Boat Trip

Yesterday we went on a boat tour off shore from San Pedro, CA.  It was on one of the water Sanitation District's research boats.  They periodically take measurements of the effects of having treated water released into the ocean in this area.  It was a great chance to take the kids for a boat ride and let them play with all sorts of sea life.

The kids and Megan enjoyed a light breakfast on the bow of the boat before taking off.  Brielle really liked her pink donut.  She liked it so much to vomited it up a hour later after getting sea sick :)

Perhaps the reason for the rough ride at sea?

Ethan was the only person on the boat who did not get the least bit sick.  While bouncing up and down in the waves he spun circles, almost mocking us as we tried to hold down our breakfast.

Megan lost the battle.  Here is Ethan looking on as Megan feeds the fish.  Both Megan and Brielle lost it while James and Ethan held strong.

Here is the net full of creatures that were picked up.  The net was dragged along the bottom a few hundred feet down.

Brielle was very interested in the days catch.  The fish were floating because their swim bladders expanded as they went up in the water.

Hmmmm, a sea cucumber.  

One of the best parts of the trip was getting to throw all the fish and other creatures to the seagulls.  Brielle is about to toss a Lizard fish.

Here is the whole gang after the ride.  We had a great time.  Thanks to grandma for getting us on the boat!

Beat the Heat with a Splash!

We have been having some triple digits days here in So Cal. So in order to beat the heat we have been taking every opportunity to get wet and enjoy the summer.

A new park opened up down the street from us in Baldwin Park and it has a splash pad! The kids have really been enjoying this fun way to keep cool. Ethan's face tells the whole story!

Here is Brielle planning how she is going to squirt Ethan with the hose at the Splash Pad. Little does she know that Ethan doesn't mind a bit.

Our good friend Larry manages a members only pool club that he designed in the hills of Pasadena. He got all of us in there one day for a sneak peak and dinner. We all had a great time playing on the wet toys and going down the slides.

Speaking of slides, here is Megster and Ethan coming down with a splash. A split second after this shot James was totally soaked along with the camera. Thank goodness the camera is waterproof!

We have also been spending a fair amount of time up at Grandma and Grandpa Finlay's pool. It is a great place for the kids to practice their swimming skills.

One day this week all the cousins went to Bolsa Chica beach. The weather was perfect and James was a little jealous that he was at work and not in the cool weather along the coast. All the kids enjoyed the treats and some (ahem, Ethan) ate a little too much sand as well.

Here Megster leads the kids into the surf at the beach. Gotta start them young!

Off to Work

Here is our little business man. Just needs to grab his briefcase and head off to work. How could you not trust a face (and dress code) like this?

4th of July Fun

With the 4th being on a Sunday this year we were able to spread the fun out over two days because Monday was off for most. We had a great time being with family enjoying the outdoors and the not too hot So Cal weather.

Gavin and Brielle took some time to eat ice cream cones in Grandma's backyard. It is a tough job but someone has to do it!

On Monday while Brielle was taking a well deserved nap we got in the pool for a nice relaxing dip. It was relaxing at least until Ethan joined in and starting to splash every where! Ok, James precipitated the disruption a little as well.

We had a yummy BBQ block party at some friend's house on Monday as well. Kids got to get the hands on some sparklers and they were hooked after the first one. Luckily Mom was there to make sure that nobody got hurt.

Crazy as it might seem, the "Firework" setting on the camera actually worked pretty well. I know all it really did was tweak the ISO a little and increase the exposure time, but hey we will take what we can get. What a wonderful way to end our Independence day celebration!

Christensen's Visit

This past week Megster's family was in town for a mini family reunion. It was so much fun to have them here to explore and play. First stop in California was in Morro Bay.

Christine braved picking up a pretty large crab on an early morning walk from the house down to the beach below the Natural History museum. We had to go early in the day because if you wait until after breakfast the tide in the bay has come in to cover up the beach!

Here is just a quick video clip of Ethan backing into the water. He was told that he could not get his feet wet. However, you can see from the expression on his face that there was water getting between his toes. What a cute kid!

Everyone hiked to the top of Bishop's Peak in San Luis Obispo the following day. The weather was much warmer inland just a few miles. The hike was only a few miles each way, but pretty steep at several points. It was an extra challenge for Meg and I as she was carrying Ethan and I carried Ellie most of the way. I had her on my shoulders so her feet got my shirt dirty, hence the dark spot right over my chest.

After the long hike we hit a local frozen yogurt place called Bali's. You mix and match any flavors and toppings and pay by weight. A well deserved and yummy treat.

Almost everyone took some time to go kayaking in the bay on the last full day in Morro Bay. Here you can see that Ellie is doing a little relaxing while grandpa Christensen does all the hard work.

The final full day of the California trip was spent in Dana Point at the Salt Creek Beach Park. Followers of the blog will know that this is where the 2010 So Cal Ragnar Relay ended. We went back for a more relaxed visit and had a great time playing in the big surf.

To finish off the post... a great picture of Papa Christensen and Ethan having a stroll on the beach. A fantastic visit that went by far too fast!

St. Regis - 24 hours

James' little bro racks up all sorts of perks for his traveling through work. He was nice enough to share some with us a few weekends ago. We stayed at the St. Regis resort in Dana Point, California. For 24 hours. With. No. Kids. We were upgraded to a suite, which was really nice. The balcony looked over the grounds as well as the ocean. Fresh fruit and flowers in the room, but a small jar of gummy bears was $8. We enjoyed a nice dinner then hit up a Redbox for a movie to watch on the big screen back at our room.

We went for a little walk before dinner on Friday. The beach closest to the resort was the Salt Creek Beach park, which if you were in the Ragnar was the end point of the 200 mile race. It was fun to go back there to visit.

The obligatory fluffy bath robe picture. We both could get used to that.

The next morning we both got some exercise. Meg went running, I went bike riding. There was a nice trail along the beach which then lead up the canyon. It was nice to have a cool breeze the whole morning. When we got back to our room the butler (yeah, a butler came with the suite) brought up fresh hot chocolate and marshmallows. It is fun to be spoiled every once in a while.

That afternoon we headed back to reality (we really did miss the kids, who where watched by James' sister, Thanks!). But before we did we hit one of our favorite restaurants Cafe Rio for their famous pork salad. Yum!

Another Finlay Wedding

Two weeks ago James' younger brother was married to Annie Anderson in the Salt Lake City Temple by her grandfather. Megan and I both agree that they look fantastic together and complement each other's strengths in a very pleasing manner. Here they are on the steps in front of the temple.

A reception luncheon was held in their honor a few hours after the wedding. It was loads of fun to get to to see them enjoying their first few hours of being a newly married couple.

Here are the Finlay kids (minus Evan who is on his mission in Argentina) at the reception which was held at Thanksgiving Point.

The wedding party wore pink ties. Ethan decided to sport his for a while without a shirt to prevent it from getting dirty before pictures. If anyone from Chip and Dale's would like his contact info they may contact the admin of this blog!