Calibefornia Part 2

The kids were so excited to head out the next morning to go to the Beach! We grabbed a bite to eat, found a Wal Mart and stocked up on beach toys and towels and found a great spot with plenty of sand and close enough to the water. Oh boy did Zeke like digging his toes in the sand, and the boys immediately ran out to the water. We pretty much spent the day here, the kids had no intentions of leaving, and I could see as people set up camp around us they were a little more prepared with umbrella's, water etc. But the kids didn't care, they just wanted to play play play .

Zeke was content to stay close by, but was plain giddy when Jon or I would take him to the water. At first I just held him and as the tide came in he'd kick and squeal, wanting to get down in the water. So I held his hands and would let him stand there in the sand as the water would roll up to us. It sometimes would reach his waist before I'd lift him up a little and he'd just giggle and kick with delight. Finally I just sat with him on my lap and the let the water rush over us. I wish I took a picture, but eventually Zeke was so sleepy, so I wrapped him up in his towel and dug a little bed for him in the sand. He slept like that for quite a while

The boys bonded with some other kids playing nearby. Eli was fascinated with a guy who brought a shovel and castle shaped buckets and immediately set to work on building an enormous sand castle. Eli kept wanting to help him so he put him to work gathering wet sand by the water. Jon and I were chuckling as we kept calling him over to us, partly because we felt like Eli was bugging the guy, and also to show him our little castle we made, with a mote and bridge. He'd say, Dad, that's just all right. You should see what HE'S building! Wa wa waaaaaaa.

This did, however seem to impress him- to see how Jon buried Adren in the sand. Without a shovel! So Eli tried to bury himself.

Paisley finally made herself a little bed to rest on. Like I said, we stayed for a while!

Overall, such a fun day at the beach! We left when the kids were complaining of being hungry and thirsty. We went back to the hotel and all the kids piled in the bathtub then went out and swam some more in the hotel pool. This was the night everyone zonked out at the dinner table at the restaraunt.

The trip back to St. George was a little sad. I could have stayed in CA another day. It seemed the whole trip was going by too fast and the kids were having so much fun. But they were excited to go back to Grandma and Grandpa's house. There was a ghost town on the way that Jon wanted to stop in at. It was an old silver mining town and pretty neat to walk through.

I just have to chuckle at this picture. I didn't even notice really what the picture was when I stood behind it, so when I look at it and Eli's expression it's so funny!

That looks about right.

Eli is really hamming it up! Ha ha!
There was a little school house that told about the children that attended and there was a lady in there posing as a teacher. The kids thought she was real wacky, but she was so friendly, passing out chalk and erasers for their little desks and giving us all kinds of information. Eli wouldn't have anything to do with her, as you can see. We all felt like we were in Little House on the Prairie.

Climbing around on the rocks and peeking into old houses was right up the kids alley. It was a nice break from the car ride. Good idea, Dad!
I'm so grateful we were able to do this, I love spending time with the kids and watching them experience things. Hopefully they'll remember little bits and pieces and remember what a fun time we had together.
I hope we have many more in the future. And so does Zeke!