Lake Elsinore

Our first Summer vacation was to Lake Elsinore in sunny California! 

We were excited to spend a whole week with Casey's family. 

We had never heard of Lake Elsinore. 

It is in the middle of Palm Springs and Newport beach. 

Stephanie found a water front house mansion big enough to fit us all comfortably, 

so Lake Elsinore it was! 

We were the last ones to arrive. 

With Casey breaking off from his dad and starting his own company, 

and also being at girls camp, he needed to squeeze some work in. 

We loaded up the car and off we were to meet up with everyone else a day late!

I had to laugh when we pulled up. 

It was the segregation of the SUV's. 

Charcoal vs. white. 

 Oddly, the white was in the minority, lol!

A better view from the balcony. 

This was a sic (sick?) house! Now I am laughing at my lingo! 

Really though, I felt so spoiled at the space we were given! 

Our little family, (which was us and the girls since the boys were in another bunk room),

  had any pick of these beds.

Lindi was stoked to get to be able to sleep on the top bunk.

The most coveted spot in our own home.

I will try to give a little tour. 
The main house had 5 bedrooms, 3.5 bathrooms, 
big kitchen, living room, and a game room.

If you went up these stairs Casey is on, a door leads you outside. 
Outside was a catwalk to 2 big bunk rooms with a bathroom, one of them being ours. 

Behind those sliding glass doors was a humungous deck with steps down to a lovely, green gated grassy area. 
This was the selling point of the house, to me.

See, absolutely breathtaking! 

This is where most of the time was spent, OUTSIDE! 

Yep, because it wasn't outlandishly hot. 

In the evenings it would get super chilly and during the day it was perfect. 

We had our own walkway down to the lake. 

This is the view from the water looking up to the house.

A little view of the deck and Hank who must have been 

tuckered out from a full day of play, haha!

The grownups would sit on this deck and chat away while watching 

the kids run wild in the grass.

I must mention that amazing Grammy made the reunion themed and all! 

Emoji's everywhere!

Everyone was finishing up showering from a day at the lake when we arrived. 

Casey unloaded our car then set up 9 square that we had brought with us. 

Instantly we had a big line and smack talk going on! 

We played for a good couple of hours before it was time to eat yummy carne asada tacos Stephen and Melinda made for us!

 Each family took a turn cooking dinner. 

Breakfast and lunch was on your own, whatever you wanted to make. 

That evening Grammy put together a trivia matching game with ancestors .

The next day was Sunday. 
Everyone went in all different directions.
 We decided to go to church.
 Lake Elsinore is weird in the sense that its in the middle of a farming community.
 It is super small with not much around it. 
People at church said it has boomed the past couple of years.
 And by boomed they mean they have a Costco and Home Depot. 
Not much else. 
Thank goodness for the Costco.
 I think somebody was there every single day!

I wanted to go to brunch afterwards.
We went to church, so eating out is ok, right?!
 I love to eat out on vacation and try new places. 
Lets face it, my ideal vacation revolves around food! 
After googling brunch places in the area and not many choices to choose from, 
we ended up at Hunny's Cafe. I thought it was fantastic! 
Casey said it was ok.
 He ordered something he normally wouldn't have,
 so I think that's why. I was ready to go back a second time!

The foodie girl herself wolfed down her pancakes and eggs.

Lane orders chicken and waffles every time we are on vacation.

Rusty. Rusty, Rusty, Rusty. Casey and I just looked at each other and made a sigh. This kid CANNOT eat ANYHING without smearing it all over his face! He can make a mess out of

a goldfish cracker. Needless to say, he looks satisfied.

The rest of the day we enjoyed hanging out at the house with whoever came trickling in from their different adventures.

I wondered how it would be hanging out on the beach of a lake
 and not the ocean like we are used to. 
Well, it was super fun!! More fun than I was anticipating! 
The big perk to the lake and not ocean is that the water is warm.
 Nobody was crying that they were cold and done. 
We were out in that water from 9am-4pm for 3 days straight. 
No whining, crying, tantrums of any sort. Pure heaven!

Our routine was to congregate for dinner then put the babies to bed. 
We would get the projector out and put on a movie outside to babysit the other kids.

This night I think they watched Chasing Mavericks.

Then the grownups would get dessert and play games!

One night we played THING'S. 

We all learned a little TMI things about each other, lol!

We were all rolling in laughter to the point some were peeing 

their pants or stopped breathing!

That is one of my favorite things about this family. 

We all get along and love each others company.

Another night we played that mouth guard game.

I look like a mad dog starring down someone who stole my bone! Haha!

I was versing Stephanie. 
We had to use suction to hold that card up for 3 seconds through a straw. Impossible!! Somehow she did it and won.
 I was grateful because I was about to blow a vein in my head.

Valerie's face!  She gets grossed out pretty easily. 

Plus being pregnant and sick doesn't help when you are watching spit fly everywhere.

 Pretty sure that's when we invited the Clorox container to join the game:)

Another night we played reverse charades. 
I think this was my favorite night by far!
 I hated being the guesser because it was hard and so much pressure!! 
Watching the acting however was worth it.

Here is our group acting out "sumo wrestler" . 
Travis was guessing and he got it quickly.

However, "bunk beds" was stumping him. 
We were getting desperate so I decide to lay on the fireplace thinking somebody 
would lay down on the floor underneath me. 
Not quite. Sunni decided to lay on top of me, face down! 
That's when I lost it. Especially when "doctor", or "making out "
 was being shouted as the guesses! 
It was a riot and everybody was in stitches. Just look at Casey's face.

On the last night we did skits.
 Each family drew a movie and a song to act out from different Disney movies.
 Grammy brought dress ups and props to use.
 I loved seeing everyone's creativity, especially since we only had
 about 5 minutes each to prepare.

The Hathcocks had Sleeping Beauty for the movie and a song from Trolls.

A portion of some more Trolls

We got Cinderella as the movie and Be Our Guest for the song. 
First, the boys came out as the mean step sisters fighting over 
who was going to marry the prince.

Casey was Cinderella and Lindi was the fairy Godmother.
 I stuffed myself as Mrs. Pots and sang the song while throwing a paper cup and plastic fork in the audience. Do you like my tea cup pose? Broadway here we come!

Grammy and Papa had Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.

 She enlisted all of her sons/in-law's as her short people. 

It was cute.

Sandy cuteness ALWAYS eating something. 

I just noticed she has puppy chow AND a sucker!

She takes after me I guess.

I was trying to get the twins to come over for a picture, 
since they were twinning in their rice field hats. 
Of course the little stinkers wouldn't cooperate.

 Pretending not to hear me.

Then wouldn't turn the same direction.

And doing dumb poses! Ugh, those 2 are a handful!!

We tried renting a pontoon for a day.
 Justin and Jesse came pulling up in it and the kids were so excited!
 The first crew got a pretty good turn, but then it started to over heat. A lot.
 Bummer. They took it back and the man said he would check it out
 but that we could have it again the next day.

Well, he didn't check it out good enough. 
The darn thing kept overheating.

Lane got a turn before it started struggling.

Here is a picture of them on it, crossing their fingers for no smoke.

 At least they got a short ride on it!

Its hard to see, but there it is in the distance.

I loved observing the teenage group of girls. 
Their conversations and music choices had me reminiscing the
 good ole days of when I was 14.
 They are the cutest, sweetest girls and I hope they all remain good friends forever!

I passed out baby bottle pops. 

Funny how the grossest candy is the favorite. Yuck. 

They went googoo gaga over them, get it?:)

These 2, just bobbing away.

If they weren't down at the beach, they were either playing on the grass.

Or waiting in line for snow cones.

Or swapping pregnancy stories.

Or accidentally matching with those banging, cheap Walmart dresses!

Papa and Grammy, we can't thank you enough for the good times we enjoyed! 
I know I say this a lot, but we are truly blessed with amazing family!