It’s been a busy few weeks – Cam started TK at a new public school and, due to early dismissals for the first 3 weeks, we’ve had lots of grandparents in town to help. I wanted to recap some of our fun during my grandma’s (Cam’s great grandma; Gigi!) and Mike’s parents (Nana and Papa) stay with us through a few favorite photos… read on!
It was hot hot hot when while my grandma was with us so most afternoons were spent indoors playing trains and cars, which Cam could not have been more thrilled about. One afternoon though, I was able to take an extended lunch and spend some time with Cam and Gigi at a new park that had a splash pad! Nothing is more fun at a park than a water feature in my opinion. We didn’t have a change of clothes but it was warm enough not to care.
The day after Mike’s parents arrived, we met Mike at his work for lunch. Ah, tech job perks… we were treated to a delicious free lunch and peach smoothies after! I think Cam loves seeing where mama and daddy work, too, so that’s always fun.
My dad was in town at my other grandma’s house (Cam’s other great grandma! Lucky little one) and we drove up to spend the afternoon at the park with them. It’s special seeing my dad (G-pa) spend time with Cam because they don’t see each other too frequently. Plus, G-pa pushes higher than anyone else on the swings – fun for Cam, a little nail biting for me.
Nana and Papa being in town meant we also had overnight babysitters when attending a wedding! We went all out and got massages before checking into a nice hotel and then eventually making our way to a gorgeous wedding of our close friend, Keely. A real treat for us, and for Cam, who got to spend some 1:2 time with Mike’s parents.
We’re a family who won’t pass up a chance to go swimming so the morning after the wedding, after Mike and I enjoyed a breakfast date, Cam and the grandparents met us at the hotel for a dip in the pool. It was a great way to spend a Sunday morning (particularly because the pool was nice and heated)!
We decided we hadn’t had our fill of water and the following weekend spent the afternoon at Shoreline Lake, renting paddle boats and enjoying a water-view lunch. Mike, Cam, and I have done this a few times and it never disappoints. It is a simple afternoon but always so enjoyable. Plus, this time at lunch there were a few sailors-in-training do safety drills off their boat, which was entertaining to watch.
Sticking with the water theme of the weekend, we spent Labor Day morning at our favorite family beach in Capitola. The water was super calm, which made for a perfect day for playing in the waves. After hours on the shore and sand, we tried two new local spots that were both huge hits. Gayle’s Bakery for sandos (we all decided next time the move is to pick up sandwiches before the beach and eat there) and The Penny Ice Creamery , where they “combine fresh local ingredients in small batches to create delicious artisinal ice cream.” Not mad at that.
We also had a major celebration: Mike’s 40th birthday! Our family and friends came together for an Hawaiian-themed afternoon of bocce. I could not recommend bocce enough for a party that has a lot of young kids (we joked that the party was basically Cam’s bday because of how many of his friends were there too). The adults took one lane while the kids went wild on the other, entertaining themselves for almost the whole party. We also had my younger cousin, Audrey, there to help keep an eye on Cam so Mike and I could mingle around, which was beyond helpful and also highly recommended. 🙂
It was a perfect party filled with love, food, cake, and the best company; all to celebrate Mike and his milestone year!
Last BUT NOT LEAST, other very exciting news for us is the arrival of a baby girl this coming November!!!! We can’t wait to add a little sister to our family. ❤
All of our visiting family is back home now and we are officially settling into our routine with Cam’s new school. Fall is right around the corner so we’ll be soaking up the last few hot days until we cozy up and become a family of four!
VEG VIBES 