NONSTOP Summer.....................

Well the first week of summer I went through a tank of gas and we had so much fun! In fact we didn't stop until Friday and when we finally did stop we were all exhausted!

Check out those blueberries! My friend Kathy found out about a place we could pick blueberries. Who knew blueberries grew in sunny southern California? They do and they are the most delicious blueberries that I have ever tasted! It was quite a drive, Gaviota is just north of Santa Barbara. We spent the day with the Arbuckles and Darrows and had an incredible day!

All of the kids with their pails headed towards the fields ready to pick.

The group!

Amy, Calli, Sophie, Ian, Gabrielle, Josh, Isabella, Olivia, Chloe, Hailey, CJ, and Kyle

Isabella loved picking blueberries but I could never get her to try one. She says she doesn't like blueberries. She did however devour the homemade blueberry muffins I made. She was very picky with her berries and only picked the best.

Olivia had a great day with Hailey and Chloe. She had the fewest amount of blueberries in her bucket but probably picked the most. The girl ate some serious berries! Olivia is my fruit hog, she eats all fruit and endless amounts of it!

Ian had a great time with CJ and Kyle. I love to see the friendships between 3 year olds. They get so excited to see each other and play together. Olivia of course is a great big sister (most of the time). She did help them quite a bit, like I said she is a fruit snob and wanted to make sure they filled their pails because of course she was not, she ate as she picked but still wanted plenty to bring home. Ian hates blueberries too. In fact he hates most fruit.

Ian and CJ

Sophie was the queen of the blueberries. We left it to her to find the bushes with the biggest berries and find them she did. Every single blueberry in her bucket was huge! Good thing because the blueberries were good, sadly they are now gone. We had them every morning for breakfast for a week, to snack on, I made blueberry syrup, blueberry muffins, nectarine and blueberry cobbler, and a delish lemon yogurt cake with blueberry sauce! Yea, we are regular!

Sophie was proud of her berries!

Isabella striking her hip hop pose with her berries.

Sophie and Olivia

Isabella and Ian

After we picked our berries we were famished and headed to the cute town of Solvang. I had heard so much about it but have never been. I am looking forward to taking Stan back. It is a cute danish town, the kids saw this giant shoe and they all had to take their turn getting a picture in it.

We walked by a bookstore and who was standing there but Edwards himself, Calli had to take a picture with him! I had Calli and Gabrielle with me because Kim was out of town. It was a fun day!

Monday was blueberries, Tuesday was pool day! It was a big crowd and I didn't take many pictures, I was too busy swimming with my kids and visiting with my friends. During the summer every Tuesday is pool day and we all take turns hosting. A fun free activity that the kids get to do with their friends. Swimming by the way is in full force. Swim team started this week too so Olivia and Sophie have practice 5 days a week and meet start next Saturday.

Isabella saying, "yea summer is here and that means beach!"

Kyle, CJ, and IAn playing in the water. Every age loves the beach! Actually I don't know what people do during the summer that don't live near a coast. It boggles my mind. I pray that I never have to find out!

A sandy bug enjoying her spray war head candy!

Ian and Jake made a race track in the sand (well, I made a race track for them). they had a great time with their sand trucks.

Mega, Olivia, Chase, Sophie, Hailey, and Calli playing in the waves. I can hardley wait unitl next week! Beach here we come!!!!

Thursday brought the baseball game. Go Dodgers! It was a great night, we had incredible seats in a full stadium and watch the Dodgers beat the A's. Olivia and Zoe (we went with the Morris family) caught baseball during batting practice. There seriously in nothing more American than going to a baseball game.

Ian and I HEART baseball!

I know this is blurry. We didn't bring a camera so these are all taken with my blackberry. I loved this pic though Isabella and Gabrielle were on the jumbo tron for the longest time dancing so everytime music would come on Ian would stand up facing the camera man closest to us and dance. He wanted on that TV so bad. He never got on though!

Isabella and Gabrielle thought it was the coolest thing ever to be on the big TV! We had some friends at the game unbeknown to us that called Stans cell phone while they were on the jumbo tron to see where we were sitting.

DODGER DOGS! Need I say more?