Newport, CA

Jesse and Kristen invited our family to Newport!

We are Oceanside goers, so this was a whole new ballgame for us.

Let me explain better.

If you are a Mesa native, this analogy will make sense.

Your loyalty is to either Mattas, or El Charro mexican restaurant. 

Same goes for Oceanside and Newport.
Most people favor one over the other.

But when you get invited to the beach, you go!
I was excited to see what Newport was all about.

May we first take a moment of silence for these sandwiches right here. 

On the drive over, we were told NOT to miss out on a sandwich shop, TKB Bakery & Deli.
It is in the middle of nowhere in Indio CA. 
It was ranked #1 restaurant in America on yelp in 2018.

I felt like Joey from Friends.

The BEST sandwiches of our lives!

Words cannot even describe how delicious in every way they were.

I guess I was automatically signed up for their weekly newsletter and it was CRUEL

having to see their sandwich specials, I had to quickly unsubscribe! 

Meet The Trump Card, and the Mexican Marilyn Monroe.

Their homemade jalapeno focaccia bread... we are tempted on the daily to drive 4 hours for

this goodness. 

We made it!
Our cute little condo.
Jesse and Kristen had the bottom unit with Grammy, we had the top. 

There are big houses on the sand like we are used to in Oceanside.
Then there are hundreds of condos that run vertically from the ocean.
Even though we are not right on the beach, it's an easy walk to the beach. 

After unpacking we walked to Chronic Tacos for dinner!
I guess this is THE place for take out.
It was good, but nothing I craved later on. 
In fact, we only got it once while the others got it a few times more. 

Had to check out the beach, of course!

I brought a few things to decorate for the 4th of July!

I feel like a couple of holidays are landing on a Sunday this year.
We watched church via zoom and had 
festive pancakes for breakfast.

I was sad the gates were closed to the temple.
The grounds looked beautiful and lush.
And looked totally different in person than what I was imagining. 

Hi, my name is Shelley and I like to stalk reality tv celebrities.
Yep, totally googled and found Shannon Beadors house in Newport!
She is on the Real Houswives.
It wasn't far from the temple. 
Newport is more posh and swanky than Oceanside for sure!!

And I swoon over this house she rents. 

We watched some shows and walked to the beach for a bit.

I loved how into the 4th everyone got!
Every house had some type of Americana decorations out.

They warned us how the streets will turn into a party that night!
They weren't wrong.

Late afternoon the music began and crowds started to form. 

We BBQed.

I made dessert.

Then got wild and crazy!

We somehow peeled ourselves out of bed for an overcast morning run to the pier. 

We have hit a new high in life with kids who can take care of themselves while we are gone!

It's the best.

Our first full beach day.
I was wondering how our kids would do since they are used to being at the beach
with their Lindblom cousins.

The girls didn't have anyone their age to entertain them.

Sweet Grammy was a trooper and filled that role wonderfully. 

Teenagers boogie boarding all day. 

Walking back to the beach from a pit stop at the condo.
You can see the beach is right past that stop sign, so not much of a walk at all. 

I made the huge mistake of thinking I would be fine without sunscreen.

By the end of the day, I remembered I forgot to apply some after an hour. 

I was feeling it.

I got all the towels and covered myself up.

Kristen looked over and said she couldn't find me, lol!

Do you spy waldo? 

I'm under that striped towel next to Della. 

The girls were better helpers than the boys to help haul everything back!

The one thing I loved about Newport is that you can ride bikes!
They have a great path where you wont get hit by cars or have to dodge
a bazillion people.

We could fit the boys scooters in the car, which was perfect.
There are bike rentals everywhere, so rented some for us and the girls
for the whole week.

Heading to the pier for dinner!

I guess a hot spot in the area was called TK Burger.

Nothing life changing, but fun to try non the less.

We were happy to see Handel's close by!

Heading back home.

It was nice putting the girls to bed in a quiet house,
then go down to play games in the bottom unit.

We loved learning how to play a new domino game, Spinners!

 

Burning through Summer, quick!

We blinked and somehow Summer was already half over!

Evelyn invited Lindi to Krazy Air before their tumbling class.
 Stephanie asked if she could tag along while Evelyn got her ears pierced afterwards. 
I thought that was fun enough, but
I kept getting pictures of a day that kept evolving!

I mean, I know pretzels at the mall is a given.

I am never nice enough to pay for the stuffed animal rides. 

Or fraps from Starbucks.

When they both walked in matching from head to toe, I knew she was the luckiest 
girl on the planet!

It wasn't even her birthday!
Just a realllly nice aunt Stephanie:)

Another summer day at Krazy Air with cousins!

I cannot remember why or how this happened, I wasn't there.

But grateful for the peeps who helped entertain my kiddos during the long, hot days!

It's a group effort, and kid swapping so you get a break is the best thing for everyone involved.

My duvet cover ripped.

Which I wasn't too sad about.
I never loved our master room from the day we moved in.
 I was excited it gave me the excuse to switch things up a bit!

I was hoping Casey would be willing to paint our furniture.

Nope. He said his painting days were over.

He told me to go buy whatever I wanted.

I want to upgrade to a king bed, but know we wont be in this house too much longer.

I would rather wait and buy what fits our new house (whenever that is). 

So a little freshening up will do the trick until that time comes.

Before. 
I remember driving all the way to Nordstrom in Scottsdale with 4 year old Rusty, and 1 year

old Lindi to buy that duvet set.

I saw it on pinterest and HAD to have it.

The second I put it on our bed I was like, meh.

 Driving back to Scottsdale sounded terrible, so I just kept it and made do, lol!

Funny enough, our ceiling fan broke during the switch- a- roo.
Perfect timing!

Deep cleaning all the nooks and dust coated crevices felt SO GOOD in itself. 

After!

I can't say I'm on love with this either.

But once again, it will do!

Pizza and swimming was the staple Summer lunch!

Actually, I think this was dinner.

And I'm pretty sure after I blinked and checked the time
after I took this picture, it was 9 o'clock!!

It amazes me how long kids can swim for, and how quickly the time goes by.

I think my most stated sentenced was "5 more minutes!"

Which equates to my kids  as "I'll keep talking to so and so for a couple more hours!"

FATHERS DAY!!
And we have the BEST!

Our wards tradition is big fat squares of frosted brownie. 

We decided to have them on napkins ready to pick up on their way home.

My friend, Sheri.

Some of the dads.

Elders are included, of course!

Honorary dads... or kids who wouldn't leave us alone until they got one!

We love our Grandpa!
And of course miss our Papa.

Hot days can sure wear you out!

Lane was a busy boy this Summer!
In June he did a few weeks of weight training at Mesa High.

He also worked for Bro. Allen in our ward.

They go to schools all around AZ and replace old furniture, desks, cafeteria
tables and whatnot. 

His first job was a whole week in Tuba City at an elementary school. 
They paid for their hotel room and all their food, not a bad gig!

He was with his friend Griffen, another boy we know, Luke Samuelson, and 
another boy from Mt. View. Not sure of his name.

It was fun getting pictures of him working hard!

Denny's was the only restaurant in Tuba City besides Jack In The Box,
so they ate there every night. They weren't complaining!

He worked hard!
His pay check proved that.
In fact, my jaw dropped when I saw the amount that was on it!
Not bad for a 14 year old.

Jake, his uncle, also asked if he could help him deliver fliers for his company.
He has a nice nest egg in his bank account!

Lots of lake days!!

More like afternoons after Casey got home from work. 

I got the best view!
The boat looks good on him.
All the heart emojis!!

A girls dream... Musical Theater Camp.
She did it with some of her cousins.

 They boogied, danced and sang their hearts out!

Its sad that we don't see Amber as much because she had to grow up and get a job, wah!

We are just grateful we don't mind visiting her at work:) 

I walked in from dropping Lane off to an early morning slumber party.
Pretty sure I joined them!

She insisted on doing my hair and makeup.

Green "mermaid" hair.
Thanks, chlorine!

The BEST license plate!!

Rusty got invited to the lake with the Bosens.
We were going, too!

Fun to run into your own children at the lake!

MUCH improvement from crying hysterically and not wanting to put a foot in the water.
To balancing on her knees on the Zup board!

I'm thinking the water is not my friend.
I don't even know what happened.
I'm wake surfing, fall and the next thing I know Lane is wondering why there
is a huge hole in the board?

I look down to see blood.
Huh, I busted up the board somehow with me knee!

 

Either  they are cheaply made, or I am Super Woman!
And luckily, the board everyone favors the most still works!