Getting "All Bronzed Up"

Our time in southern California is drawing to a close! It is hard to believe it will be over this weekend.  We've had some great adventures while we've been here.  One of the best things about our time in Irvine has been seeing some of my old friends from my BYU days.  Yesterday we spent the afternoon with my friend Alyssa and her adorable children at Cardiff Beach.  Once again, my camera is misbehaving.  Lucky for me Alyssa is (and always has been) the official photographer of our friendly get-togethers.  She has a great camera and a great eye.  Check out these fantastic shots!  Thanks Alyssa!  We loved being with you again!

 Sometimes I wish pre-arranged marriages weren't such an old fashioned idea.  Joe ate sand all day and had a sweet sand goatee the whole time.  I hope he outgrows the urge to ingest sand before he is old enough to date Matisse.  She already knows it is gross and not cool.

 I LOOOOVE this photo.  Those are my boys watching the surfer. I want to frame this one to remember our time here.

 For some reason Oscar refused to wear his swim trunks to the beach.  Whatever.  That kid.

 Oh, Alyssa.  You have always been so gorgeous.  And beautiful inside and out!  You have not changed.  You are a beautiful mom!

 Joe loves the water and the waves, but I'm grateful he is cautious and keeps his distance. Mostly.

 If I had known how much my boys would love the boogie boards I would have purchased some at the beginning of the summer. What can I say? I'm a So Cal newbie.  Thanks for sharing, friends!

 It is my dream come true to see my kids interacting and playing NICELY with my good friends' kids. Way to go, Giles kids!  I like to think that in this picture Britain is saying, "...And when we pulled the fish out of the water, it was THIS BIG!!!..."

 Britain spent most of the afternoon pretending his shovel was a guitar. He is a charming boy.  I hope Alice looks him up after his mission.  ;)

 Waverly was very sweet with Alyssa's littlest: Matisse. What a sweetheart she is!

 This is one my favorites:  Alyssa said, "Hey, you guys, let me take your picture" and they set up this pose and arranged themselves like a couple of professional models. It cracked us up. And gave us one awesome picture!

Thanks for a great day at a very pretty beach, and especially thank you for the wonderful photo memories, Alyssa!  I hope it won't be too long until we see each other again.