Family Time

We decided to brave the 12 hour drive with an infant and toddler to visit family in California.  We are so very glad that we did.  The kids did pretty well on the drive (thank you ipad!).  We made some stops in random places to give the kids a break.  One of my favorites was in the middle of the Nevada desert when we stopped to feed Lexi, and I watched Aaron play fetch with Brigham and a golf ball.  We spent a few days on the Barth ranch.  We enjoyed walks in the orchards, eating at our favorite Mexican restaurant, and swimming.  

We were able to visit my grandma and introduce her to Lexi.  

We spent some time at the boardwalk in Santa Cruz.  Brigham was really scared of the merry-go-round but tried to put on a brave face for the picture.

He is also scared of water these days.  He didn't want to get too close to the ocean, but he enjoyed watching it from the dry sand.  He would throw his head back, close his eyes, and laugh when a wave would come in.

 Then we headed up to Pinecrest for the rest of our vacation.  We played lots of games.

 Aaron did a lot of reading on the front porch.

 Brigham tried (and liked) his first trout for breakfast.

We enjoyed time at the beach, far enough from the water that Brigham wouldn't scream.

Brigham loved following his cousin around.  She is two years older than him and was so sweet to play with him.

They loved playing with the bubble machine, their glow sticks, and the dirt.

This little lady was a champ on her first big road trip.  She survived the 12+ hour car rides there and back without too much crying.  She loved having so many people around to hold her and pay her attention.

 Brigham had his first smore.  He was a huge fan.

 The best part of the trip was having lots of time to relax and spend with family.  We were grateful to spend time with the Alaskan Barths that we rarely get to see.  We are grateful to Grandpa Barth for letting us enjoy some time up at the Cabin.  It is so beautiful up there, and it is so nice to escape the city, internet, and responsibilities of home for a few days.  Thank you Barth family for a wonderful vacation!