My Vacation

Hey everyone!  Now that I have a day at home to stay in my PJs and catch up on laundry, I thought I'd share a bit about my vacation. ;)  And just in case you're worried, no, I have not forgotten about my Three Year Blogoversary Giveaway or vlog.  Those should be up sometime next week. :)

So Thursday morning we finished packing up all of our stuff and piled into the truck.  I was accompanied by Alice and my new Zelf:

I even found the perfect traveling spot for Buttershy. ;)

Robby, Belle, and Emilie came with us too, but they rode in their own "private compartment" (aka the trunk). ;)  Do you know how difficult it is to do that when you give your dolls such character?  I tried not to think about it too much. :}

I didn't take nearly as many pictures this time around, so I thought I'd just share a few highlights from the trip...in no particular order, lest you think I have messed-up priorities. ;)

1.  Beautiful weather, beautiful beach.  On Saturday, we went to lovely Trinidad Beach.  We couldn't have asked for better weather.  The sun was shining and the waves were breathtaking.

Every year I look forward to burying my feet in the sand, breathing in the salty sea air, and hearing the cry of gulls from above.  This day did not disappoint. :)

2. Our Favorite Family Beach.  Moonstone is a great beach for kids, especially when the tide is out.  The bigger waves are a long distance from the main beach, and a large stream runs through the beach, perfect for little ones to play and splash in.  Ruthie, Piper, and Alice quite enjoyed themselves too. ;)  (In the picture above, you can just see Hubby and the girls wandering off toward the horizon at the left of the picture.)

I love the greenery and majestic rocks that surround the beach.

3. Awesome doll photos.  I got some really great shots this time around, especially on the beaches we visited. :)  It was fun using the landscape to help tell my stories. 

I LOVE how this picture turned out! :)

4.  Glow in the dark bubbles.  Our hostess found these at Walmart and decided to give them a try.  The bubbles themselves didn't glow...

...but when we dumped the bubbles out, it made a fun glowy pattern.

It also worked if you stepped in it (as demonstrated by Oldest Gal's foot here). ;)

5.  Adorable Zelf photo shoots.  Seriously, this little gal was so fun to photograph!  She may never be the same after face planting in the sand and being carried around everywhere.  She's also going to be bald soon if I don't stop my current obsession of twisting and playing with her hair. :}  Still, she isn't complaining. ;)  It was lots of fun using her to "bookmark" some of my favorite spots.

Playing in the sand at Trinidad Beach.

Perched on the rocks.

Enjoying the plants at sunset.

Here she is in front of my favorite used bookstore in Old Town Eureka.

And here she's snitching a bit of Little Gal's hot chocolate at one of the Old Town shops. :)

Hot chocolate with whipped cream and sprinkles.  It doesn't get much better than that. ;)

Here she is in front of the giant fountain in Old Town Eureka: 

And here she is in front of my favorite toy store in Eureka. :)

A tired Zelfie, on her way home.

6. Enjoying old traditions...like going to our annual "shell store" for inexpensive goodies.

And of course, our yearly stop at the carousel:

7. Spending some one-on-one time with Hubby.  On Monday night, the family and our hostess took care of the kiddos so Hubby and I could have an evening off.  We visited one of my story locations (pictured above), ate at one of our favorite restaurants (making it there just 4 minutes before it closed for the night), bought donuts (more than we intended since the donut gal was determined to get rid of as many as she could), and saw "Despicable Me 2" in the theater (not quite as good as the original, but still enjoyable overall, especially since Gru's girls remind us of our own daughters).  We had a great time, even though Hubby forgot his wallet at the house we were staying at (about 30 minutes away), so I had to drive (NOT my favorite thing in an unfamiliar town).  But I put on my big girl pants and did it.  And we even survived. ;)

But most importantly, spending time with our family.  It was great to get away from the routine and enjoy some time together, both as our little family of five and as an extended family.  The week was wonderful and just what we needed before the rush of "back to school" month. ;)

And when I came back, I had something waiting for me...what could it be? ;)

To hear Alice's account of the trip, you can click HERE.  

You can read Belle's version HERE. 

Stay tuned for the contents of my mystery package and more fun!