10 super fun days in Cali!

Here are a few photos from our trip to CA.

Lots happened while we were there.... both Haley and Lindsay lost a tooth!

We spent the day at the Monterey Bay Aquarium and then at Capitola Beach.

We spent lots of time with friends and family.

We spent 3 days up at Donner State Park, camping!

It was wonderful, of course.

Oh, and one last thing we need to tell you.

I am expecting Baby #5!

Due in Feb. around my b-day.

Pretty fun, huh?!

If you haven't been to this aquarium lately, you need to go!

You can easily spend the entire day there! We love this place.

You get to touch fun and slimy creatures!

This may be our Christmas pic. for this year...

Everyone around the anchovies!

Lawson girls...

My favorite animal when I was a kid was the Seahorse. I still love them and so do my girls!

Chloe and I heart Otters!

Deb and Gene with Bubba.

Cousins...

Haley, Chloe, Anais (Aaron's daughter), Nat and Linds.





Capitola:

Oh how I love the beach and this beach house!





The 3 Musketeers!

On the way to Donner!! woo hoo!

Donner Lake:

What's the first thing my children find in the water??

A dead fish.

And what do my children do about the dead fish?

Run away from it?

NO!

They put it in a bucket and then buried it, giving it a headstone and everything.

What does my youngest girl do the next day when we return to the lake?

Digs up the fish and plays with it until I scream at her to drop it!

ew


Climbing cousins:

On "Bird Poop Rock".

Fun times!

Fun times until these two teenagers go off on the kayak and are gone for 3 hours and scare us all to death... thankfully all was well, they just got a little lost. phew!

Oh how these boys loved playing together!

BOY cousins!!! yea!!!

Adam and Brigham.

How did my kid get so dirty you ask?

Maybe from making "dirt angels"???

nice.

cousin time in the trailer.

Nat and Ems





Saying goodbye:

sadness

Cousins.

(actually, first cousins, once removed, but who's counting?)

We had a fabulous time! We miss everyone and want to thank them for the fun!

Cal-I-Forn-I-A

We'll be home in a few days. Loving being here in Loomis. It's super hot, but at this very moment I am enjoying a delish Jamba Juice and it's helping with the 100 degree day. It's been such a fun trip! Can't believe we've been here a week and will be coming home in 3 days. I'll post pics when I am home.

Until then.................

summertime tents:

The girls decided to create a couple of tents last night. I love the encyclopedias on top of the blanket, it is just what Aaron and I did when we made tents as kids.

A few times the cats jumped up and destroyed this one, but Nat fixed it.

g'nite, Nat!

Lind's tent. Of course she had to bring in a million animals.

The note taped to the tent read:

"Keep Out!" and a smiley face.

She slept here all night!

So fun during the summer when there's no school the next day!

My hair before:

I got my hair cut:

What do you think?

Happy Birthday Darling Gene from Savvy Shopper Deb!

Gene celebrated his *46th* Happy Birthday last week! Wowsers!

Haley and I spent the entire afternoon in the kitchen making him spaghetti and meatballs, a German Chocolate cake from SCRATCH and a box chocolate cake for the kiddos who don't enjoy delish homemade german choc. cake!

After dinner we went as a family+ Justin T. to see UP.

Then home for cake!

"........to Geeeeeeeeeene.................."

Wow, I was really, really happy! Around this time we surprised him with his german chocolate cake! He loved it. It's what his mom always made him for his b-days!

Um, he doesn't actually look all that excited about his homemade goodness, but he really was!

:)

Now his wish will come true! yay!!!

Let's move onto a different topic now:

Score at Albertson's:

Yes, I took pictures of my groceries... yes, I am a dork!

I got a week's worth of produce, massive cereal, cheese, mac and cheese and MORE!

Total spent this morning (as in, I left the house at 7am):

$85.77

Total savings this morning:

$134.10

And you wanna know something kinda funny?! This is super for me, but just so-so for the experts around here!

With a grocery budget of $200/week, this is pretty dang good. Now, I'm not done with my shopping, I'll be heading to Wal Mart in a second, but will only spend another $60 or so! PLUS, I won't be buying cereal for months! :)

Go see this movie with your entire fam!

We loved this movie!!!!!!