July in San Clemente!

This was our 1st camping trip in the middle of summer. It was great because the weather was perfect and we were able to escape the heat. However, we are spoiled by being able to travel during the year. The campground was FULL and so were the beaches. Wow...I have never been to such a crowded beach! We had a blast. It was also our longest camping trip ever. We had never been for more than 4 nights and this was for 7 nights....which meant more meal planning and more laundry (which I have yet to start). It sure did go by fast, though. It was also a little sad. We have decided to sell the RV and seem to have a buyer so it was probably the last time we would camp in it. It is a long story but we always drive 2 cars so we have a car to leave the campground and my husband is always worried about doing something to hurt the RV while we are camping since it wasn't overly cheap. This puts a bit of a damper on our trips. So, we are hoping to get a much less expensive trailer so we can tow it and have a car to drive around in. Today I had to leave my husband because something went wrong with one of the jacks and he spent hours working on it at the campground before he could drive it home. He is still on his way home, now. (which is why I have not started the laundry....it isn't here yet!) I guess "she" (the "RV"...don't people sometimes call their things "she"...weird) doesn't want to go easily! Last night, Julia was crying as she went to bed, knowing it was the last night she would sleep in it and asked if we could still see it after it was gone. Poor girl. Anyway....I took more pictures than I could ever post but below is a sampling of a few of my favorites! (I am trying VERY hard to learn how to scale back on how many I post from a trip) :)

LOVE this face more every day!

Coolest pier!

View from the campground at sunset!

Ventura for the 4th!

We have been going to Ventura for summer vacations since Jeremy was born. Many of those trips have been over the 4th of July. The kids look forward to it so much because the beach house we stay at is on the channel so they can fish, paddle boat, paddle board, kayak, play on the sailboat, etc. It is so hard to narrow down the hundreds of pictures I take on every trip but for one reason or another...these are my favorites from this trip. (Sorry...there's a lot)

Julia is very serious about her fishing and stays out there all day....participating in every slimy detail.

Hard to see in this picture since it is out of focus, but Josh is holding his fishing pole with the bait end in my face!

Jumping into the channel off the sailboat

Santa Barbara Zoo! (We LOVE it there!)

Joshua surfing!

At Sharkys before fireworks on the 4th

Macaroni Grill for Nico's birthday

Carlsbad!

I LOVE Carlsbad also. I, however, have never camped there before this trip. This was a new campground for us and the location was great but I don't think would go back. I'm not even sure exactly why. It just felt too crowded and there wasn't easy access to walk other places, without walking on the main road (without a sidewalk). We brought a friend for Jeremy (1st time we have done that). It made it extra fun for the kids. With that many kids though, we had the boys set up a tent, and we put them all out there at night. I think the excitement of that wore off after the 1st night! :) We had been in San Clemente 2 weeks before and had the most gorgeous weather the whole time. In Carlsbad, we had June gloom the whole time. Still fun memories for the memory book!

Love this sweet face! He feel so big sitting in my chair!

Hi 1st ride on the beach on a boogie board! This was a daily happening when all the other kids were little and as they got bigger, they would all pull each other!

Feeling "big" walking! (not really walking yet...but walking with assistance)

Cookie in each hand and bottle in the middle!

Hobo meal dinner!

Roasting dough boys...they were a big hit!

Jonah crawls around the RV and hangs out the door watching the other kids play. Thankfully, he puts up with it for now! ;)

The boys all watching the waves

Party Wave during an "after dinner session". L to r: Daddy, Jeremy, Frank!

Last Day photo (after packing all up)!

San Clemente

I LOVE San Clemente. I have gone there my whole life and there is something about it that is so relaxing. However, as a child, we stayed in time shares. Now, we camp. It's a lot different but I still love the beaches and the town! Definitely a happy place. Here are pictures from our trip in May!

Love this sweet boy! 1st time on the beach in his little play pen!

He crawled down the the beach and it was such an event with a rather large audience!

He LOVED when the water would come up and get him!

Our 2 campsites side by side...it was a good set up for us and the kids

Daddy and Jeremy caught the same wave!

The girls were hamming it up! (as usual) :)

One night we walked to a Mexican restaurant for dinner...it was a fun change

Good-Old Carpinteria

At the beginning of March, we went back to Carpinteria. We do love it there. WE went into the section without hook-ups again. It's such a hard decision. We LOVE hookups, but then we feel like we are in a parking lot. In the loop we camp in, we have tons of grass and space for the kids to spread out. We had gorgeous weather and a great time. We left to come home on my birthday. It was a drag to be packing and unpacking on my birthday but great to wake up at the beach! The night before my birthday, my husband and the kids surprised me with a birthday cake out by the fire. They thought they were so funny by giving me "trick candles"! Lots of air was wasted trying to blow those candles out. Then, we were surrounded by raccoons....who seemed to be stalking us for the left over cake! :)....Oh...Jonah also learned to pull himself up and stand confidently in the RV on this trip!!! Life will never be the same! :)




First time on the beach.....trying to shove sand in his mouth. Daddy quickly put a stop to that.

VERY hurt feelings that daddy stopped him.....

Jonah didn't like the cold water on his feet...so Jeremy carried him....so sweet!