ready or not...

4 kids, 4 suitcases, 1 car seat, 1 stroller, 1 diaper bag...2 flights...10 hours...and me.

Oh yeah...we carried it ALL on...

Crazy...maybe a little.

We made it!!! It went surprisingly well...the tvs on the first leg were a HUGE help and an added bonus. The ipad, ipod touch and LOTS of treats probably didn't hurt either.

one last ride

We took one last ride up the Silver Strand before we left for home Monday...

We stopped only for some yummy treats, to take one last longing look at our summer condo...

and to let Drake be a boy...who else would say "hmmm, let me buckle my helmet to the bike trailer...that sounds like fun"

the monument

After exploring the tide pools we went up to the monument and lighthouse in cabriolla national park. The views of the bay were amazing. It was fun to see where we had been that morning, and giving the kids a better perspective of how far we were from the hotel...and we even saw one of the ships leaving that we had watched unloading.

We also could hear the fog horn for the ships. It would beep every few minutes and every time without fail that we would hear it, Dax would reply with a "beeeep" of his own, it was pretty funny. Our own little foghorn.

and another adventure

After spending the morning on the bay we went to Cabrillo National Monument to check out the bay from a totally different perspective. This is another absolutely picteresque place with TONS to see...and about a million more places for the kids to fall to an early death. I was constantly yelling at the kids to stay away from the edge, and not to take one more step and to stay right where they were. I was definately more comfortable when they were sitting down. They were all sitting watching the ocean so I went over to take a picture and as I pulled my camera around it flipped one of my rings off my finger...

I was standing right near the edge of a cliff and I was sure it was gone, lost forever...but as I looked over the edge I saw it...it had landed on one of the ledges in the rock. After debating ways to get it, all while trying to keep the kids from falling into the ocean wanting to see it, Owen decided to scale the rocks to retrieve it becase he "sure as heck wasn't going back to Italy to get me another one"

As Owen climbed down, I am freaking out a little, okay maybe a lot...picturing him falling into the ocean...and me raising 4 kids all by myself. Taryn was off crying somewhere refusing to look, and Drake was trying to follow Owen, couldn't get enough of the excitement. But, just as Owen promised, he got my ring and climbed back up to us in safety...I guess I don't get to go back to Italy...

After that little adventure we had fun with all the tidepools finding all kinds of fun things. Taryn's favorite, a crab she claimed as her own that was playing peek-a-boo.

Isn't she the cutest...

It was another amazing Southern California place...that I didn't get to spend enough time at...

cruising the bay

The next morning we rented a boat and explored the bay. It was a lot of fun with tons to see. We watched as cargo ships unloaded and loaded their goods. We saw a car ship unloading ENDLESS cars...it was crazy. The kids loved all the naval ships, the huge yachts and boats. I LOVED hitting the huge waves that some of those boats make...it was a little nerve wracking at times...

Dax was not sure of the whole boat thing and would not let go of me...but, everyone else had fun...

We went all the way to where the bay meets the ocean and found tons of these guys hanging out on all the bouys. Owen thought it would be SO much fun to get as close as we could. They started barking at us, it stunk really bad and I was freaking out...and Owen kept going closer...he is so sweet. I was convinced the seals were going to jump into our boat...I finally convinced Owen to back away and we headed back to shore.

beach bums

Our choice mode of transportation for the weekend...this was my favorite thing about this summer too...there is just nothing quite like biking to/from/around the beach.

If we weren't cruising around on the bikes we were relaxing on the beach...playing in the sand (or eating the sand)...finding seashells...and chasing the waves

After playing on the beach for a while we went to check out an event that was happening a little farther up the beach...I don't usually get too excited about these things but they were offering free surfing, paddleboarding, and kyaking lessons...TONS of free give aways...and even more free food...which included Odwalla juices and bars...when I saw that I was sold...we were staying...

Drake surfing...

The best part about the event happened on the way home when we recieved a phone call informing us that Owen had won a Gary Fisher Mountain Bike...

Yea, it was a GREAT start to our weekend...

walker lake

We finally found our trailhead and began the hike up into an old volcano which is now a lake...being late summer/early fall, it was really more a marsh. But, it was beautiful. We had this whole volcano all to ourselves. It was so peaceful and serene...until the kids discovered that it echoed...and our 4 kids turned into 12.

There were dandelions everywhere...everyone made wishes...lots of wishes...

Dax's solution to not being able to blow...

watch out baby bumblebee...

And I couldn't resist this classic look from Dax...it is one of my favs...

This was by far my favorite time of the trip...laying in the grass watching the clouds go by, the kids running, playing games and collecting dandelions...reminds me of when I was a kid...and that time goes by WAY too fast.

north

The next day we headed north to the San Fran peaks. We wandered around forest roads trying to find our trailhead...it was so BEAUTIFUL I was ready to set up camp and move in...ok maybe that is a little extreme, I would need running water and electricity...and a solid roof...but not too much more.

This is looking the other direction on our land that I want to buy...that is not for sale...

We finally found the right forest road...and took the bikes out to head to our trail. The first thing Taryn did was find a friend to bring home with us...

which she affectionately named...Horny. We finally talked her into letting him go and we headed off on the bikes.

We headed down the trail...which was mostly down hill and VERY bumpy...a great first mountain biking experience for the kids. They LOVED it...though they weren't so fond of coming back up those hills when we realized it was the wrong trail.

wukoki and wupatki national monuments

We continued our drive through the Sunset Crater-Wupatki Loop road and came to the Wukoki ruins next. We had the ruins all to ourselves and the kids enjoyed running through the "castle" exploring. I just sat on the top, enjoying the view and the breeze...it felt like fall.

Our last stop, determined by the exhaustion and hunger of everyone, was Wupatki.

The kids favorite part..."the blowhole" of course. Drake had his hat flying, and Hadyn a paper, and then Taryn tried a straw...until it fell in...it was time to go. Yes, we like to leave our mark EVERYWHERE we go.

sunset crater volcano

We left Walnut Canyon and drove right into the rain clouds...we thought our day was over, but I saw a clear sky in the direction we were heading. So, we took a chance and went to Sunset Crater National Monument. It was still drizzling when we got there and 3 of the 4 kids were asleep. We loaded them all up and headed out on the trail...no rest on this vaca...sorry kiddos.

The kids LOVED the all the volcanic rock...Taryn asked more than once if this REALLY was a volcano and if we were SURE it wasn't going to erupt again. Owen enjoyed giving us his version of the self guided tour...since I neglected to bring the pamphlet with us. And, I am pretty sure EVERY one of our kids went to the bathroom on the volcano...pretty sure they just wanted to say they did it.

After hiking around the volcano we drove up the hill so the kids could see what they were actually looking at. It gave even me a little better perspective. And then the kids were all dying to take pictures...they got some great ones...this was my favorite...