4th of July Weekend Camping and Beach Day!

On the weekend for the 4th of July, we were invited along to a camping trip with Brandy and her family and friends from A Better Tomorrow at Big Basin Redwood State Park in the Santa Cruz Mountains. It's such a beautiful place to visit! This was our first camping trip with another family that has a child, so I was very much looking forward to it. The boys had such a great time together playing the entire time! I mean, wow...isn't that what childhood is all about? They were just too cute!!
It's interesting camping with another family. Schedules are so different and the entire dynamics of our regular routine changes to adapt to everyone else. There was another couple there that we talked a lot to as a kind of "getting to know you" basis. We didn't go venturing or hiking, which is our norm. It was fun and interesting at the same time. The funny thing is...it wasn't until I got home and really got to reflect on our weekend did I realize that there was a lot I would of done differently. I guess that's how we learn. When your a guest, you really don't know if it's ok to go about your routine. I guess that shouldn't matter much. Sometimes I tend to forget to just be myself. We do plan on taking another camping trip with them and this time I think I'd like to plan out some activities and focus more on the kids. All in all it was a very relaxing weekend for us and I've learned a lot about co-camping.

Our final day in Santa Cruz, I was able to take my family to one of my favorite beaches in the area. I love it because it's not only beautiful, but it's pretty isolated as well :D We spent the day playing in the water.

Tyler had an absolute blast with the waves coming in and touching his feet. Eventually he just sat and let the tides come up to him- he just laughed and laughed! I love the sound of his laughter and to hear his excitement was such joy!

He and Daddy made stick houses (Beach Fairy homes?) in the sand...

...while Zoe and I put our feet in the sand. It was her first trip to the ocean. It was so cute how she would react to feeling the sand. Her toes would go this way and that, trying to register what it was as her feet felt sand for the first time. It's always amazing to see your little one's reactions to their first experiences with nature. She really enjoyed herself at the beach. Hmmm...she's more and more like Mama!

I walked along the beach and collected some treasures to bring back with us. I found all types of neat shells and what-nots.

On the way back up a big hill to where we parked (Tyler by the way was determined to go up by himself...and he did!), he began to give away almost every single item I had collected. At first I began to feel a little bit upset inside...I mean, afterall, these were things that I would bring back to add to my shell collection of our family trips to the beach, items that I planned on making jewelry with, things to add to our summer nature table (as soon as it get's fixed that is)! Then I thought, "WAIT! Isn't this what you have thought your son to do? Share. Share...of course. Look at him. He is so kind and was so happy to see the little girls get so excited by everything he was giving to them." Of course!
Then I realized that I hadn't eaten anything since breakfast, it was almost 6pm and my hypoglycemia was kicking in. Not to mention my moon had finally come to visit since I've been pregnant with Zoe...Silly me!