NOR CAL COAST

This morning we headed up Interstate 5 to Redding, then over to the coast so we could spend a day exploring in and around Redwoods National and State Parks. Our kids love nothing better than being outside in nature, so we knew they would love this adventure, and we had plans to show them some places we'd visited back in 2006 when we spent a summer hiking around California and Oregon.

First stop: coffee and kid smoothies from the Dutch Boys (as dad calls them)

As soon as we hit the coast, which took longer than planned due to some construction on highway 299, we unanimously voted to skip the drive up and back to the park and instead hit the beach!

Biggest sand crab we'd ever seen!

Sun-dappled and gorgeous one direction, and a foggy and cloudy mess the other.

 After some play time at the beach, we checked into our hotel and got a recommendation for a seafood dinner at an awesome restaurant nearby.

The Seascape Restaurant sits at the head of a cool little pier surrounded by two small coves and an island-like peninsula - it was gorgeous, and the food and local beer selection was extremely good.

Checking out the foraging sea otters just off the pier.

 And the views from the cliff above the restaurant:

 After dinner, we took the kids swimming at the hotel, then sneaked out to one of the many local breweries (our first brewery adventure of vacation!) for an hour or so while Grambot and PawPaw watched the kiddos for us. Six Rivers Brewery is female-owned and located just outside Arcata in McKinleyville, California. They call themselves "The Brew with a View", but since we went well after sunset we didn't bother with window dining. Instead we sat at the bar, where Jay ordered the full flight + the one extra they had on tap, and I did a half flight so I could drive us the 2.3 miles back to the hotel safely. It was a fun little date and I would highly recommend their beer to anyone traveling the northern California coast (and the food smelled and looked amazing on our fellow patrons plates, we just didn't order any due to the large clam chowder, fish and chips, and blackberry cheesecake dinner we had earlier in the evening).

OAK GROVE PARK PLAYDATE

We had another fun afternoon playing with lots of kids: James and Cora, Eli and Addy, Manu and Leo, and Gwenyth (the daughter of my good friend from high school, Karen, whom I haven't seen in a dozen years).

The 3 girls were playing princess kitties, and they were very put out that the boys would not stay out of their "castle". As I tried to take a photo of the "kitties", the boys totally photo-bombed them and made Cora even more angry.

The princesses eventually found wands

Me and Karen. I'm recruiting her for our spring 2014 girls marathon weekend (hopefully!)

Jay took the whole bunch of kids (other than Leo) on a walk around the lake while the rest of us adults relocated the cars to the other (bigger) playground.

Cora told me they used the park map to find their way to the other playground, like a treasure hunt. Coach Jay definitely knows how to entertain a gaggle of kiddos!

Freaking mama out just a little bit with her daredevil antics, but she never fell (and I obviously was not so freaked out that I couldn't pause for a photo!)

Cora, Addy, Eli, and Manu did the zipline a bunch of times (with Jay's assistance).

Addy and Cora helped wrangle Leo back to our picnic blanket.

 And Jay had him giggling long enough I thought for sure he'd get hiccups!

 I've really loved getting to catch up with some of my high school buddies and of course see Sophie as much as possible (next stop, Ashland, where she and Jay and I are running the Hill Climb this weekend). The kids were all so very good today, and that was a major bonus! Thanks for coming down to play ladies!

And many thanks to mom for watching the kids tonight so that Dad and Jay and I could go to a movie with David and Taryn - I highly recommend Guardians of the Galaxy!

JELLY BELLY FACTORY

We left before lunch time to head out to Fairfield to meet some friends (Sophie and her boys, and Karyn and her 4 youngest) at the Jelly Belly Factory. We had lunch at their cafe, stood in line for 1.5 hours for the free tour, then bought 10 lbs of jelly beans... It was more exhausting than any of us expected, but it was fun and the kids loved the candy and all the time running around outside, and I took home 30 servings of Jelly Flop Sport Beans for $5 (a MAJOR steal - they will be put to good use during marathon training!)

Cora passed out within 15 minutes of getting in the car. She needed the nap and was so happy when she woke up, but that little pout cracked us up!

Sophie got there first, so we grabbed a photo of Jay and the kids under the arch.

Eva, Zach, James, Sam, Livi, Cora, and Manu

That long line led to lots of messing around, but I still think the kids were mostly patient and well behaved.

What does the fox say? These two are crafted from Jelly Belly's. There was Jelly Belly art throughout the building.

Jay posing in front of the Jelly Belly art of the Jelly Belly founder.

Leo rocked that Jelly Belly hat!

Karyn photo-bombed us. Unsuccessfully.

Karyn and her youngest, Olivia.

Eli and Addy joined us with Grambot and PawPaw when Eli got out of school (luckily they only had to wait in line for 15 minutes or so). By this point the kids were more than ready for the tour to start!

Our haul... The kids picked a few fancy things that they purchased with their vacation cash, I picked out some things for friends and for Auntie Taryn and Uncle Davey (since they couldn't come along today due to work), and I stocked up on Jelly Flops (irregular Jelly Belly's - misshapen, off color, etc., but still delicious!) of various types.

SUNDAY BBQ

My parents graciously hosted a BBQ today so that I could invite local friends to come over and hang out, as well as get our family together for some good food and visiting. We lucked out with awesome weather (for August in the valley) and the kids (all 18 of them!) got along great.

Great Grandma has no problem getting down on the rug to help James and Cora do puzzles!

Addy, Cora, Manu, and Leo

Eli leading the biker gang (Livi and Sam in the background)

Addy makes a run for it (with Zach, Sam, and James in the background)

Zach and Eva

Teegan

Livi, Eli, Darby, and Sam

My grandma turned 82 yesterday, so I made 4 dozen cupcakes and we lit some candles so the lot of us could sing her Happy Birthday!

Alex, Leo, and Sophie

Taryn and David, Dad, and Mykal

Posing with Michelle and Karyn. I am so grateful for friends who are willing to take the time to drive up and over from the Bay Area and southern California to hang out and catch up! (Karyn did a 7 mile trail run with Jay and I this morning too)

The gang being just a little silly... I'm definitely monopolizing Sophie's time on this trip and I don't feel the least bit guilty about that!

A quick attempt at a picture of Great Grandpa and Great Grandpa with four of their great-grandkids. We'll see them again, but just in case the kids are in horrible moods, we figured a group photo was necessary, despite their filth!