Fourth of July

We changed it up a bit this year. My good friend Mandee's parents were out of town and just happen to have a gorgeous home fully equipped with a pool in Camarillo. Mandee invited us to join them for a couple of nights to celebrate the Fourth of July. Can we say road trip?!

Rather than just drive straight there and back, Drake thought it would be fun to make a few stops along the way to spice it up for the kiddos, he's such a great dad. We fueled up and hopped on the 5 for a little adventure.

Going under tunnels (aka wide bridges) requires putting your hands in the air.

Being the dessert lovers that we are, we had heard rumors about a Sprinkles ice cream shop that had opened up in Beverly Hills...thanks to the Safari search engine on the Iphone we had the route mapped for us in roughly 10 seconds and we were on our way.

{look closely, do you see it?}

While Drake and I would say Sprinkle's Ice Cream was overrated and overpriced, our kids would beg to differ...

The price was worth their delight.

Back in the car we slowly made our way on the 405 all the way up to "Autumn and Avery's grandma's house". The kids read billboards, scanned for license plates and annoyingly adorably asked how much longer till we got there about every 20 seconds.

Then we got there. The thrill of friends and new surroundings was a sensory overload and the kids were in heaven. A sleepover with friends, sleeping bags and smore's. TOO. MUCH. FUN.

Then there's these two. We endearingly coined them as "Bonnie and Clyde" by the end of our stay. They are always together and will cause trouble. We are just praying that Nonny and Poppy's new fountain makes a full recovery after their assault. Boy are they cute though...

Mandee's fabulous guacamole and sangria kept me too occupied to bother with lots picture taking on the Fourth, but I did manage to snap a few.

{Bonnie and Clyde morning shift}

More s'more making.

The kids weren't the only ones loving time with friends, it was a treat for us adults too. Sitting around the campfire till 2am, dads playing tennis in the morning and mommy jacuzzi time after the kids went down. Thank you so much Ermanis' for inviting us, is it too early to make room reservations for next year...? That is if the said fountain assault doesn't ban us from ever coming back.

On our way home we had the privilege of meeting up with Drake's great aunt and cousin for lunch. 

They have been members at the LA Tennis Club for decades and treated us. The real treat was their company. Aunt Nancy is past the age of caring what others think and is a hoot.

I'm overwhelmed. Our time as a family was precious. We had so much fun. The memories we created on this trip will be cherished. By the end I was tired and refreshed at the same time. I adore my husband. He goes out of his way to make things special. We did not see fireworks and that is ok. We celebrated our freedoms in so many other ways. God bless the USA.

Iphone Life

It's Monday. I meant to do a Friday post, I've got my share of confessing to do, but life was happening. That is a good thing. Life, activity. It's all goin' on in these parts.

VBS, swimming lessons, friends and home improvements that both exhaust and energize us. My phone has become my source of documentation lately. I still pull out my camera when we're at home or at "events", but for the most part it's my trusty Iphone (who by the way took a dip in the pool at swimming lessons and made full recovery in a bowl of rice) that snaps the otherwise fleeting moments in our life.

So here was our week according to my Iphone...

{new solar lights on the walkway, hi Jamie's car :) }

{latest Team Gross disguise, sweaty bun hair with a distracting flower}

{TJMaxx score, $19}

{diving board action shot}

{pounding pavement}

{reward to follow}

{confession: I was SO annoyed with this little girl who kept moving while I was trying to get a picture of Trent...I know, I know, not her fault}

{sweet boy}

{classic post-swimming lessons treat}

{there's a Sammy in my sink}

{Chick-fil-A drive thru with friends}

{best behavior at AAA}

{lunch at Yellow Deli with my sweet niece}

{the reality of three children+husband}

Our morning walks continue and I'd be willing to challenge almost anyone to an arm wrestling contest because the weight of my double jogger has given me some sizable biceps :). The backyard makeover of 2012 continues and we are anxious for completion so that the BBQ's and nighttime cocktails can resume. After four years of living here, Trent finally has closet doors (HUGE thank you to my brother Mark for installing) and they look fabulous. Juliana continues to facilitate all kinds of play between my three and I love observing. As I type there is laughter and squealing in the living room because of some game she made up.

Life is crazy, but rich. God is good, faithfully showing me that each of these children have something to teach me about myself and about His goodness. 

We've got some fun Fourth plans with dear friends, stay tuned...What's everyone else up to for the holiday?