Warmth

We got away this weekend, and just in time as the snow! Was flying back home. 

the ocean

On the eve of Christmas eve, let's rewind time a bit and revisit the last major holiday, Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving in San Diego was a welcome reprieve from the cold temps that we were living in.

Even the morning that we packed up the car we were dressed in down layers just waiting until we got far enough away to slip into our sandals. Well I was waiting to slip into my sandals but Mr bejos forgot his sandals, a fact he wouldn't let go all. week. long.

It wasn't a quick trip, but the boys were both good travelers, stuck in the car for the long 8 hours it took. Upon arriving we went straight for the beach to appease bejos boy who started asking if he could see the ocean about 5 miles from home. The open space for running was a welcomed relief for all of us.

We embarked on the trip with loose plans that included Balboa Park, maybe an aquarium, obviously the beach, and little else. Disney and Sea World were not even on our radar. There was no way I was going to tackle those big adventures with these little kids. Turned out we needed nothing more than the beach and the ocean. Each day we ventured to a new ocean location, kicked off our shoes and played for hours. Sea lions (or beavers as bejos boy insisted), sea birds, seashells, coves...they were all the play things we needed.

Then of course there was the event for which we had made the journey, Thanksgiving. 15 of us got together for dinner and it was so nice to be together. We met a few new faces who are joining the family (congrats!) and visited with those we hadn't seen since maybe even our wedding waaaaaay back in 2008.

The trip home was a little less successful. Apparently we packed some ants in our pants because no one was happy and content in his carseat. Many more stops, a little more nitpicking, and an unplanned overnight in Phoenix to just get out of the car. We'll happily do it all again though, as the accommodations were fantastic, our welcome was warm, and the weather was fantastic. Lucky for us there is an August wedding in the plans that will get us on the road, back to the ocean.

NY resumed: Fair

 I am a sucker for fairs so I was undeterred by Mr. Bejos' family's neigh-saying of their small county fair.

How bad could it be? At the very least there would be animals and fair food. And then there was the opportunity to enter and win a number of competitions: cutest baby contest, free throw contest, and wood chopping (which bejos boy declared was Nana's shoe-in win...random man!).

So despite the very dark stormy clouds that darkened the skies I convinced Nana and Mr. Bejos to load up and head out. We found a"farmer's sandbox" filled with corn, fainting goats, tractors, and well, not much else. Then we found ourselves trapped in the juried arts and crafts building during a very long thunderstorm. We did not have snacks, and that of course made us worried because it had been too long since our last meat filled meal (refer to the sticker below).

NY resumed: cousins

so many attempts and yet not one single shot when everyone is looking at the camera