Point Loma, Cabrillo National Monument

In my last and final post from our fantastic two-week long Carlsbad summer vacation...
Point Loma, Cabrillo National Monument.
We went for a drive to see the tide pools, the lighthouse and what Travis calls the greatest college baseball field ever. For all of those who might not be educated on college baseball fields... The field at Point Loma, Nazarene comes to what we Phoenicians would call a negative edge over the ocean. It is pretty cool. Cool enough to make me prematurely choose my children's college, seriously.
At Cabrillo Emily was able to complete the Junior Parks Ranger program and get a badge for her Daisy vest. Very exciting! Down at the tide pools the kids were able to play with some sea anemone, crabs and lobster carcasses. Hmm, where to go from here? ... Abi does not like purple crabs, good to know. The lobster thing I can't figure out either. I thought lobsters were a deep water crustacean. Why then would there be so many washed up on shore? Creepy looking things, eww.

On another interesting side note after talking to my Grandma Mary I discovered that we have family buried at Rosecrans National Cemetery. Two of her brothers and her adoptive father. I had no idea. It is a beautiful place...



Fort Rosecrans National Cemetery




An Official Junior Ranger.


The Lighthouse at Point Loma.

For the record...Travis is an AMAZING father. That being said, he is not a gifted photographer like his sister. This is why there are no pictures of me. When he succeeds from prying the camera out of my grasp he takes pictures of me. An issue for another day, although I will say it ALWAYS ends with him making a face and saying "one more." Can you see my issue? He also has this problem...Who is that sweet little girl with the bottom half of her face cut-off?

Why, it's Emily! I gotta give him props for trying! Now we will return to our regularly scheduled programming of photographing sweet, chubby baby faces and pre-teen drama queens.

WaterSlide!

While we were at the beach for summer vacation most of North Phoenix was also there too. Last year we met up with Rob and Tammy and the girls for a Padres game that was so much fun. The Crafts went along too and the kids had hot dogs and sodas, it was very 4th of July. I suppose it helped that they were all in coordinating Gymboree red, white and blue outfits for photo opts, but really, who is paying attention! This year Rob and Tammy stayed at the Hyatt Mission Beach because of the pools. So we loaded up the kiddos and swimsuits and went to play in a pool on the beach. There was a perfect kid-sized waterslide. It was the first time any of our kids had been on one. Billy loved it with a capital L, Emi did too although for some reason I have no pictures of her and Abi was a little skeptical. She first climbed the steps and was all ready until she sat down and freaked out. She ended up climbing back down the stairs and, I am pretty sure, swearing she was having nothing to do with that crazy slide again. It was garbled Abi speak, it really could have been anything, but that's what I think she meant. That is until Daddy stepped in. He is truly a hero because as you can see from the rest of the pictures it was freezing!

She loved it!

Tammy and Baby Lauren bundled up. I told you it was cold!

Squishy drinking hot chocolate, it was cold. Brrr...

~ Carlsbad 2010 ~

As I might have mentioned before...We went to Carlsbad with our friends the Grote's for the fourth of July. Aaron, Sheli and their kids (Lily, Pike, Tate and Nora and Lily's friend Morgan)followed us over and spent a long weekend while Travis, the kids and I were lucky enough to get to spend 2 whole weeks! It was splendid! The weather was questionable at best though. Not that we mind in the slightest. Any break from our scorching sun in the summer is a welcome change, but it was unusual even for the beach. Almost everyday with the exception of scattered sun on the 4th was cloudy and cold. It even rained. The weather did not in any fashion disrupt the kids beach plans though. It could have been 40 degrees and they would be out there in suits with boogie boards. Meanwhile, the adults are bundled up like Eskimos... Those kids are CRAZY!

Tate and Nora.

Tate.

The Daddy's. It's sort of funny how similar Travis and Aaron look. At some point in time each one of my kids has gone up to Aaron as if he were Travis and then that look of panic washes over them as they realize their mistake. It's funny, poor kids!

Lily and Emi. Lily and her friend Morgan brought along a Mr. Potato Head dressed as a pirate. They took pictures of and with him everywhere. At Pizza Port (our first night, it's tradition) with a very nice bearded gentleman, with a crazy patriotic lady dressed in red, white and blue for the 4th, on the beach in front of the Army Navy Academy, you get the idea. It was fun.

Billy and Pike.

Nora and Emi. There is just about the one and only sunny picture!

Forget sea monsters, what about sand crabs!

Can you believe this did not make her cry? She seemed completely unaware that there was sand in EVERY possible crevice of her body. I love the beach. Everyone is always happy at the beach...

The Fabulous 4th!

The Fabulous 4th of JULY!

The 4th of July fell the same weekend as Ashley and Cody's wedding so the annual family beach trip got shelved. While the rest of the Deatsch Family made it to Fruita, CO for the festivities there we opted out and went to the beach with the Grote Family. Ashley's wedding was beautiful (Erin was her photographer) and we were bummed to miss it, but we had a great time as always!

Miss Nora Lee Grote, looking sweet & sassy!

Lily, Emi, Nora and Morgan making red velvet cake balls for the festivities (with Mr. Potato Head too).

The food. There was an executive decision after last year that there would be NO mexican food served on the 4th anymore. We went with the all-american styled hamburger/hotdog route instead. Let's not forget the red, white and blue popsicles. Abi really enjoyed hers.

Some of the crew out for some 4th of July sparklers...'til next year!