Newport Beach was a highlight for her.
The last time Ethan was at the beach he was 18 months old. So, this was basically a first for him. He loved everything about the ocean. Once Jenna found the starfish he was determined to find his own form of sea life. It didn't take long for that determined little guy to find this sea turtle. It was small, but he insisted on having his picture taken with it. You can kind of see it down by his feet. He wanted to bring it home, but I couldn't let that thing in my car, let alone in my house. We finally agreed that he would miss his family if we took him away from the ocean. That didn't ruin his fun though, he still said it was the best day ever!
This was Sadie's first time at the beach and she wasn't really sure what to expect. The water was cold, but she loved it. She loved the sand on her toes, the water splashing on her feet and trying to jump over the waves. At one point, she found a shell that she wanted to bring home. As she reached to pick up the shell it moved. That's when she realized there was a little crab inside. It scared her and she screamed. After that she wouldn't touch a shell until one of us checked to make sure "nothing is living in it, right?" She giggled, squealed and ran for as far as we could see. It was so amazing watching her discover the beauty of the beach and ocean.
Sadly, our perfect afternoon had to come to an end. It turns out the sun doesn't shine all day and night in California, too bad. The sun went down and that water got even colder than it already was. Even with all the protests, we had to say good bye to the beach. It was a fabulous day though and one we will always remember as the the thing that perfect afternoons are made of.
P.S. It turns out it's harder than you think to take a picture of six people by yourself. You can kind of see Ethan and Sadie... :)
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