Life's a beach! Although sometimes it's a cold one.

The only thing that I absolutely positively had to accomplish before we left was a trip to the beach. In my heart of hearts I needed to see the ocean.  More importantly, I needed to see my sweet children frolicking in the waves and sand.  Karla might have thought I was a bit crazy since they don't often venture to the northern California beach in March... still too cold.  We are Tahoe kids... the ocean has nothing on that kind of chill!  We made it to the boardwalk at Santa Cruz with everything shut down.  But that was little concern to us since the ocean was alive and well.  I brought 3 outfits for each of my children because, well, I know them.  I am well aware that often, after they think they're done, the waves call to them and, like their mother, they can't resist the urge to dive back in.  I also know the success rate of those sneaky waves in drenching unsuspecting victims just when they think they're safe.  Despite 3 outfits, they both went home in wet clothes.  It was completely and utterly worth it.  Xiana was braver than she's ever been in the ocean, doing a dance with the crashing waves and attempting to look like a surfer.  Kolton was timid with the frigid water at first but fully embraced the wondrous sand.  Later, he warmed up to the idea of splashing in white, foamy water.  I had to force him to hold my hand.  Thank goodness too because one whopping wave took him and Xiana both down in one crash.  Neither were completely impressed.  But other than that... they both had the time of their lives!  We did a little exploring, playing in a cave, burying each other in the sand, and munching on sandy jelly bellies.  It was cold, but magical.  I always feel so close to Heavenly Father when I'm at the beach.  It never ceases to amaze me that He created something so marvelously beautiful.  I love to watch my children chase the waves and feel the sun kiss their foreheads.  I love to see the glistening waves from the distance while the foamy heads stretch out to say hello.  It's truly wondrous! 

Baptism and "paw caw"

The happy family! The official reason we came to California was for Ammon and Eva's baptism.  Nic and Karla asked if I would talk on the holy ghost (which they might have regretted once they discovered how rotten Kolton was!) It was a beautiful baptism (at least what I heard of it).  Kolton discovered upon walking in the door that there was a tray of brownies awaiting the guests for afterwards.  That was it in Kolton's one track mind world.  All he said for the duration of the baptism was, "brownie, brownie," over and over and over again. I had to take him out for most of it, and my dad had to take him out when I talked.  After the baptism, he managed to grab and run stuffing them into his mouth 9 whole brownies... 9!! Needless to say, he was a sick boy the following day.  He was a crazy little hooligan there.  Thankfully, there was a fenced in courtyard, so the kids ran and played for an hour or so.  It was great for the cousins to get to be crazy together.

Later that night, Nic played with the boys while the girls became cheerleaders.

The following day, I opted not to battle Kolton during Spanish speaking church and took him to the park instead. It was nice and relaxing.  He played and I sat.  It was Saint Patrick's Day, so the grand finale was corned beef and cabbage.  It was really hysterical at the park in this ritzy neighborhood.  A woman heard Kolton speaking and asked, "what's his second language?"  I told her that he spook all kinds of languages but none that I was teaching him.  It was awfully pretentious, but fun nevertheless! Kolton was obsessed with the "paw (park) and caw (car)."  Xiana enjoyed pushing him in the car, but most of all, she loved being with Eva.