River Weekend

This is where we spent our weekend...

No joke. The Neuberts graciously invited the Holbrook and Peterson families to join them at their river house for the weekend. The views of the house and from the house (view from family room window below) were stunning. Debbie shared that the plans for the house were titled "The Lake House", and it certainly looks like something out of a catalogue of East Coast homes. It was the prettiest one we saw on the river.

The girls and I carpooled with the Neuberts on Thursday evening with the Holbrooks following. Kelly joined us on Friday after work. We spent every single minute on the river, watching movies in the theater (pics of the theater are from 2008 during our last visit), playing games and visiting. It was SO much fun. What a special treat. We cannot thank the Neuberts enough for this fabulous weekend!

Torrey Pines State Reserve

We spent one of our vacation afternoons hiking in the Torrey Pines State Reserve. Since it was our first time, we stopped at the Visitor's Center to ask the guide for advice on the best trails to take. We were able to hike two trails in the time we had, and what a fantastic adventure. Everywhere we hiked had views of the oceans or pine trees or both. This land was purchased originally by the Scripp family and later sold to the city of San Diego with the intent that the pines would be preserved in their original beauty. If you are ever visiting the area, this is a phenomenal place to explore.

San Elijo Beach Week

We spent our annual family vacation week at San Elijo State Beach in Cardiff-By-The-Sea. As always, we had a blast. There were long days on the sand, lots of water time, yummy doughnuts from VG's Bakery, two days with the Holbrooks camping near by, and spooky stories by the campfire. These are some of my favorite pictures from the trip...

This is the statue that sits on PCH in front of the campground. It is tradition for individuals or groups to decorate the statue which usually means dressing it in clothes or wigs. The last morning at the camp we found this elaborate display which had been erected overnight. The surfer statue is being carried off by the Pterodactyl.