Santa Cruz Boardwalk

On a cool day in July, we spent some time at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. The kids had fun going on the rides and watching the big roller coasters, but the highlight of *our* day was watching them tackle their ice cream cones before we headed home. Eric attacked it like a pro; Talia wore more of it than she ingested. After using the first couple of napkins, we gave up and let Talia's drip everywhere. They both thoroughly enjoyed the sky ride, boats, trucks, trains and especially their cones!

It's all about the Band-aids!

Fortunately Talia didn't have a scratch on her face, just a big brother who was happy to plaster her with bandages. She was along for the ride, but loved every minute of it since she's always game for a new band-aid.

Swimming at South Bayport

Before heading back up north, we spent our final day swimming at the pool with family. The sunshine was a welcome addition, since it had been overcast for most of our trip.

Legos, Legos, and more Legos!

Both kids absolutely loved Legoland and would go back in a heartbeat if given the chance. Plenty of building with Legos, a visit from Grandpa Glen, and rides galore made the visit so much fun. We spent three days at the main park, two days at the newly-opened water park, and about an hour at the aquarium. Definitely worth the 5-for-1 passes! We rounded out the vacation with dinner at Benihana's and a visit to the local beaches.

Penny & Lilly

We finally had the chance to meet Penny and Lilly! We met up with them and their proud parents at a park in Manhattan Beach and spent the morning chatting about life and parenthood. Both kids were enamored with the babies and still occasionally talk about them.

True Blue, Baby!

Andrea snuck away for a couple hours to attend Blair’s baby shower at the Huntington Gardens, while Eric, Jason, Grandpa Glen & Grandma Caryn headed to Dodger Stadium for Eric’s first ever Dodger game - against the Cubs. (Talia stayed home with Grandma Sharon & Grandpa Harley.) Andrea arrived in time to see the second half of the game and to share a frozen lemonade.

Hanging out

We spent a good amount of time just hanging out in Torrance and Palos Verdes with Grandmas and Grandpas. (Andrea & Jason took advantage of the grandparents and skipped out to Vegas for a couple nights.) As usual, we spent a some good times throwing rocks down at the water and Talia worked on honing her shopping skills at the local mall. Of course we also spent a good amount of time just napping.

Time with Cousins

We spent one afternoon at Barry & Madge's house so Eric and Talia could get in some good cousin playtime. All four kids seemed to really enjoy each others' company and especially had fun playing with a spinning bee that they had to jump over.

Birthdays in LA

We were so lucky to head down to LA to celebrate Eric's 5th and Glen's 60th birthdays at the South Bayport Clubhouse. Tons of family, friends and food made the party a success. We spent some time splashing in the pool, some time entertained by a magician and some time breaking the pinata.

Blair & Molly's Annual Summertime Visit

We had so much fun with Blair & Molly this summer. Molly joined Eric for a week of Dr. Seuss camp and plenty of playtime in the late afternoon. We had a blast with the new Slip n Slide, enjoyed seeing our old friend Oanh and her family for a backyard bbq, and went to a street fair in Willow Glen one evening. Now that Alice has joined the family, we can't wait for her to come visit!

Park with Price Boys

We met up with our old friend Scott and his boys at a park not far from our house for a morning of play and a picnic lunch. It was good to see each other after more than a year and catch up.