Annual Girls Beach Trip

My girl LOVES the water

Well, this past weekend we had our 4th annual beach trip with the "Girls."  This would be myself, Emily, Julyn (Emily's JuJu), Lisa (Emily's Titi), and Belen. We have been going for a weekend to Ocean Park/Long Beach, WA, for four summers in a row. My aunt and uncle have a cabin in Ocean Park that we have the wonderful privilege of using, and we had a BLAST!!!

Sweet Emily

Each year we all look forward to this annual girls weekend! We have some fun traditions that we started four summers ago, and we continued them this past weekend. For those of you who have been to Long Beach, you will know many of these things that I mention...having pictures taken in front of the HUGE frying pan, (I'm 45 and did that as a kid), visiting and buying a trinket at Marsh's Free Museum, eating at the Cottage Bakery, having yummy clam chowder, riding the bumper cars (Emily got to ride for the first time), the tilt-a-whirl, going on the horse/cart ride, eating lots of salt water taffy, playing for hours in the sand and little inlets, watching movies, eating fudge, and most of all having the BEST TIME with family that we adore!

It's not cold Mommy

This year Emily was very  EXCITED because she got to sleep UPSTAIRS.  The past three years she had to sleep downstairs with me, but this year she got to sleep upstairs on her own bed!!! Big time stuff!! Too cute! She got it all set up with blankets and doggy within the first ten minutes!! :-)

We headed straight to the beach as soon as the cars were unpacked, and the girls played for hours. We enjoyed a nice dinner, some wine (the adults :-), a movie, and lots of laughs.

Saturday morning we headed into Long Beach and did our traditional things, had lunch, and then headed back to Ocean Park to play in the sand some more. This was followed again by another lovely dinner and fun!

Thank you Lisa and Belen for being part of our family and celebrating all of us girls each and every summer! We love you!!
Kathy

She could spend hours here

In her own Heaven

Busy girl

Time of her life

Darling Belen, my Sugarplum

Belen's masterpiece

Mama and her fawn right outside the cabin window

DELISH cupcake

Emily and Belen playing around!

Best buds in matching braids

Emily's first french braid...thanks Titi

Too darling

This is how cute morning is...

THE yearly frying pan shot

Mommy and her girl

Cutie Belen driving on her own for the first time

Thanks for the ride Titi

Fabulous girl!!!

Playing with the iPad

Cutest shark and mermaid EVER!!!

Emily's own personal "sand" bath

Look mommy...it sticks

Could that smile be any bigger???

This is what a weekend at the beach does to a girl

Garden Yummies

We have had a great time as first time gardeners.  It's been amazing to see what has grown since we knew nothing about what we were doing. Emily has had a grand time picking and eating what she has grown in her garden!
Kathy

Funny carrots!

Her own blueberries

Delicious romaine

POOL time fun!!

Pool girl!!

It's been awhile since my last post, but to be completely honest, we have just been enjoying being on vacation and spending time together. Emily has been very busy so far this summer, and there is no end in sight. She is busier than most adults I know. She has been enjoying her pool almost on a daily basis. My girl was definitely a fish, or as she likes to say a "Mermaid" in some other previous life. She will swim for over three hours at a time if she has time in her daily schedule. Between dance class, speech therapy, and multiple swimming lessons a week, she still finds time to SWIM in her own backyard pool!
Enjoy!  Don't you just wish you were here too, when it is 90 degrees outside?
Love,
Kathy

Showing off her swimming skills

Just noodling around...

My girl does love to fill and dump any container in any water

Gotta love the hair

Swimming with her  friend Kayla

Smile says it all...

Cutie Patootie

Friends - Emily and Kayla

4th of July 2013

My 4th of July cutie!

Emily and I had a great time on the 4th. We had a very nice breakfast out at Sherry's house in Ridgefield, WA. Sherry is my step-sister and Emily's auntie. It was great to see all of our family enjoying the day and getting ready for the parade. There was an over abundance of yummies and some great conversations during breakfast outside while looking at Sherry's view. It was also fabulous to see James, my nephew, who was home for a few days from Alaska, where he is going to school.

After breakfast we ventured out to see what Ridgefield had to offer. Emily got some cotton candy, danced out in the streets, participated in the children's pet parade (with my step-sister Lisa and her dog Jessie), and then got busy with her sidewalk chalk waiting for the parade. THANK YOU Grandpa for setting out our chairs on the 2nd of July to save our spot! We had prime candy catching opportunities! For those of you who don't know, just about every act, float, car, etc. that comes down the street in the Ridgefield parade throws candy out to the crowd! Kids bring their own bags to collect theirs and Emily had hers as well.

After the parade, we headed to the park where Emily had her first shaved ice, played in all the bouncy houses, held a milk snake, and petted a python! Yes, you heard me correctly! SNAKES!!! Auntie JuJu took Emily up to the reptile man show as mommy stayed in the back. :-) This mommy doesn't do snakes!

After coming home later, we all kind of just rested. Then after dinner Emily was anxious to do her pop-its, and did about 200 of them out in the driveway. She also did some sparklers. We then stayed out in our driveway and watched all of the neighbors do their fireworks. It was AWESOME! It was like being at an actual big city display. It was fun to watch, although at times a bit loud.

Hope you all had a wonderful 4th as well! Enjoy the pictures!
Warmly,
Kathy

Doing the Cha Cha slide

More dancing

Helping Auntie Lisa walk Jessie in the pet parade

All smiles

trying to do the sprinkler

Trying her best

YMCA dance

Not quite sure how this dance goes...

Grandpa, Emily, and Grandma

Emily and mommy

Anxiously awaiting the candy

More dancing in the streets

Loving on Auntie Heidi

One of Emily's favorites

My girl!

Delish!!!