Newport Beach 2008

For the last 6 or 7 years we have been taking our family to Newport Beach for our annual vacation together. It is something we all look forward to. We stay at a really fun house on Seashore Drive, right across the street from the beach! It is a perfect location because it takes about 2 minutes to walk down to the beach. We can come and go so easily to accomodate naps and lunch for the little ones. Plus, we can run and get a Diet Coke on ice with ease!

On Monday night Ryan and Julie gave a great Family Home Evening about putting on the Armour of God......taken down to the kids level. They had such a cute lesson. At the end they had the kids dress up in armour....made up of what we had around. Then the other kids got to throw marshmallows at them. They were to protect themselves with their shield and armor. The kids loved it!!!

Kate....dressed in her armour

This year was one of the BEST! The grandkids are at the perfect age. They love to stay and play on the beach ALL day. We have been gradually collecting wet suits and boogie boards so they can brave the cold water and ride the waves. It is so fun to see Emma, Riley, Maddie and Kate start to ride the waves on their little boards. They love it! Actually they are pretty safe in the water now and have learned to go out quite far and brave the waves that come in. Little Kate is quite daring......she just goes and rides them in!

A smooth ride for Emma and Riley

This year Julie bought all the kids these fabulous water toys. They had so much fun playing with them on the beach. What a find for 1.00 a piece. The grandkids picked up a new friend on the beach this year. I think her name was Maggie. She had instant friends on the beach!



The kids just get covered in sand. You really have to look the other way.....If you take a beach vacation you will be living in sand. Luckily we have a front patio on our condo with a hose. We get most of the sand off before jumping in the tub!

Zack would eat anything...even covered in sand!

Kevin has taken up skim-boarding. It looks like so much fun.....but a little difficult to do. Jason, Max and Ryan tried their hand at it. None of them seemed to pick it up at all. After a wave goes out they throw down their board.....with almost no water to move on. Amazingly, they skim across the sand on a very small amount of water. It is fun to watch. Kevin and Beau spent a lot of time perfecting their skills. Dallin and his friend, Danny got really good after a couple days of practice.

Kev skimmin'

The favorite thing is to get up in the morning (every morning!) get all the bikes out and ride down the boardwalk to the donut store. I don't know why this has become our Newport tradition. The kids love it. The past couple of years the parents have been bringing down the kids bikes and they ride right along with us. We are quite a crew when we all are on our bikes traveling down the boardwalk. Add Shelley and Jason's family......we are a mob!

Only half the group!

Lucy and Sophie had their way of getting to the donut store

This year the kids discovered the gumball machine just inside the donut store door. I was the money machine for quarters. They all crowded around the gumballs......each of them getting two or three. Donuts and gumballs.....nice breakfast!

The kids wanted to be "first" at the gumball machine

After we buy all the donuts and orange juice we go sit by our bikes and visit while the kids run around and chase the birds, or chase each other. This year Kevin invited his friend, Beau. They were always a target for the grandkids. Kevin loves to tease and bother the kids just to get a reaction. One of these days he is not going to be able to handle them!

A new activity was discovered this year. Emma is an explorer. She loves to find and collect all the shells she can come up with. She also digs in the sand for these little sea creatures that burrow into the sand when the tide comes in and goes out. This year a new discovery!!! Over by the jetty of rocks Emma came up with a sand crab (with the help of dad) Yikes!!! It scared me to death when she came up and showed me. Those little crab have pinchers! They caught three of them and kept them in water all day. Emma.......what next?

Emma with her "catch"

We had so much fun on the beach this year. Shelley and Jason's family came with us again this year. We certainly did have a saga this year with McCall and Beau. They seem to have struck up a pretty good friendship (?) We all like a good story. They gave us something to talk about.......what's a vacation with family without a good piece of gossip? Actually our kids had so much fun together. Kevin and Beau had a favorite thing this year.....shooting water balloons off the roof of the house at unsuspecting people. Kevin, Beau and McCall also loved the hot tub up on the roof. It was a constant beach to the hot tub routine this year.

Shopping in Huntington Beach

Lunching in Huntington Beach

We are always in Newport on my birthday. This year we went to Pei Wei again for dinner with the whole crew. Unfortunately, my dinner was yucky!!!! I had to send it back and it kind of ruined my appetite. The company was good though. After dinner Max took me to Fashion Island and I spent a bundle at the Nike Women's store. It is my favorite place! Then on to Haagen Daz for ice cream. What is better than that?

My birthday photos

For the past couple of years the adults have come up with "Dueling Dragons" I have no idea where that name came from???? Anyway, all the adults put on their wet suits and go out in the waves. They all try to catch the same wave and then try to push each other off their board. It sounds lame, but it is fun to watch. They stay out in the waves sooooo long. Of course, I barely put my toes in. It is freezing!!! So I'm elected to watch all the kids on the beach while they play

their little game.....that suits me

Preparing for "Dueling Dragons"

I'm tending.......

We always have at least one trip to Coldstone. We get our treat and eat on the steps. Some things never change......yummmmm

These are beach weary kids....but always ready for ice cream!

This year Goose was my constant friend. I love that girl! For some reason she wanted to be with me.....I even rated above her mom at times. I don't know why. She wanted me to sit with her, carry her, take her to the pottie, play with her in the water, get her treats and generally be by her side. That was a treat for me! She is such a goose-girl. A couple of times she fell asleep in her chair on the beach. There was alot of hard playing going on.

"Goose"....you gotta love this little face

The week goes by so fast. It seems it is forever before Sunday is over and then the fun begins.
You just get comfy and the week is over. We had beautiful weather most of the time and great company with Shelley's family there. We have so much FUN! We have next year to look forward to........!

Drew tries to survive with all the girls!

It's a first for Sophie!

UNTIL NEXT YEAR...........................!!!