Fall Break 2010

Last year, we started a family tradition: every October/November we go to the beach. Last November we went to Rocky Point, Mexico for four days and this year we were super spoiled and went to Solana Beach, CA (just north of La Jolla). But instead of four days we savored eight glorious days together. (I am laughing that I just wrote "glorious" --- story to follow at the end of this post).
It seems odd to head to the beach in the fall...but we have not regretted either trip in the least. The weather was a brisk 60 in the morning and evening and 70-75 during the day.

And can I tell you that falling asleep and waking up to the sound of the waves crashing against the beach is simply magical? Ohhh, how I miss it already.

Here is a travel log of our adventures together as a family:

Beach boys...why do they thrive on being so silly?

Building sand castles with Daddy. Life is good.

Me and my best friend.

I can already see this boy as a teenager. He is growing up SO quickly!

The view from our town house.
Thanks to one of Brandon's clients we stayed for FREE.
Spoiled brats, I know :)

The enchanted castle on the hill...oh wait, no. The San Diego LDS Temple.
Hands down my favorite of all the Temples.

Whoa, belly alert!

Doing what they do best: acting silly together.

We took a day trip to down town SD to see this gargantuan air craft carrier. The boys were in awe of how it carried air planes.

The classic sailor kissing the nurse in Times Square.

My sailor kissing his very pregnant nurse :)

We splurged (wow, theme parks are expensive) and took the boys to Lego land for Max's birthday. They L-O-V-E-D it.

Max kept requesting to ride a Lego train. Thank heavens they had one!
Could you die about his random facial expression?!

James earned his "Lego driver's license" after this ride and he thought it was the coolest!

And I quote from James: "That red boat ride was stupid" (a naughty word in our home...but I admit I chuckled). "Why was it stupid?"
"It kept crashing into things and it didn't go fast at all."
Valid point, I think especially considering it resembles a speed boat.

Max wanted to ride the horsey so badly but he wasn't quite tall enough. Darn it.

Gotta have a photo opp with R2D2, right?!

They had an unbelievable aquarium that we visited toward the end of the day (I was SO beat after five hours of walking around).
It had sharks, jelly fish, sting rays, you name it.

Oh..back to the beginning (referring to "glorious" as previously mentioned in the post).
So, when on vacation we indulge in treats we otherwise would not purchase...thus I had some mini oreos in individual bags for the boys as a beach snack. After James put a few in his mouth he said, "MOM! Where did you get these GLORIOUS snacks?!"
haha!

Needless to say, it was a "glorious" trip...and the last one we will take as a family of four.
Next year we will have a little sand eater along with us...can't wait to meet the little monster :)
Only THREE more weeks!