CA Trip Part II: Long Beach

The second half of our trip we were in Long Beach at my folks' house.  Ryan and I were able to get out with my brothers and girlfriend for breakfast and paddle boarding, we took the girls to the bay one day and the beach another, celebrated the girls' birthday, and visited with great-grandparents.  

The girls with grandma and grandpa.

 I love these next two pictures showing the sequence of blowing out the candles.  And don't mind the cake...we had a little disagreement and the cake almost ended up on the front lawn.  But then, in the end I decided to salvage it creating most likely the world's ugliest birthday cake!  It still tasted good though!

Visiting with the girls' great grandparents.

My two brothers and girlfriends.

Adults only outing..it was a nice break Ryan and I needed!

 I have never paddle boarded before and I must say we had a ball!  We were very civilized until we had the brilliant idea of trying to jump onto another person's board without falling.  We failed miserably.  And then from there it turned into trying to knock people off their boards.  Good fun!  We'll have to do again!

This trip marked the very first time Rory has ever been the beach!

Haley had a little trouble holding onto the boogie board with her cast, but really, it didn't seem to slow her down at all!

Then, after 8 days off fun, it was back into the car for the long and miserable drive home.  Really, it is a horrendous drive.  I try really hard to buy all kinds of fun activities for the kids to do in the car, but nothing seems to work. I think it would be easier if Haley and Morgan slept some...but they don't.  And I kid you not, they don't stop talking/arguing the ENTIRE drive...and they talk like they are 30 feet away from each other!  Rory and Piper are no picnic either...if they are not eating or sleeping they are usually screaming about something.  Ryan and I are at our wits end by the end of the day!

But, we did make it home eventually...and we made it without having to strangle a kid which I think is a success!  Just kidding, we wouldn't really strangle our children.

Until next time CA.