Crystal Cove

Hooray we are in California! Highlight of today was spending time this afternoon at the beach with all the kids. I shared my hat with cute Katharine.

I spend my morning there too because I started off my vacation the way I would start off every morning if I lived this close to the coast, by enjoying a walk to the beach. I spied some natal plums on my walk down the Newport Coast Highway sidewalk... pretty sure I'll be picking those on my way back... 

I got to the beach and spent some time grounding and listening to the waves. Heaven.

I walked to Pelican Point, but down on the beach, not on the cliffs above. The rocks looked super cool.

90+ minutes and 4+ miles later I was walking back to the hotel. As I had predicted, I picked the natal plums. And there weren't just a small handful like I thought I saw on the walk down. I kept finding more and more... I decided to use my shirt, though I thought it would probably stain it, but I couldn't help myself. 

And the sap from the plums did does in fact appear to have stain my shirt. Atleast it didn't come out with the detergent here when I tried washing today. I'll try oxyclean after I'm back home. So, beach walk, then Corey took Lily to the ER cause her throat is still killing her. It was hurting her all last week at FSY. So since he was taking her, I went to the airport to pick up Ethan Bella and Alvie. We thought we might do one of our grocery runs on our way back to the hotel, but Alvie wasn't having it, it was a long flight for a one year old, so back to the hotel, then I went to Costco for food, and we are mostly set food wise. I'll do a Pavillion's run probably Wednesday. We have enough to make it through today and tomorrow when we got to Disneyland. After we got all the food put away and ate lunch, people left for the beach on the shuttle, which leaves every hour, but leaves every 30 minutes from 1 to 2:30. I didn't made the ride with the main group. I still had to change after running errands. When I got there, they let me know that basically right at the beginning, Abi was there with Katharine in the water, and they got hit by a big wave that tumbled Katharine around, and then she didn't like the water anymore. I was fine to let her play with her siblings in the sand...

I went body surfing with the boys. Hyrum borrowed a hair tie to try and get his long locks out of his eyes...

Ethan has made comments in the past that he is jealous of Hyrum's hairline. Hyrum replied "It's just cause God knows that I'm still single." haha. Well, that worked ok, but I told him if he really wanted smooth swimming, he should try a swim cap! I had two! He humored me for a photo.

Christian brought 4 boogie boards, and it was fun. Owen Daniel and Peter had fun with that, but I was a little nervous watching them cause some of those waves hit pretty hard. When I was trying the boogie board I got tumbled hard and thrown around like I was in a washing machine. The waves were very rough. It's a good way to clear out your sinuses though! I went in with a hair tie and lost that in the waves. The swim cap helped after that. I tried goggles too, but the waves knocked those clean off me. Luckily they stayed around my neck. Me taking a break so my nose and lungs can recover and watching Peter.

Peter spent most of his time in the very shallow water. Peter practicing some water bending.

Daniel and Owen did a great job with Christian taking on the waves. 

Then Peter came in for some playing in the sand. Wesley dug a deep hole for him. Melodie helping with the sculpture prep.

We did a good job with sunblock. No one got burnt today. I took a nap underneath a towel and with my hat covering my face, it was nice. Christian finding some shade beneath a towel. 

Mel carving some strong biceps and pecs.

Katharine working with Wes on Peter.

Making him a muscle man! He looks a bit like Larry the Lobster (skipped leg day)

Corey came to the beach too. He said this was his first time ever to Crystal Cove but he's been here before. Look sweetie, I have proof: 2018 - but maybe you weren't paying attention to the location or to your surroundings? He said "Has this been here this whole time? Wow!" and turning to me he asked "Have you be down here?" "Yeah, like every day last year..." (and other years too? Well, looks like I didn't make it in 2022, but I had a newborn). This might be equivalent to when we discovered that Park City had biking! When Corey joined us, he heard how K was scared of the water, and decided he wanted her to conquer her fear. Trying to explain things to her, telling her it was Abi's fault "No no Abi!"

But Kat was really freaking out. 

I didn't think it was worth the battle, but if that's what Corey wants to do, that's his fatherly prerogative. 

So he spent the rest of the beach afternoon like this. Me there in my hat, kids in the waves.

Thanks to Abi for these photos today! I kept my phone in my bag, trying to protect it from the sand. End of the beach day - K didn't touch the water, and she cried when Corey walked in it, but he accepted that offering (her tolerating HIM walking in the waves) cause that was all the bravery she could muster.

Dinner provided by Mel and Christain last night - curry and rice. Tonight it was us, we did taco salad with the fixin's that Corey and I like, aka kimchi and chipotle sauce. Tomorrow we are going to Disneyland so Katharine can finally meet the princesses! Yay, Abi is excited to be there with Katharine, and we're excited for Peter to go for his first time too. Good job Corey for making this happen.