We love visitors!

It's been almost a year to the day that we've lived here now in San Diego.

I've said it before, but one of the perks about living here is that people actually WANT to come and visit you. I mean, I would hope that the appeal of spending quality time with the Parsons would be enough to tempt those friends to get on a flight with kids, but who am I kidding?

It helps to have things like the beach, Sea World, a really cool zoo, Legoland, & Disney on our side.

Last week, our old neighbors, The Kemmerly's came out for a long weekend.

We squeezed a whole lot in just a short amount of time.

I borrowed some of these pictures from Kurt, and love that he shared them...especially this one.

Doesn't this face just say, "stinker"....I mean, cute stinker of course.

I almost peed my pants when I saw this one.

What is Miss Sass doing?

Holy cow this girl...

Addison had an absolute blast hanging out with Margeaux for four days.

Another way to see the zoo....

This helps, since we have seen it 15 times since we've been here.

I kid you not. We have more than gotten our money out of our annual pass.

Then on Sunday we headed off to Disneyland.

It was so fun seeing the whole place decked out for Halloween.

Not so fun dealing with "fall break" crowds.

The Kemmerly's treated us to Breakfast with Minnie, which was so fun.

Addison was all about seeing the characters.

Graham wasn't so sure....

I mean, to the guy's credit, I've never introduced him to Winnie the Pooh, so for all her knew this was just a really tall creepy yellow bear who didn't talk.

Dale from Chip n Dale played a little hide & seek, and Graham started to warm up.

Addison really enjoyed Minnie. When we went last year for her birthday, she honestly didn't even know who Minnie or Mickey were.

But we've racked up a lot of hours of Mickey Mouse clubhouse since then,

so she was well prepared.

We plowed through naptime.

another "celebrity" sighting

spent some time at California Adventure

and while not the most natural smile, we're working on it.

Instead of her saying "cheese", she is now just "showing me her teeth"

Whatever works.

Graham was a little overwhelmed by Buzz, but at the same time probably trying to figure out which button to push to get him to actually speak.

and then for the real celebrity sighting.

Graham is OBSESSED with Cars.

They are building a "Cars Land" at Disney, but it won't be ready until next summer.

He just saw the sign and went ballistic.

I don't know how we'll ever get him out of the park when it does open.

Since his birthday party this year is going to be cars themed, I though I could maybe snap a quick pic for his invitation.

The bottom picture is what I got when I asked Andy to help me "situate" him.

and looks like I'll still be working on that invite....

riding the Nemo submarine

we had split up with the Kemmerly's the majority of the day so they could do everything on their list. One was visiting the Bippity Boppity Boutique, where Miss Margeaux got made over into Sleeping Beauty. When we met up with them on the bus back to the parking lot, Addison was in awe and just kept telling Margeaux how beautiful she looked. So cute!

We had such a great time with Kurt, Trina & Margeaux.

October is the month for company. Andy's parents got here last Thursday and will be here through Saturday and then my mom comes on Sunday!

We are so thankful that our family is willing to travel....

not just because we miss them so much but more importantly, our kids LOVE getting to spend extended time with their grandparents.

AND.....

those wonderful grandparents were willing to keep our kids for three days so that Andy and I could get away and spend some much needed time with each other.

It was amazing....post to come soon!

Camping at the beach

A few months back some of the dad's started planning a camping trip.

They wisely decided this would be a guys only trip, but even better, decided to include the kids.

I was TOTALLY supportive of this.

Us girls showed up to bring the pizza and s'mores supplies, take some pictures, and then kissed the boys and oldest kids good night.

We did get to all hang out and enjoy the sunset, which was gorgeous as always.

Pizza came from Giant Pizza, and they weren't lying ...it was huge.

Graham's car obsession has carried over to airplanes now. Ever since that tour we took of Palomar airport a few weeks ago, the boy points out every plane he sees or hears.

He loved getting to run around with the big kids, and when I wasn't tackling him to ensure he didn't run head first into the ocean, he was a piece of cake.

Trina, Kurt & Margeaux joined us. We had just picked them up from the airport a few hours earlier, and so they were kind of forced to "camp" for an hour or so before we went home and crawled into warm, DRY, clean beds.

I don't think they minded.

It's so funny to watch boys vs. girls.

The boys loved nothing more than diving head first into the sand, while the girls preferred to construct neat sand castles and wanted to wash off their hands as soon as they were done.

Another example of the boys' love of sand

The youngest ones had fun playing and then we took them home to dry cribs.

Partly for their benefit, but mostly for the benefit of their dads.

Multi-tasking at its finest.

Reason #4, 285 why I really like living here.

And then, it was time for the moms to leave and the real camping to begin.

"See you later suckers dads!"

But if camping really is your thing, which it IS SO NOT mine....

What better place to camp, than here?

Best Friends

My best friend, Jacqueline, and her husband Mark (who I both went to high school with) came up to stay for a week at Laguna Beach for their BABYMOON!!!

I am over the moon that they are expecting TWINS in December.

In fact, I'm heading to Houston in just two short weeks to help them celebrate and I cannot wait.

I was giddy to get to drive up with Andy and spend some time with them on Sunday night.

They were staying at Surf & Sand resort. This is the view from their hotel room.

You felt like the waves were going to crash right into their hotel room. I was a tad jealous that they had nothing on the agenda besides relaxing, reading, and eating. That is my idea of paradise.

It was SOOOO great to be just a short drive away from Jacqueline. Andy and I have nothing to complain about living out here, but the hardest thing by FAR as been being so far away from people I care so much about. I hate that I won't be able to be at the hospital and hold these precious babies shortly after they arrive.

I have made wonderful friends here. God has richly blessed me with people who I can relate to so easily, laugh with, and feel like I've known for so long already instead of just a few months.

However, that just isn't the same as being with someone who has experienced the last 15 years of your life with, knows you backwards and forwards, and that you actually HAVE known forever. I just love this girl.

We walked about a block from their hotel and ate here.

The food and view were incredible.

and Andy and I got to experience a little bit of old school, time with friends.....without the kids around. It was NICE.

Today I'm actually heading up north again to Newport Beach with the kids in tow and no Andy to join Mark & Jacqueline at their second stop on their babymoon. I figure they might as well get some practice with two rambunctious kiddos. It's good training for what's to come.

Week with the Rodgers

Last week we were so lucky to have our friends, The Rodgers, in town visiting from Houston.

Ashley and I have been friends since sophomore year at A&M, and I was so happy to get a chance to hang out with her, Ben, and little Presley for four whole days.

We showed them some of our favorite spots in San Diego.

It was a beautiful, clear, day and you could see for miles from the top of Mt. Soledad.

I didn't have Andy with me to help corral the kids for a photo op, so I did my best by asking Addison to hold Graham's hand for a picture.

The following is what I got.....

She takes direction seriously.

The next day we headed to the zoo. We have definitely gotten our money out of that annual pass.

These make me laugh....

haven't quite mastered this concept yet

Thank the Good Lord that Andy got to join us for this afternoon. Having two kids on my own going 90 to nothing all day was wearing me out.

Presley got up close, real close to the hippo

Not pictured is out trip to the beach, because that was .....

well....

a disaster and way too much work.

I am beginning to hate sand as much as my husband.

The next day after our second trip to Pannikin coffee, we headed to the park.

The swell was huge last week.

The surfers were so excited to be taking advantage of these 10-12 foot waves.....apparently caused by a winter storm off the coast of New Zealand (fun fact for the day)

You might remember that Andy tried surfing a couple of weeks ago....when there was not much of any waves. Well, he was bound and determined to continue ....

until he saw this

This was a picture taken last week off the coast in Encinitas (about a 5 minute drive down the beach from Carlsbad)

That's a great white shark people. Swimming right by some unknowing surfers.

After more than 4 shark sightings in the last week on the coast, Andy has said his surfing days are over.

We will be enjoying the view from the safety of dry land, thank you very much.