Vacation!!

We just returned from a week of vacation at the W.I. beach house in...Southern California. Hmmm, what's been happening there this week? Oh, that's right, wildfires!! While we weren't close enough to be in danger of them, they were burning all around us. On our first full day, Sunday, those horrid Santa Ana winds were blowing so strongly that we could not be on the beach or even outside at all because the sand was whipping around and in our eyes. Then later that day the big black cloud of smoke rolled in. It was so strange and eerie. I had a bathroom window open and when I went in, everything was black! I cleaned it and when I swept up, it looked like ash from a fireplace. So we were stuck indoors for a couple days.

So Monday we decided to check out the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library nearby. It was so windy up there too. We wanted to see Air Force One, and by the pictures you can see that we did. That part was very amazing. The building that houses it is just awesome, it looks like the plane is going to take off out the window. The whole museum was pretty interesting and "impressive" to borrow a word from Elizabeth.

Finally on Wednesday the winds died down for us on the coast and it was a beautiful beach day - over 90 degrees I think! Our Elizabeth was in the chilly water in her wet suit forever. She got to the point where she can boogie board on her own. She's growing up... Emma chased birds all over the beach. she calls them, "Fwa fwa". I don't know why. Caleb just ran and ran and attacked the waves.

Thursday and Friday returned to normal beach weather - 60's and cloudy-ish. Still the kids loved it. Since Luke's sister Kate and her husband Josh joined us for the week from New Jersey, Luke and I got to ride in the sea kayak and see seals and go out for lunch one day too!

I love the beach. It's my most favorite place to visit...