I love this picture! Look at the length of Jake's tongue. woa! I went on my first mom-and-ALL-4- kids-without-Dad trip last week. We went to Long Beach to visit our great friends the Zollingers whom we have missed since our move to Bakersfield FOUR (how time flies!) years ago. I was mostly worried about Jackson and how much crying he'd do and how much sleeping he would do, but he was great. Made me more hopeful and optimistic about our two trips coming up -- one to the beach and one to Utah. The kids had a great time playing and I had a great time talking and hanging out. We have to do it again soon.
When we are with the Zollingers, we have to have Jeanette braid Jacey's hair (and mine). She is the only girl out of the seven kids, so we have to play beauty shop with her. I love french braids. I need to really concentrate and learn how to do them, especially as tight and great looking as Jeanette's.
Pur-ty
We went to the park for a picnic lunch
Jeanette and Jackson
The park had some water spray toys. Jacey is waiting for a bucket of water to fall down on her.
Jaden and Spencer wait for the same thing
After, warm and cozy in a towel.
Elijah -- the only child who was fully dressed and didn't want to get wet that day.
Spencer
Back at the house - The Zollingers have a Chocolate Lab and my kids are crazy afraid of dogs; have been like that since birth, although I think it's getting better. The first day we got there, Jacey needed an escort as she moved around the house, Jaden stood far back whenever Oliver moved around, and Jared hid in the bathroom. By the 2nd day Jacey and Jaden warmed up to Oliver and were even asking to let him in. Jared was still hiding in the bathroom. The only one that was NEVER afraid of the dog was Jackson. He is our first kid not to be crazy scared of animals. He could totally be on the ground playing and Oliver would walk by and it didn't even faze Jackson. He loved him. Jackson would also chase the cats around trying to grab them. This is a definite first for the Hart Family.
Happy Baby
We got to spend a long weekend at the beach thanks to my parents. They rented an awesome beach house/condo (4th year in a row) in Pismo Beach, CA. This house is awesome. It's kind in a weird location- attached to a restaurant and mall but what a view. It has a hot tub and it's own private stairs to the beach. No loading up and walking or driving to the beach. A few steps and you're there. We got to do lots of fun stuff : Splash Cafe (yummy), playing on the beach, going to the interesting toy store, trip to the farm on the way to Avila, walk the pier, fish on the pier (Papa and Jared). The weather was perfect. So much nicer than Bakersfield weather at the end of July.
Jared
This backdrop is a wall size window in the condo- this is the view from the livingroom. Wow!
Here's another view- John sleeping on the couch
Mommy and Jackson
Jaden in the water
Jackson loved it!
My sister's daughter- Joanna
Jackson getting dirty
This was after Tyler's Birthday Party- they found this hole
Action shot
Swings with a view
Sweet boy
This was weird- one evening thousands and thousands of birds swarmed around the water by the pier. I have never seen anything like this before. Maybe they were feeding??
You can probably see it better if you enlarge it.
Jaden on the pier
Jared- he is looking so grown up
Daddy and Daughter
I love this picture
Grandma feeding Jackson back at the condo
Is it time to go back??
Jackson doesn't like this raft so much. He can't really reach the water. He much prefers just being held in my arms so that he can splash easier.
