beach days and birthdays

did i mention that i grew up in huntington beach...and still live there!  i just LOVE the beach!  

thankfully, the lord knew that and brought me a soul mate that also LOVES the beach and the ocean.  ok, so the ocean, is not so much my friend anymore.  we used to be really good friends.  back when i didn't really fully understand all of it's friends (mr. shark, miss jellyfish, and mrs. stingray).  the downfall of marrying someone who LOVES surfing is hearing all of the stories of the "god's creatures" swimming around him.  so, i am a little creeped out.  forget hearing about the amazing dolphin that swam within 2 feet of him last week.  i just remember the tiger shark that he saw...i think thats what it was.  anyway, we still love going and the girls are gaining a real love for it as well. 

for addison's third b-day we took the pop-up trailer down to the beach, set up camp, and stayed for about 5 hours.  

it was so great.  here is addison showing the camera how old she is.

most of you with young kids...you feel my pain of trying to take pictures of "sitting still" kids.  she loves the camera, but then moves at the moment i push the button.  thank goodness for digital cameras.  take pic, view, oh, erase.  take pic, view, oh, a good one.  you know the story.

my little goof, laying in the sand.  she loves the sand and getting all dirty.  mommy, on the other hand, not so much.  BUT (here is the "big but")-i am learning to let them get dirty b/c bathtubs and vacuums are my friend.  it took me awhile to wrap my OCD mind around that...but i am getting there.

(august showing how old she is...2-don't you love the chocolate around her mouth.  oh, yum)

for august's second birthday we went up north to visit uncle paul and auntie allie (mark's bro and his wife).  they took us to a friend's ranch and we were able to see horses.  the girls loved it and august, appropriately, was wearing her cowgirl boots (a garage sale find for $3-more on that later).

 while visiting marks bro (for paul and allie's birthday-a week later) we went to the beach, yet again.  the weather couldn't have been nicer.  both the girls had a chance to go "surfing" with daddy.  at first they both hated it, but by the end they were wanting more.  this makes their father so incredibly happy.