Lily's Birthday CelebrationS

We went all out this year for Lily's birthday and took the party to California!

I told Lily all she needed for a great birthday was her cousins, and she agreed.
I said I could blog about it and call it Just Add Cousins. She did not agree! ;)

But with traveling and all - we did keep it pretty simple this year. Aunt Emily got some decorations and provided the pool, I made the cake and Lily and Audrey decided to celebrate their birthdays together since they could. Lily drew a pin the flower on the Hawaiian girl to go with their chosen theme and even provided the prize (long coveted candies from Sierra's present to her)

Before the party we met all the cousins at the beach. The last time our whole family went to the beach was for Lily's 2nd birthday! This wasn't officially part of the party, but it sure was fun! We were the first out there because we wanted to stop by one of our favorite donuts shops on the way. They sell out fast they are so good so we got there early! It was kind of misty and empty when we first got to the beach, but got very busy as the day wore on, so we were glad we got there early and staked out a large area with some sheets so our group could all sit together.

Playing at the beach

Lily, Audrey and Auji were so cute boogie boarding together, and Sierra was so busy shell searching and filling buckets for her moat I had to constantly keep my eye on her so she wouldn't lose track of where we were.

The Pool Party

 Hard to get them all looking the same way!

 Sierra modeling the game Lily made

 This was a great gift for Lily, she has plans to turn her charms into a business ;)

Party #2

Lily got a lot of birthday celebrations this year! When we got home from our trip Grandma Elsie surprised her with decorations at the table, her birthday presents from her ready and wrapped up, and a cake in the fridge. We waited to open them until we could have Grandma and Grandpa over for dinner and a party. Lily made another game - pin the party hat on Lily - which we played together, and then even got out her magic set and put on a show. This was the easiest birthday I ever planned ;) I did make her a chocolate cake to fit the little cake stand my mom got for them - so she had even more cakes than she had parties this year! And Mike planned a big friend party at the end of summer to give the girls a chance to play with their friends all together before school started, so though that wasn't a birthday party she really got a lot of partying this year! 

  

The magic show

 Cake Central

 Just what she wanted!

 Sierra posing as a present. She is a wonderful gift!!

Lily enjoying her army men and remote control car from Grandpa Blaine

Summer in San Diego

This year Mike worked round the clock extra hard to build up enough photos to submit to make it possible to take some time off to spend with us this summer - the last summer before Sierra started school and I started looking for a job.

Well...things don't always turn out how you plan. Mike also started a new venture at the beginning of the summer - a new way to sell his photos (that we hope will be wildly successful), but we had some hiccups starting out, and he didn't end up taking as much time off to play as we'd hope too... Plus, I kept having sinus issues - so this summer was not as fun and vacation packed as we'd hoped it would be!

...But we did get a couple of lovely weeks in California! (And I wasn't sick during that time!... though Sierra and then Lily came down with something when we first got there.) It was definitely the highlight of our summer. I got to hug my mom and dad, spend time with my brothers and sister, and see my lovely nephew and nieces who are growing up so much so fast and we are missing it! Isaac is so fun to talk to I almost died. I love that boy, and all my nieces so much! The girls were super excited about getting to be with their cousins, we miss them all terribly!

My dad set up Lily's old trundle bed we left there with air mattresses for the girls to sleep on, it was so sweet and helped them feel so much at home even though many things have changed since we lived there with them. We got to spend some time with some of our dearest friends and their two cute little girls, go to many of our favorite restaurants, which we also miss a lot ;) hit up the fair, and Belmont Park, and of course, the beach! We really felt glad to be back the first day we hit the beach. That was our little family's happy place when we lived in California, and the happy just came flooding back the moment we got there. The tiredness from the road trip, and sleeping in strange beds, and not totally knowing what to do with yourself when you're on vacation -- fell away, stress and pressure lifted, and we just enjoyed ourselves...and got a little sunburned that first day! We did not want to leave ;)

I got so many photos it took some time to even feel like I had time to sit and go through them, and going through them just made us all (me and kids looking over my shoulder) want to go back again. It was a long, tiring drive (especially on the way back), but I think we could do it again...

Heading to the Fair

 I love this photo! Pure joy!

 Back to the BEACH!

  My little sand angel

 I love to watch the girls playing in the waves with their Dad

 Kept getting flashback to when Lily was little and riding this guy!

 It's lovely to swing at the beach!

 ..pretty sure this was not Mike's first time on the dolphin toy either! 

 waiting to eat at the Yellow Deli

Belmont Park

 Sierra is not a fan of getting her photo taken regularly

 So fun to see Sierra driving - last time we came here she was a baby!

souvenir shirt

Moonlight Beach with friends

Together Again

 I love my family!

Road Home

 I'd never driven through Oregon before this trip, it is so beautiful!!!

I kept trying to take pictures as we sped by, it is so green and lush with trees and wildflowers all along the road sides and these snow topped mountains in the middle of summer were absolutely captivating, unless you were sucked into watching Max and Ruby on the portable DVD player ;)

I decided to put my July Fourth photos and Lily's birthday celebrations in separate posts. So many photos!!!