Arizona Highlights: Last Getaway of Summer

Our family just got back from our last vacation of the summer! We soaked up the sun and splashed in the waves at San Diego for nearly a week! It was FANTASTIC! Not one of us was ready to come home and it was with great sadness that we packed up our things and began the journey back home. It was a magical week and we all had such a wonderful time! These are from a mommy and Clara morning out on the beach, early, before everyone else was up!

The kids had such a great time playing on the beach, building sand castles and playing in the waves...which were HUGE!

Clara loved jumping the waves as they rolled in!

This trip, we also added Boogie Boarding to our skill list...or "Booger Boarding" as Clara kept calling it. The kids had such a fantastic time trying to catch a wave and ride it in. It took some figuring out, but all three kids...and Chris were great at it by the time we headed home. It was so much fun to see their faces as they hurdled toward shore on those waves! Mom did NOT add this skill to her nearly endless list of lifetime skills...the water was VERY cold...even in July! Water temperature registered at just 70 degrees! BRRRRRRR! But the kids were oblivious and had the time of their lives!

Chris catches a big wave and rides it in at top speed!

Clara LOVED her board and trying to hang on for the wild ride!

Ben was the best of all of our crew riding the waves in! He caught more than anyone!

Max shows us some real skill! Look Ma! No hands!

While we were in the land of big water, Chris decided to charter a boat and take us all out on a fishing expedition. This was great fun...for all of them! I tend to get VERY seasick, but decided to brave this adventure just the same. After all...if I didn't go, WHO was going to take the pictures?! Well, I can assure you that these will be pretty much the last pictures of my children on a boat taken by ME! This trip almost killed me. I lasted for nearly 5 1/2 hours and then at that point I informed both Chris and the boat captain that the trip was OVER and we had to head for shore NOW! At this point I was more than a little green and had moved to the railing and I just KNEW I was going to be VERY very sick. Luckily, the green tint of my skin and my emphatic, if not totally desperate tone of voice seemed to convince them to drop everything and throw that boat into gear RIGHT THEN. We headed for shore and with the wind in my face, I managed to regain control. I think that this was a great disappointment to my children. By that time, Max was perched up in the front of the boat near me giving a blow by blow commentary on my sea sickness saga. His dialogue went something like "Oh...it looks like she's gonna blow! She's moved to the rail! Oh yeah...she's gonna lose it!" It was so charming. Had I not needed such a death grip on the railing to keep my footing I think I might have reached out and thrown the kid overboard! Anyway...I survived the trip, without any great show of a return of my breakfast! A little fishing goes a long, LONG way for me! But at least Chris and the kids had a blast!