I wanted to put a picture of my family at the end of the last one, but being new to this blog thing, I couldn't figure it out... So here is an incredibly outdated pic, but sadly, the only one I have of all of us together. We are actually missing little Bella and Isaac in this group shot (they weren't born at the time) so here they are so everyone is represented.

I recently returned from 7 days at one of my favorite places in the whole world, the luxurious Newport Coast Villas at Crystal Cove Beach, CA. I'm cheating and showing last years pictues, but my camera broke, and so I only have my memories this year.

I went to Disneyland, and was able to ride just about EVERYTHING.

I surfed at Doheny (if you count gettting pushed into the wave by my brother in law, and then getting up on my knees surfing...I do...) and braved their polluted water. (there is a river that runs off right into where the great surf break is.) That warning sign up above (since I can't figure out how to insert it here) tells you what you're up against. But being in any ocean, albeit polluted, is still a treat.
I went snorkeling in Laguna, and faced my fear of fish head on. Turns out, I hate snorkeling. It petrifies me. Something about the quiet clausterphobia being under the water puts me in a panic. I held my brother in law's hand (yes, the same one, bless his patient heart) most of the time, and he said I had quite the grip.

One particular favorite was Dolphin Dave. This is our 3rd year going, and it is amazing every time. We saw 5 blue whales, the largest animal that lives on earth, and to quote my Favorite Dr. Suess Book, they were

"all spouting their spouts and thrashing their tails!"

The last one we saw flashed his tail up as he went, and we could feel the splash from the water, he was so close to us.

The Whales were huge and scary and beautiful. But the best part is ALWAYS the dohphins. We don't call him Dolphin Dave for nothin'. This footage is from last year, but it gives you an idea of what we see. There are literally thousands of Dolphins that live off the coast at Dana Point Harbor, and we got to hang out with most of them for a few hours. They travel in pods of several hundred at a time, and swim and jump and dance through the water. And let me tell you, if you haven't seen tiny baby dolphins jumping out of the water with hundreds of other grown ones, then you haven't lived. Sea World has nothing on this boat ride.

I also got to hang out with every single member of my family during the last 7 days, which I LOVE. I never thought of the Gap once, I slept a lot, and ate In-N-Out Hamburgers, I watched dumb movies, and sat through the entire Parade Of Nations during the Opening Ceremonies, and I got too tan as I usually do. All in all, it was a successful vacation.