summer road trip - part 3

san diego

it was hard getting up on saturday morning to pack the truck up again. it was even harder to get the kids in the car while they were complaining about driving for another 3 hours. somehow we got it done.

a lot less stuff this time but we still had our camp chairs and blow up mattress.

every year my mom's family hosts a family reunion. most of the time we do it in san diego because the majority of the people can make it.  we meet up at the same spot, grill burgers and hot dogs, play some volleyball and take family photos.

first thing for the kids is heading to the water.  perfect spot for them to get wet and cool off. it was very hot that day and the water was a welcome relief.

the official volleyball game happened after we left but we got some practice time in.

this year there was lots of picture taking.

 

this is family that i spent a lot of time with growing up.  the cousin on the left is the one who gave me and b our "b" names. the cousin on the right is the cutest thing you will ever meet.

bobby and i had to get on the selfie wagon.

even though our family seems bigger we were missing many that could not make it. some because of prior commitments and some because they are no longer with us. my cousin took a moment to honor my uncle with a  moment of silence. he looked forward to coming to these reunions every year and he was missed.

it's never enough time together but it's always worth the drive.

bobby's cousins live in san diego, so we always make plans to hang out with them when we're here.  and the kids couldn't wait to see their cousins.  the little ones were excited to have a movie in the backyard.

we watched from the pool area and had an amazing view of the city.

sunday was all about getting in the pool and playing with the kids.

lots of pool toys.

it was like being at a resort;  beach chairs, umbrellas, a good book and a pool.

the kids got to FaceTime with their cousin aiden in paso robles.

and there was a friendly game of soccer in the backyard.

these kids have such a great relationship.  they understand each other on a different level, and with a different language - cuckoo swans, zombie lions, nice chopa nice. my kids adore their cousins.  it makes me happy that they will grow up having this bond. a bond that i shared with my cousins growing up and that bobby has with his cousins.

we ordered pizza, grilled burgers and got take out sushi.

our last night together we made s'mores. seems to be a recurring thing on this trip.

the next morning melissa and grady were off to school early.  we hung out with derek and kendall and then went to north park for breakfast and to check out the town.

we had a lot of options but decided to try out the mission.

chilaquiles, breakfast sausage, eggs, country potatoes, and pancakes. oh those were good pancakes. great little spot in san diego.

 we took a little bit of time to walk around and get inspired.  north park is a hipster area with lots of cool coffee spots, restaurants and unique shops.

we had to stop by pigment for a little shopping browsing.  they have cool paper products and home decor everywhere you turn.  and i loved this wall.  we bought a tumbler, a little necklace for sofia and that cool handmade postcard at the top of this post.

we had planned on seeing antman at some point during the trip.  on our way home we decided to stop in glendora to catch the show ten minutes before it started. jordan had to be at swim practice at 6:30 and this was the only opportunity we had.  we loved it!! so entertaining and funny.

is there any other choice for dinner on a california road trip? i think not.

thanks for coming along on our crazy adventure.