So much wonderfulness...it was definately hard to come home. Oh, how we love it there! The sand, the sound of the waves, the quaint little town. It is so full of goodness. I really wish I lived there! For right now we are definately grateful to Uncle Jan & Aunt Nancy for their generosity in inviting us to come and play on the beach in our fav little town of Carpinteria, CA for the second year in a row. It is something my kids talk about the rest of the year. WE LOVE IT THERE. And how could anyone not?....
The first thing we always do is check out our "Beach House" (as Ella calls our condo). We had a first floor apartment this time and it was decorated very cute! The things that stood out to the kids were an entire wall made of mirrors in the living room, the tile floors (no wet, sandy carpet this year!), the remodeled bathroom (the shower had no door and consisted of just a large panel of glass...the kids felt like they were standing nekked in the middle of the room), the shell shaped plates and bowls in the kitchen, the outdoor eating area on the back patio, and last but not least...the very large flat screen TV with satellite and DVD player. Since we don't have TV at home this was a real treat at night when everyone should have been in bed.
After we are settled into the Beach House it is certain that everyone wants to go immediately to the BEACH! It is so fun to see the kids running like crazy straight into the ocean. My cousins and their kids are all there for the week (in fact it is truly their party...we are just lucky enough to get to tag along). Everyone has cousin-friends that they are really happy to see again. And of couse...Grandma Vickie comes down from Sacramento!
This year our trip seemed to zoom by too fast! We wondered if it was because it was a bit chilly and we ended up spending more time inside or shopping and such because being wet meant being cold. Each day there was a mid-afternoon burst of sunshine so we were able to play in the ocean every day. But last year we swam a lot more. The breezy, cool weather kept us on the sand this year. I didn't mind! I loved laying on the beach reading my book (I read two books cover to cover this week! Woo hoo!). Alyx read, Kaytee played her guitar, the kids ran around loving every minute of their day.
On Sunday after we go to church in Carpinteria, we like to take a short jaunt up to Santa Barbara. There is a Community Arts Show along the beachfront where we can observe a very interesting array of art, jewelery, pottery, hats, crafts, clothing, and ecclectic artisans selling their wares. My treat to myself this year was a cute little blown glass heart necklace. We took another trip later in the week to visit the antique shops between Carpinteria and Santa Barbara. There was a darling Folk Art shop that had amazing vintage quilts and folk style artwork. My favorite piece there was a hand carved Noah's Ark with Noah's family and all the animals made in 1908. I couldn't believe that the skinny little legs on all of those animals survived all those years of playing. Kaytee and Grandma Vickie had an especially good time there. There was some fun art to look at.
On another day, we walked down the beach for about a 1/2 mile to the tide pools. It was rough waters in there this time! Just as I hiked up to the top of the ridge to snap an arial view photo, Noah was knocked down by a wave and bashed against the rocks a bit. Luckily, he was able to get out with a banged head and a bruised back. We decided it was too trecherous to find shells in there this year. It is still a very beautiful spot on the beach. And a nice walk to get there!
The week went by to fast and before we knew it Friday had arrived. We spent Friday on the Beach. Soaking in the last bits of sun and sand. We have so much fun here! We love the Family Sing-a-Long with Ukeleles and Guitar, the delicious fruit, squishing our toes in the warm sand, seeing Grandma Kay, Lindon Street with it's cute little shops and the Candy Store, visiting with cousins...there is so much here that we love. I am so grateful to Uncle Jan & Aunt Nancy for letting us tag along! Carpinteria is our favorite place to be!
