This Girl - Katelee

Oh Katelee Madge, this girl makes us smile constantly.  The other day we were playing a quick game of Apples to Apples.  I had the card, Rough.  The descriptions words were something like jagged, not smooth, etc.  You get the point.  Katelee put her card down and said, "ok, I'm going in a different direction with this one.."  She laughed a little and had a huge smile on her face.  Ethan set his card down and I mixed them up and then read them.  The first was Iceberg, yep those can be rough.  Then I read the next one, Paying Bills.  I busted up laughing, that was the winner.  Ethan was not happy at all, Katelee was so excited.   She said she knew I'd pick that one, because paying bills was rough!!!  What 7 year old things like that? 

Katelee is hilarious, a deep thinker and growing up way too fast!! 

When I am with Katelee, just me and her, she often makes me do double takes.  I look at her and think, when did my little girl grow up, how did she mature over night?  The conversations we have are fun and hilarious.  This girl makes silly comments and expressions that not everyone sees and I LOVE that. She is very much a home body, she never wants to leave the house once we are home.  If I want to go to the store, I better do it before I get the kids home, otherwise Kate will refuse or throw a fit about leaving.  She loves to read, play school and is so good at gymnastics.  She loves gymnastics, once she gets there...  But when we are at home and have to go, she always says she'd rather just stay home.  She has pretty much mastered the backbend and is very close to mastering the flip over from a backbend.  She loves cartwheels and tumbling and everything gymnastics!! 

Katelee is a super smart girl.  She got straight As this year (again) and will be attending a GATE-like program next year.  We had to talk her into it, she didn't really want to do it, but we asked her to try it out and see how it goes and we would take her out of it if she feels like it's just not working.  She is pretty much polar opposite of Ethan in school.  She rarely talks, even to her teachers.  She sits quietly and very still at her desk, she doesn't get up unless she is asked to or gets permission to.  She never needs to study her spelling words or other items.  If she doesn't get 100% on her math tests she is pretty tough on herself, but just studies harder the next time.  She reads far above her level and loves it.  She is a teachers best dream student. (I'm not sure where she gets that from....)

Life with Katelee is so fun.  She is very independent, she picks out her own clothes and does her own hair everyday.  She wont let us do either of those, unless I beg her until she gives in.  Sometimes she gets in moods where she is naughty, but that is not the norm.  When you look at how good she is the majority of the time, you can't help but get that she needs a naughty outlet every once in a while...  We love this little fashionista and she is growing up WAY TO FAST!!!    

Ethan and Katelee's School Pictures 2015-2016

 Ethan is in 3rd grade this year and doing pretty good.  His teacher is Ms. Pippin who happens to be the best thing ever for him.  She is patient, a lover of crazy boys and a fantastic teacher.  She has come to a baseball game he invited her to and even came to his last Pinewood Derby competition.  He loves being in her class.  His grades aren't the best but it's mostly because the boy wont take his time to complete anything.  He thinks he has to rush through everything.  He is a smart kid he just needs to learn to slow down and not make mistakes.  Ethan is still the kid in class that drives everyone crazy with his contact noises and fidgeting.  If only we knew where he got that from.  He also loves to tell jokes.  He has adapted very well to the new school and has made friends easily.  The kid will talk to anyone and play with anyone as well. 

Katelee is in 2nd grade as is doing very well.  She is still our quiet girl that only speaks to the teacher when spoken to.  She hesitates to answer questions just out of a need to always be right.  She is usually right, but will still hesitate to answer and will not raise her hand at all.  She is best friends with a girl named Emily in her class, which is great.  Emily is a great example and also a very good student.  Katelee pretty high on the GATE (Gifted, blah blah blah) test and was asked to take a few more test to see if she would be accepted into that program.  We haven't really talked much about it with her because we don't want her to feel any pressure.  I'm indifferent either way.  She always aces her spelling tests with no real studying.  Katelee was told by the library assistant that she could only check out one joke book per week, which she wasn't too happy about.  She loves to read jokes to us all the time.  Her grades are nearly perfect and we never have to really get on her about anything with school, except talking to her teacher.

Ethan and Katelee are quite opposites when it comes to school.  I have a feeling Ashlee is going to be much more similar to her brother in school than to Katelee.  So far we love our new school.  Everyone is very nice and the teacher we have so far have been great!   

Mommy-Daughter Dates

Sometimes I like to have some one on one time with my kids.  Sometimes we are actually able to make it happen. Life gets pretty busy sometimes and when it gets busy all I want to do with my free time is hang out with the whole family.  But, I also know how special those one on one moments are so we work hard to make it happen.  The other day I needed to go to the grocery store and Katelee was adamant that she wanted to go with me.  We decided to make it a Mommy and Daughter date.  We went to Target and got some popcorn and a slushy and walked around and got what we needed.  Then we went to the grocery store and then Katelee picked China a go-go for dinner.  I have never been there, but she really wanted to go, so we went.  We decided to get the Chicken Chow Mein and it was yummy.  We talked A LOT and loved every minute of our time.  Katelee is funny, she is at an age where she is still a kid but trying so hard to be grown up.  Our conversation was a good mixture of kid stuff and teen stuff...  I'm so thankful for times where I can just sit back and enjoy my kids in a special way.  When I was sitting across from Katelee at dinner I just kept thinking, "How on earth did I get so lucky to have this girl in my life?"  I have truly been blessed... 

After my one on one with Katelee, Ashlee really wanted some Mommy and her time so we decided to go shopping and to lunch. It was the day after Thanksgiving so it was really busy.  We went to Bath & Body Works and scooped up quite a bit of stuff for cheap.  We had to wait in line forever, but Ashlee was so good.  We went to Cugios after that and shared the lunch pizza special.  When we started eating Ashlee noticed the Garlic Knots were ready and asked for some, so we got some of those as well.  Ashlee is so fun to hang out with.  When she is one on one she is such a good girl.  She is polite and kind and doesn't talk potty talk when it's just her.  Again, sitting across from my other daughter I couldn't help but feel overwhelmingly blessed.  She is a crazy girl and I just love her.  She is a whole lot of me packed into that small body!!  She cracks me up without even trying and her facial expressions are on point!!! 

Chris and I are trying harder to make these types of one on one experiences happen more for all of our kids.  It's so important that they feel important and feel like we care about them!!  When there are 4 kids running around the house it's easy for them to feel like we don't notice them and I don't want them to ever feel like that.  2016 will be full of lots of one on one dates!!!  

The Last Time

A few of my girlfriends and I went to "Time Out for Women" in St. George.  It was a great experience and SO much fun with those girls!  I will blog more about that later, maybe.  During one of the presentations a lady read the following and it struck such a raw chord with me. 

The Last Time

From the moment you hold your baby in your arms,
you will never be the same.
You might long for the person you were before, 
When you had freedom and time,
And nothing in particular to worry about.

You will know tiredness like you never knew it before,
And days will run into days that are exactly the same,
Full of feedings and burping,
Diaper changes and crying,
Whining and fighting,
Naps or a lack of naps,
It might seem like a never-ending cycle.

But don’t forget …
There is a last time for everything.
There will come a time when you will feed
your baby for the very last time.
They will fall asleep on you after a long day
And it will be the last time you ever hold your sleeping child.

One day you will carry them on your hip then set them down,
And never pick them up that way again.
You will scrub their hair in the bath one night
And from that day on they will want to bathe alone.
They will hold your hand to cross the road,
Then never reach for it again.
They will creep into your room at midnight for cuddles,
And it will be the last night you ever wake to this.

One afternoon you will sing “the wheels on the bus”
and do all the actions,
Then never sing them that song again.
They will kiss you goodbye at the school gate,
The next day they will ask to walk to the gate alone.
You will read a final bedtime story and wipe your last dirty face.
They will run to you with arms raised for the very last time.

The thing is, you won’t even know it’s the last time
Until there are no more times.
And even then, it will take you a while to realize

So while you are living in these times,
remember there are only so many of them
and when they are gone, you will yearn for just one more day of them.
For one last time.

-Author Unknown-

The things is, I'm pretty sure Brynlee is our last baby.  I still think the idea of 5 kids is great, but I'm just not sure it's in the cards for us.  Chris is done, he will have to have some kind of a vision to agree to have another one.  Some days I can't imagine waking up multiple times a night again for feedings and newborn stuff.  I would love to be pregnant again, I LOVE being pregnant, but my body is a mess and it probably wouldn't be the best thing for me...  Sometimes I look at our family all together and think, "this is perfect!"  Like last night at the dinner table we were all just talking and hanging out and it felt so good and right.  Then there are times when I look around as if someone is missing. The other night when we were gathering for family prayer I was looking and saw Ethan, Katelee, and then found Ashlee and Chris had Brynlee and I just kept looking.  For a while I just kept looking.  Chris started reading and in my head I was thinking, "why isn't he waiting, we aren't all here!"  But then it clicked.  The mind and heart are interesting organs!! 
I packed up all of the clothes that Brynlee has outgrown, it was a sad day.  I may have shed a few tears, I can't lie.  I would hold up the clothes and smile as I would remember how cute that outfit was on my girls.  Then I took them to a lady in our ward that is having her first baby girl.  It was a sad day...  It was a last...

I look at my little Ethan, who isn't quite so little any more.  I can't tell you the last time I picked him up and carried him on my hip, but when I did it last did I think it was going to be the last time?  My baby won't let us feed her any more.  She must be the one to feed herself or she wont eat...  When I fed her last did I think it was going to be the last time?  And did I appreciate it like I should have? I can almost guarantee I didn't.  I have to fight with Katelee to let me do her hair.  The girl is 7!!! She wants to do her own hair, pick out her own cloths and much more.  When will it be the last time I do her hair?  Will I realize it?  Ms Ashlee is a handful, she has a spunk about her that is all her own.  She loves to hug me and give me kisses when I leave for work, when will she do that for the last time? 

After thinking about some of this stuff it was depressing.  But then it has made me much more aware of the little things that will one day be gone or I will do for the last time.  I rock my little baby a little longer at night, as long as she will let me.  I cuddle with the kids, even if I have to make them...  I have started to try a little harder to enjoy and extend those things that will one day be the last time!  I'll hold them a little closer, longer and tighter and soak it all up while I can.  Filling my jar so that hopefully it will last me through the rest of their childhood.   

Pinewood Derby 2015 (Ethan's FIRST one)

Ethan is now is Cub Scouts which means he does an activity every week and he gets to do a Pinewood Derby!  He was excited but I almost think my dad was more excited. We had Ethan pick out what he wanted the car to look like and my dad was able to cut it for him.  We had an FHE where Ethan and all helped work on the car.  Ethan was very good at sanding and messing around with all the tools...  

 

I was put in charge of painting the car, which I'm not all that good at...  We made it work though... My dad added on all the other items to get it where it needed to be weight wise.  Ethan wanted a driver so I found a Lego guy to add to the car.  My dad even made a carrying case for the car so he could enter the race in style.    Here are some shots of the final product:

 

The night of the Derby my parents came over for dinner and last minute inspections and then we were off to the races.  (Look at that smile, you can tell he is excited!)

They did 4 races with the car getting a spot in each lane.  The first lane Ethan took 1st place.  After that he didn't score first again, but was still doing good.  They let the boys place the cars on the track and I'm afraid Ethan didn't always get it centered so the wheels rubbed on the edges a few times, but he had tons of fun! 

Ethan's car ended up taking 4th place.  We would have loved to win it overall, but 4th place for your first race is GREAT as well!  It was fun seeing all the other cars and designs that people came up with.  Brought back memories of all of my brother's Pinewood Derbies and that was great fun.  Ethan has been looking forward to the next derby ever since the last one ended.  

Good-Bye Hansen Family

So when we moved into our condo when we first got married there were a few couples that lived in the same complex.  We got to know them each, but we got to know the Hansen family the most.  Carlee and Chris became our good friends, after far too many years of knowing them...  Carlee and I had baby girls around the same time.  They both had brown hair and these blue/green/clear eyes.  She named her daughter Kaylee and we named ours Katelee.  They were in all the same primary classes and their nursery leader especially had a hard time telling them apart.  Not only were their first names similar but their last names were as well, Hansen and Nelson...  After a bit the Hansen family moved out of our little complex and away from our ward.  We were all sad, but they were still close by, so we weren't too sad.  

We visited with them often, had family dinner nights with them and met up at different places to hang out.  Our kids meshed so well with each other.  Ethan loved playing with Conner, who is around Ashlee's age and Ashlee LOVES Conner.  He is her boyfriend if you ask her, even now after all this time apart...  When we found our new home, we were so excited to see that it was literally down the street from where the Hansen's were living.  I could not have been more happy to be close to them again.  But that happiness was soon washed away when we found out that they were moving..... to Texas!!  It was such a good thing for their family, but we were all so sad...  Before they left for good we had the kids over often to hang out and the adults too.  

We have gotten to see them one or two times since their move and the kids always pick up right where they left off.  Katelee and Kaylee send things back and forth to each other, it's so cute!  We miss the Hansen's like crazy, but we are so happy that things are going so well for them.  

 

There are only handful of couples that we get along with so well.  Chris and Chris always have tons to talk about and Carlee and I could talk for hours.  It's so great to have such great friends, even if they live in Texas now! 

Yankees Fall Ball 2015

Ethan LOVES baseball.  He has played consecutive seasons since he was 3 almost 4 years old.  Each season we ask him what sport or thing he wants to do next.  We always try to say a different sport, "do you want to try soccer this time, or maybe basketball?"  And his answer has always been, "no, I want to play baseball."  Don't get me wrong, I love that he loves baseball, but I would also like it if he tried a different sport as well.  I really want him to get some experience on a different playing field with different actions, etc.  Last season we made the switch over to our zoned Little League, which is Cheyenne Little League.  We have really enjoyed it so far.  They are very organized, on top of things, informative and we know nothing of the drama that happens, which makes it amazing!  His coach and team last season was good, but we weren't trying to get Ethan on the same team or coach.  Don't get me wrong, the coach was good, but he didn't do much instructing, which we feel is very important.  We signed Ethan and Ashlee up at the same time, a huge hunk of money spent, and then we waited for the team assignment.  During Fall ball they do not have try outs, they draw players.  

Ethan's name, fortunately, was drawn by a great coach.  The team was a little sketchy at first, but it ended up being a great season.  The coach was very dedicated to the boys, he was there for them.  He didn't argue with the umpires, he respectfully disagreed at times, but he was there to help the kids get better and teach them the game of baseball.  The Yankees played great, our pitching improved over the season, which really helps out when you are watching the game.  They won some games, they lost some games and they had fun doing it.  

I just wanted to document some pictures from the season, that the team mom took and then sent to all of us parents.....

This is the classic Ethan sliding form.  His hand is always up high and the other one is dragging on the ground...  It's a sweet looking slide.

Ethan was one of the pitchers that we had.  He is an alright pitcher, he gets the ball across the plate.  He doesn't throw hard, but he does make the kids hit the ball.  We have lots of work to do on his pitching, but for being 8, almost 9, he did good. 

Ethan is kind of a punk on the bases.  I don't know where he gets his cockyness from....  He takes huge lead offs and almost taunts the other team with his eyes...  Begging them to throw the ball.  A few times when they did, he took off and stole the base...  I do love watching him, for the most part, on the bases.  He doesn't need coaching on when to run, stay or play.  He takes risks and for the most part he is very successful.  Sometimes though, when he is being cocky, I would like to throw a ball at him myself, but another part of me just giggles.  

Ethan played first base a lot this season.  They actually threw someone out that was leading off and Ethan was very proud of himself for helping that happen.... 

I love these two pictures.  Since I was a first baseman, I think I mentally criticize him a little too much.  His form, his feet, etc, but he does a pretty darn good job, for not having played first base much last year.  I have kept most of my comments to myself, or only told them to Chris, but I do try to give him a few helpful hints at times...   

Here's a pretty good stretch at first.

I like this picture of Ethan and teammates in the dugout.  Just chatting it up with each other.  He really does enjoy his teammates and hanging out with them.  

The Yankees actually made it to the Championship game.  The only team the other team had lost to all season was us.  We took them on and ended up losing, but 2nd place got trophies as well.  Ethan was so excited for the trophy and being announced on the field after the game that he didn't even care that they lost. 

Here is the team doing a cheer after getting their trophies.  It was a fun season and taking 2nd place isn't bad either!!!! 

Missing My Mother-in-Law

One day in 2012 I was sitting in the break room at work thumbing through the paper.  I came across a request for Mother-in-Law stories for the upcoming Mother's Day Issue.  The request was for stories about how your Mother-in-Law has helped make your life easier.  I took the paper back to my desk and immediately emailed the reporter with my story.  I didn't expect to hear back from them, honestly.  I figured they would have so many submissions they were quickly glaze over mine, but I was wrong.  The reported called me soon after and asked if she could use my story and get more information from me.  I spoke with her for quite a while and then one day they asked to come to her home to take pictures with us.  I was so excited I could hardly contain myself.  We took the pictures and then that Mother's Day the following article was published.

 

 

KAROLYN NELSON

When I first met my husband, I loved his mother. She was so sweet and genuinely kind. I figured from all I ever heard about mothers-in-law, all that would change when we got married.

But I was wrong.

She continues to be one of our biggest fans and supporters. We have borrowed her car multiple times for out-of-town trips and left her with our old car, which is really hers. She has let us use it the whole time my husband has been in school. She has taken her job as grandmother very seriously, being there for all of the celebrations in our kids' lives, from birthday parties, T-ball games, tumbling classes and early morning Christmas present openings.

I have come home to flowers and a gift on my table many times from my mother-in-law for no reason at all. I can go to her for anything and know that she will always listen and she only gives advice when asked for it. Even if she doesn't agree with something we choose to do, she keeps her opinion to herself and lets us live our lives and learn from our own adventures.

I currently work a full-time job and my husband is a full-time student. My mother-in-law takes my son to preschool three days a week with no complaint at all. I hear friends talk about their mothers-in-law and I am so thankful all over again for the mother-in-law I have been blessed with!

- Sent by daughter-in-law Hilary Nelson

Next month will be 2 years that Karolyn has not been with us here on earth....  2 LONG LONG years!  So much has happened and it's sad that she wasn't here in person to see it all and be apart of it all!  There are some days, like today, where I just miss her!  I sit at work and my mind keeps wandering back to her, my thoughts trail back to something she use to say or do.  I can't tell you why today, of all days, I miss her more than normal, I just do.  Perhaps it's because Ashlee has her very first t-ball practice and I'm sad that Karolyn wont get to see her play.  (I'm pretty sure she will make it a very entertaining season)  Perhaps it's because Ethan has been missing her a bit lately, or maybe it's because I know how much Chris misses her and today it's just all caught up to me.  I don't know why, but today I just really really miss my mother-in-law. 

There are tender times when I hold my sweet Brynlee, the granddaughter that never knew her in person, and I feel so close to her.  I can almost hear her talking and feel her sweet spirit.  Sometimes it's just the feeling I need to feel better that night.  Sometimes my sweet baby will gaze off in the distance and smile and seem to be somewhere else, even just for a moment.  Sometimes the kids will say something so sweet and innocent like, "Grandma's favorite color was brown because that is what color the couch was and she was always sitting and laying on the couch." and my heart desires nothing more than to see her laying on the couch once more, with her glasses off and her hair a bit messed up.  Today I wish I could call her and just tell her I love her, just so I'm positive she knows.  Sure, I know she knew I loved her, but I'd love to tell her that again in person.  

So today I will miss my Mother-in-Law, I will relive a few of our memories and laugh to myself at the silly things she would say.  I will shed a tear or two, or three and feel bad for myself for a little bit and then I will rejoice in the Plan of Salvation that allows me and my family to see her and love her and hug her again one day........    

Big Sisters

Big Sisters are the best!!!  Here are just a few pictures to prove it!!!!

California Family Vacation 2015

So our little family hasn't taken a family vacation since before Chris started PT school.  That vacation was about 5 days up in SLC, staying with Chris' sister and my Grandparents.  We went to the Zoo the aquarium and did some other fun things.  Some would argue that isn't a "real" vacation because we stayed with family, but we had fun, so we count it as one. 

Well Last October I had a compliance conference in Carlsbad, Ca.  For these Compliance Conferences I always get to stay in a real nice hotel, paid for by my Employer.  Chris is always jealous because the rooms are always so nice, and if we do stay in a hotel room, it's a $39.99 a night dive.  Well when I checked out of the Sheraton in Carlsbad they were offering a 4 day 3 night stay for $250 and 2 free Legoland tickets.  (Did I mention that this hotel was within walking distance of Legoland and even had it's own entrance???)  I was so excited to hear this that I immediately called Chris and asked if I could purchase it.  We had a year to schedule the stay so there was no need to schedule the time right then.  Chris said we could do it, so I went to sign up.  Well toward the end of gathering all my info, the lady mentioned that it was a timeshare offer and we would have to sit through a presentation for 2 hours.  I gave the lady the look of, "oh heck, I didn't realize," and she quickly said that they were not pushy and that the kids would get to go to a kids camp and enjoy themselves while we were there.  I hesitated, but decided I was pretty good at saying no, so I went through with it anyways.  

After checking quite a few dates we finally settled on going Wednesday through Saturday.  We left our house Wednesday Morning and we got to the hotel at 3pm.  Check in time was 4pm, but I went in to try checking in early.  It was actually great because they had our room ready and we were able to unpack and get right to our vacation fun!!!

The first thing we did was get in our suits and head out to the great pools.  The kids were ready to swim and I have to be honest so was I.    

   

 

The pool was great.  The deepest it got was 4ft so that made it fun for the kids and pretty fun for the adults too.  We swam for quite a while and then got in the spa for a bit and then back to the room.  We all rinsed off and headed out for some dinner.  When I was in Carlsbad for my Compliance Conference I went to a really good Mexican restaurant, so we found that and went there for everyone else to try it out.  Everyone loved it and ate all the chips and queso did we could.  We headed over to Target after dinner to get some milk for Brynlee, ice cream for us and some other items for the hotel room.  When we got home we got in our pjs and ate our dessert and watched some TV for a while.     

 We snuggled for a bit, but then we headed to bed, because the next day was a full day of Legoland!!  We got up and ready for our adventure and were down to the private entry of Legoland right at 9am.  Only to find out that this gate didn't open until 10am.  So we trekked all the way around to the front gates, so we could get in a little earlier and maybe do more.

This was a guy we ran into on our trek around to the front.  There were more lego things on our way, but I didn't want to take a picture next to every single one.  We got into the park after getting our "First Time" badges and started the fun.  We rode lots of rides and had a blast!!!

Here is Katelee driving her very own car.  Ethan and Katelee loved this ride so much.  There was never really a line for it, so they did this like 7 times. 

 

I'm pretty sure this was Ethan's favorite ride.  When we asked what they wanted to do again, Ethan always said drive the cars!

Ethan and Katelee on another ride.  Ashlee was sitting next to me in this one. 

The only problem with Legoland was that Brynlee couldn't ride very many rides.  So she got to hang out in her very own "stroller" ride.  This is her smiling for me! 

When I did put her down, she would try to escape.  It was the cutest thing watching her try to walk as fast as she could.  And if she heard you coming she would try harder.  She loved this shark and tried to be in everyone else's photos too!

Ashlee got to pick a ride and she wanted to ride the horses.  It's a ride for littler kids, but all of the kids did it.  I think this picture of Ethan is so funny.  Here he is an 8 year old boy trying to act like he is too cool for this ride, but trust me my friends, he was enjoying it!!!

For lunch we went back to the hotel room and Chris went to Subway while the rest of us napped.  The older kids didn't want to, but I made them.  They all fell asleep so fast, it was almost comical.  When Chris got back I woke them up.  We ate and then I headed back with the 3 oldest, while Chris stayed with Brynlee so she could nap longer.

We found some good rides when we came back.  We found a roller coaster that was WAY fun.  It wasn't too crazy, but still tons of fun.  We also found the buildings/cities made out of legos on our way to ride the cars again.  Of course Mom made them take pictures in front of some of the buildings. 

Washington DC

VEGAS

The kids were so excited to see their home city.  The Stratosphere even had the big shot that moved and people screaming. 

Ashlee was just not old enough to ride the big kid cars, so we waited in line for her cars.  While we waited for her car, the older two went on their car ride like 4 times in a row.  Ashlee was the best driver out there, which, if you know Ashlee, is crazy!

We also found this guy sleeping on a bench.  He reminded me of my Grandpa.  Sitting on a bench waiting for my grandma was what he did best.  He had a belly and black socks on.  The kids loved him, Ashlee even gave him a hug!

This ride soon became the kids' favorite ride.  They rode it so many times I can't count.  It is kind of like the Big Shot, but much much milder.  There was also no line for this ride, so they went over and over and over again.  There was shade close by, so I didn't mind it so much! 

We ate dinner and went on a few more rides before we finally headed back to the room 15 minutes after park closing.  When we got back, Brynlee went to bed and me and the older three headed out to the pool for a little while.  

The next day we did our Time Share presentation while the kids hung out with other kids and played.  We are not owners of a Timeshare, so I guess we did pretty good at saying no.  They did not "get" us....  After that we ate lunch took naps and then headed to the beach!

This was the first time at the beach for all of our kids and it made it so much fun!  We just went down the road to Carlsbad State beach and laid our stuff down and headed into the water.  It was cold, but not nearly as cold as I was expecting.

Brynlee was very unsure of the waves and the beach in general.  She loved playing in the sand but if the water reached her she didn't know what to do.  I think she wanted to like it, but just couldn't.  There were a few waves that got her pretty good, but I think overall she did like it.  If Chris held her she LOVED the waves as long as she was high enough not to get them.  She loved watching her siblings in them, just not her in them.  Chris Hates the beach, he hates the sand everywhere, but even he had a good time.

This is where Ethan hung out the whole time.  He was in the water the entire time.  He didn't really play in the sand he just jumped in the waves and rode them.  He loved when I would stand there with him and get in the waves and I must admit I enjoyed it too!  On the way back Ethan said, "I found a new friend while we were there."  Chris and I were both surprised because he didn't really talk to anyone else, so we asked him who and he replied, "The ocean!!"  

Katelee liked the beach as well.  She wasn't a fan at all of the salt water, no bodies was.  But she really didn't like it.  She was also not feeling all that well, but she still had a blast.  She liked playing in the sand and being in the water, as long as the waves didn't go above her ankles. 

 

Ashlee liked the beach also, but she would rather play in the sand or have Mommy hold her hand in the waves.  At one point I looked back and she was eating a sand ice cream cone.  She has quite the imagination so playing in the sand was way fun for her.  We also dug a little hole for her that filled up with water with the waves came up.  She loved that!

Another picture of Brynlee playing in the sand. 

The next day we checked out of the hotel and headed home after we did some shopping.  It was so much fun to get away with just our little family to a new place we haven't ever been together.  Things are just so much better on vacation, we can be so relaxed and have tons of fun!!!  Hopefully with Chris working and out of school now we can do more vacations now instead of just trips!