Carpinteria 2021

With Chad switching companys we were elated to have a full week of PTO to enjoy together before he started his new job with PCI. It all happened so quickly so we had very little time to prepare but I knew i needed a beach so i started hunting for a beach campsite. We found 2 nights at an old favorite of ours and were excited to book it and hit the road. The kids and I love camping so much! Chad likes it but he is not so secretly dreaming of a day that we own and RV and have a more luxurious "glamping" experience. I for one, love being snuggled in a little tent or camper where we go to sleep and wake up to eachothers laughs (and sometimes whimpers) because it brings us a little closer. I love the dirty ankles and eternal bed head that can only come from camping. I love the creative meals that taste best with a little smoke on them and I love having a fresh bouquet of flowers picked during early morning walks on display at the picnic table to make it feel like a home away from home. I just love it all. We left early Wednesday morning and got to the campsite by checkin at 2:30. After setting up the trailer, we headed straight to the beach, that was about 100 yeards away. it was perfect, and by then the sun was just starting to dip so it was "golden hour" and i snapped a few pictures of the boys "breakin in" the beach.

Despite changing Easton twice during our drive, he still blew out of his clothes and was naked by the time we got to the campsite, he loved playing with the spicket while we organized our area. I couldn't get over how lucky we were to have the spot we had, it was reletively open and right next to the beach access. We won the lottery.

"boys get together for a quick picture" *cue wrestleing It was a little chilly so I told the boys to get thier water shoes on so they could have some fun on the rocky walls about a 1/2 mile down the beach incase they weren't able to get into the ocean....they quickly proved that the water was not too cold.

heavenly Each boy ventured off on thier own. I used to be worried about how often they do thier own thing. I want so badly for them to be "inseperable", for them to be eachothers best friends and always wanting to be together but I have found peace in thier individuality. It's something I have always loved about my sisters and I and I'm reminded that proximity and actual closeness are very different things.

in true Matix fashion, he stipped himself down to his underwear with pride, we were the only ones on the beach so i didnt mind.

As for me, I got to collecting rocks and beautiful things to take back to the campsite

The boys helped and we found some "treasures" that were courtesy of 2020, some beautiful rocks, shells galore and some seaweed that i talked Matix into "saving" it at the beach instead of in the camper.

We went back to camp and started dinner over the fire, the boys danced around with thier hot dogs and talked about how they were smoke breathers (seeing thier breath as it got colder) EAaston just laughed at hi crazy brothers and all the boysbegged to go to bed as soon as they finished eating which is probably one of my favorite perks to camping. Tired babies! UNfortunately, in spite of thier tiredness, Easton didnt sleep a winnk and spent the first 1/2 of the day crying, putting a real damper on our morning. But it was nothing a nature walk couldnt fix. Right on the camsite was a beautiful walk with educational signs and overlook areas all along the way. Everyone enjoyed the walk, i enjoyed the senic views, chad enjoyed the baby snuggles, Liam enjoyed jumping off the wooden walk way down onto the sand and Matix enjoyed collecting flowers and treasures for his girlfriend (me of course).

Chad ended up having to find a drug testing facility close by so he could take a test and send it to PCI and get working on time so we headed into Santa barbara after our walk and dropped chad off, it only took a few mintes so we reseach fun areas to explore there sice we had never been there before. We went to the peir were, you guessed it, everyhting was closed. It was still beautiful so we walked around and got out our kites to take advantage of yet another empty beach.

after some kites, some pizza and some delicous tacos, we hit the beach till the sun went down.

we got back in time to make dinner and a special dessert, pinapple upside down cakes for everyone! The boys loved it! Easton was running out of steam a little earlier than the rest of us and fell asleep while eating his nachos. He slept a little more soundly that night and so we all slept a little more soundly. i guess we were all so tired se slept through the racoons ransacking our campsite and stealing the boys crabs and sea snails from the bucket of water they had saved them in. They were mildly upset but a little trilled that we had been bugluraized by giant squirels.

I sure love my boys. Sometimes i sit back and just watch them in wonder, thinking, who are they going to be? The beach realy allows for a lot of sitting back and watching, being in the moment and really soaking in who my boys are right this instant. I'm forever grateful to grow in the moments with them.