My Christmas

Visiting my family is my Christmas. It comes only once a year, bummer. But when we're together the fun is non-stop.
Oh such more I could post, but it's taking WAY too long.

Camping

This past weekend we camped. We haven't taken Royal since he's been mobile. It was fun to follow him as he explored. We figured we got nothing to prove with the whole roughin bit. We know we're capable of it, so why not camp in style. We slept in the warm van, roasted taquitoes and mozzarella cheese sticks over a propane stove and peed here and there in Forest Service provided outhouses. Good news we still came home filthy!

Good-bye Tonto

Tonto Natural Bridge is closing due to budget cuts. It's one of Chase's favorite places in Arizona. We headed up in May and took lots of pictures, wondering if it will be the last time we see it.

Totally been there

I know exactly how he feels--like you've been hit by a semi.

San Diego check. III

The journey of a thousand miles begins with a single crawl.

Guilty sand eater.

How Royal felt about whale watching.

Royal mooching food off people he doesn't know.

Last batch of pics. Whew what a trip.

San Diego -check. II

During whale watching we saw fin whales, the second largest whale. They were 90 feet long and just as rare to spot them as blue whales. On the way back 70+ dolphins swam next to our boat. Amazing.

San Diego -check.

We've been talking about going to San Diego (San Marcos actually where my grandma lives) for almost a year now. I'm amazed that can finally be checked off. We visited the Birch Aquarium, went whale watching, ate with the Carters and Gomeztrejos, spent lots of time with GG and the beach. HUGE DISCLAIMER- Despite what the following pictures may portray, Royal's hair is not RED (or strawberry blonde, or orange, or carrot-topish)

I thought I'd send this one to the aquarium to use it for a pamphlet cover or something, but as we were walking out the brochure had almost this same pose of a different kid. Darn we could have been rich.

This was just part of the seahorse exhibit. It was a play area where you could camouflage yourself in the wooden kelp like seahorses do. Royal only wanted to play with that good looking baby in the mirror.

Sailing Sailing

I'm ready to help Daddy

What a fabulous two weeks I've had off! It was such a thrill to be a mom again. I posted quite the collection of pictures, but I didn't know which ones to leave out. We had a sailing day last Monday. Chase sailed royally and I sailed the shore chasing Royal E. (that one hurts, yes, I agree pushing the corny limits)

Royal throws rocks in, Chase digs rocks out


There were some fishermen on the dock who liked Royal. As we left one man caught a fish that he wanted him to touch. Even though he looks a bit concerned in this picture, his hands were all over the eyeballs and mouth of this fish right before he wiped the gunk on my shirt.