California Activities

Though we mostly hung out at the beach and pool all week... we threw in a few other activities. {Sea World, shopping, temple, Rubios, Pizza Port}... And this year Bruce took Dallin and Logan Deep Sea Fishing with El Jefe, Lexi, Dr. J, McKane, Dylan & Robert.

All the boy cousins met for a game of 

ULTIMATE FRISBEE:

Bruce and Dallin... got... sweaty. Ok, mostly Bruce.

Chrissy had NAIL NIGHT at her condo one night. She is amazing. She came prepared with all kinds of polish (notice below) and print outs of ideas from pintrest.

With 14 condos and 60+ people there's always multiple gatherings. There's nothing better than wandering from condo to condo every night deciding which party to stay at.

I noticed there were always people at my grandparents condo. Because... everyone loves them. 

If when I get old my posterity loves me as much as everyone loves my grandparents; well then I can't think of anything more important that I could've done with my life.

 But mostly we just walked across the street for the beach.

27 Blakes in the below picture, I counted:

 This year little 3 year old Sophie was so scared of sharks that she never left her beach chair. For real. No matter how much we begged, she sat in that chair and would not get near the water, or even play in the sand. She still had fun though, watching the waves and everyone playing, listening to the ocean, sitting with grandpa and eating her snacks. But she did LOVE swimming in the pool for hours every day after we left the beach. She told us the pool is far from the ocean,
"so theres no sharks... or alligators"

World of the Sea

My dad was the hero. He stayed with the little girls while we did every ride. Poor Lily was just barely too short for the rides. She cried. :(

The big kids were so excited for the 

'Manta Ray Roller Coaster'... 

they did it over and over so many times! 

 Lots of shows there! Lily learned her lesson not to sit in the 'SOAK ZONE' like the crazy boys. She really did get SOAKED...

We couldn't even talk her in to doing 

'Shipwreck Rapids'... which she was tall enough for. She had had enough of getting soaking wet. So we did it with out her.

And... we.... did.... get..... SOAKED!!

Cousins!!

Sophie was so terrified of sharks this trip. Everywhere we went in Sea World she wanted to be certain there weren't going to be sharks. So for the SHARK ENCOUNTER... everyone was told to refer to them as "fishes". ha ha. Sophie cracked us up during all the shows with her questions. She kept asking wether the dolphins or whales were going to eat their trainers.

Even as fun as it was to go as a family... when we went back the 2nd day, Bruce stayed at the condo with Sophie and Lily. And wow, it was a par-tay. We hit the dance floor, and all the big rides over and over. Turns out, things are A LOT easier with just older kids.

Temple times 3

This year in California, I went to the San Diego Temple 3 times.

On Sunday we went as a family after church to walk around the temple grounds together. So... incredibly... beautiful.

On Thursday morning Ashlin and I went together to the temple, just the 2 of us, to help with baptisms. I pictured the first time taking one of my children in the temple would be me showing them around and helping them know what to do. But I haven't been to help with baptisms in years, and Ashlin has done that most every week this last school year. This was the first time we went in the temple together. And it was so sweet that my daughter had to show me around. 

 On Friday morning, my cousin Tiffany and I went to the temple to do a session. 

I love the temple.

I made a goal to go to the temple every week this summer. Since there are some weeks that can't happen, I had to make up for it by going other weeks more than once. And why do I make that goal? Because in the temple "All is well". There is a hymn that talks about no matter what happens in this life, 'All is well'... if we put our trust in the Lord. I love the sweet feeling of peace I feel when I go and sit in the temple. Things all of a sudden sink in to the right perspective. The worries and stress of this world melt away as I remember that this is a short period of time in the eternal perspective. And all that really matters is who we are becoming. I have also learned that the power of the Lord is real, and as we seek Him more, He strengthens us in our abilities to be better people. I have been so much more patient with my children this summer, and have enjoyed them more. I know that is a blessing that comes from the sweet spirit that fills my soul as I go to the temple. There is nothing more that I could want than to be filled with love for my family. (instead of frustration, anger, stress, etc). What a blessing love is. I am filled with love when I go to the temple regularly. I can literally feel the difference in my life. It is what pulls me back again and again. It is a place of peace.

I love my family.

 PS) But we did laugh at the "temporary visitors center" that was up in the parking lot. ha ha. We are still wondering what that was about... 

Family Caravan to the Sea

I love all these people, ev-er-y one of them.

Our favorite week of the year came and went.

This years shirt:

 So fun to have all kinds of car hopping and switching of the kids for the car ride up. Lucky for me all my kids want to ride in my sisters cars! ha ha. This year I got to sit by Sophie in the middle (turns out she's a demanding one) and El Jefe sat up front and made up songs for us on the ukulele.... then in no time... 
we were all at the beach!

EFY

Dallin went to EFY (Especially For Youth) earlier in June. Its a church camp for 1 week in the dorms at NAU.  It was his first time. 

Dallin texted me all day on and off. Texts like (direct quotes from my text history):

"We are eating dinner me and isaac are the biggest studs here!!!!!!!!! :)"

"We had like three lessons today one was about goal setting one was about listening to the spirit in standing true to your faith"

"Classes are over for the day. One class was really inspiring it was about being nice"

"We had a super spiritual day"

"Dance is over you would be very proud!!!!!!"

"I slow danced with her!!!!!!! (mostly for you)"

"We first sang 'I stand all amazed' before testimony meeting and I had to stop singing cause I was crying"

"I started crying 5 seconds in to my testimony"

"Yeah.... I cried harder than most girls I destroyed my napkin"

"I love you too I have to go to bed goodnight"

That was just some of them. I didn't even tell him to, he just kept updating me on how things were going and it made me so happy. What a great experience. He told me when he got home that he has never been so happy. He said "you are so happy because you feel the spirit so strong all week".  

And now he has been texting lots of darling girls he met there that live in the area. EFY reunion with the kids he met there is at our house next week. So thankful for programs like this.

And while he was gone, we did some fun stuff with the little kids. Alyssa and I took our kids here one day: 

(Logan was going to go too, but he got invited to Big Surf with the Krizans. Lucky duck!)