I can’t believe how quickly summer is flying by for us! Maybe it’s due in part to the fact that summer doesn’t really start around here until after the 4th of July.
We had a fun time celebrating our nation’s independence. We enjoyed a barbecue with friends in Salem and then our little family of three went to Bryant Park here in Albany to watch the city’s fireworks show. Jace LOVED the time with Mommy and Daddy. He got so excited when he realized we were laying on the blanket with him. I kept thinking what a special time it was and that I’d treasure it as one of our last few special times with him as an only child.
Jace’s creativity and sense of imagination have come out big time! It’s so funny to see the games he comes up with and hear the stories he tells.
Another summer memory that I know I’ll treasure will be our trip to California. It was so fun for the three of us to have all that time together and I felt like Jace’s vocabulary expanded so much each day. We started out our trip in Visalia staying at my Grandma and Grandpa Steiner’s. We also spent an afternoon/evening with the Cannons and Hansens. Jace, Cannon and Leah had so much fun together!
We also quickly noticed that our son is the instigator of bad behavior, but knows how to stop right before anyone notices. He was really good at bringing out the sillies in Cannon and Leah and then quickly stopping as their parents became aware of it.
It was also so fun to meet baby Jasper!
We loved the time at Grandma and Grandpa’s as well.
Then we headed over to Cambria for the rest of the week and Jace LOVED seeing the “Oooh-cean.” Sadly, it was his first time seeing the Pacific!
It was so fun taking him to the same beach I grew up playing on (he wasn’t interested in touching the water).
Walking the same pier my parents walked us down.
And playing at the same park my dad spun us around and around on the tire swing at (although the play equipment has all been updated).
Jace liked the beach in Cambria a lot better than in San Simeon because we had his tennis shoes on so he didn’t have to be bothered by sand in his sandals or burning his feet.
You can’t really tell, but he was all about kicking the sand.
Our second day at the beach proved more exciting for him as Daddy built him a lake and made countless trips to the water and back to keep it filled for Jace’s boat.
We rinsed him off in the same utility sink as my parents did with us kids.
Nolan and I also enjoyed the daily trips to the park because it meant we actually had cell service and internet access!
Our good friends the Phillips were also on vacation in the area, so they came and spent a day with us. Jace LOVED having his best buddy Hannah around.
This picture is so typical of how these two can be together—Hannah adventuresome and out to have fun, and Jace more reserved/caution/fearful.
Nolan had brought his disc golf practice basket and he and Brett had fun playing on the beach while Jenea, the kids and I played around and took pictures. The kids loved playing with their daddies at the end though!
Our (visible) family of three.
Our last night in Cambria we took Jace to get some ice cream—which he thought was incredible that there was an “ice cream store.”
Then we took a windy walk along the boardwalk.
On our way home we stopped for an evening/night at Nolan’s sister and brother-in-law’s. Jace loved the park by Auntie Jenni and Uncle Alan’s house!
He also thought their little doggies were pretty special. For the last leg of the trip we stopped in Danville for breakfast at my aunt and uncle’s and were happy to be able to see my cousin and her husband as well.
Our little guy proved to be a great road trip kid and we were so glad to get away and have all that family time. Now we can’t wait for next year’s vacation!
1 comment:
Loving the next generation memories!
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