The BEST Pool Party Ever!

The vote was unanimous, this was the BEST pool party we have ever been to, with (by far) the best view!  It was absolutely magical to spend the afternoon at our new friend Dawn's house!  We were told by my new friend Sandra to be sure not to miss one of Dawn's pool parties, but she definitely didn't explain why.  The surprise was on us :)  Boy were we VERY glad we decided to make this 40 minute blind trek to this gorgeous haven!  

Merrick had a blast hanging out in the (only warm) hot tub.  Dawn had so many toys for the kids to play with and he was super happy about that!

Here is a video of Rowan showing off her moves!  This was toward the end of the afternoon, so they were all slowing down a bit.

The highlight of the afternoon for the girls - their new found friendships!  They met some really sweet sisters who love to swim and LOVE playing with their American Girl dolls!  Merrick was also happy that they have a younger brother!  Bring on the play date!



Here is a video of Kierce making an attempt to dive into the pool!  Rowan and I were so proud that she tried her hardest to dive.  I might have to bust out some of my old school life guarding skills to ease her into diving, first off the edge, then off the diving board :)

The view at the top of their driveway by the entrance to their house was just gorgeous.  I had to sneak a picture as we were leaving.  The kids and I realized as we were driving down the mountain that we stayed for 6 hours!!!  It was just too hard to cut the fun off!  Not only did they swim, but jumped on their trampoline, played inside with all of their fun toys and Merrick even played with their sand table!  This was such a fun day, we all felt really special to be able to enjoy this type of experience!

It All Started With a BIG Jelly Fish!

Wow, what a fun week the Merricks have had!  I have a feeling we are going to have plenty more where this came from, so get ready to hear all about it!

Before moving to San Diego I joined a San Diego Mom Facebook page to see if I could get a few questions answered as I was packing.  Little did I know that I would end up making friends in San Diego before even setting foot in California.  We were excited to finally meet up with some of the Moms and their children, and this is what we found!  Yes, the kids were swimming with a big jelly fish, one of many sights the kids have never seen before.  Too bad this creature was tormented.  I was so proud of the girls for trying to protect it from these foreign kids who were throwing sand on it and stabbing it with a stick!  Rowan even tried to urge them to stop by using non verbals since there was a language barrier.  I won't tell you how the story ended for this big guy, but at the very least I think the Merricks know how to step in and handle the situation better if there is a next time.

 On a much lighter note, Rowan absolutely loved being buried up to her head in the sand.  It was a very long and very fun day.  The kids definitely had a blast and are looking forward to more meet ups.

The kids and I were so, so, sooooo excited when Aunt Brooke called to see if we could babysit Eva for the first time!  She had four babysitters ecstatic to be at Eva's beck and call!  Eva pretended with weebles, played dress up, was read to by both Rowan and Kierce, and Merrick only tried to play rough once!  Thankfully Eva is resilient and can totally hang with the gang.  She is definitely the Queen E in our presence, and I don't think that will ever change!  Just wait until she gets to party with the Trins too, then she'll be a queen and a rock star all at the same time!

On Saturday morning Ryan comes walking out in his swimsuit and says, "Well, since I don't have to mow the grass, I think I will go work on my tan."  Yes, we are all loving the lighter work load and having a pool and spa right out our front door.  Its so good to see him so relaxed and happy!

Later that day we were honored to have my brother Dana and sister-in-law Brooke throw us a welcome to San Diego party.  It was an amazing and memorable day with family and lots of friends.  Everyone we met was so nice and welcoming.  Even my new friend Sandra, whom I met online before moving here, showed up with her husband and son.  It was so great to finally meet her and her family face to face.    

Dana grilled the best zucchini EVER, brats and burgers.  But ultimately this gathering was not at all about the food, and was all about the fun and communion.  Thank you Brooke and Dana for hosting this amazing party and sharing all of these wonderful people with us.  You have done the BEST job of making us feel welcome and loved here in San Diego.  Though it is very difficult being so far away from a lot of family and friends, we are extremely lucky to have family here who is showering us with care.

While Rowan was off helping her Aunt Brooke with Eva at a shower on Sunday, we drove about 30 minutes north to attend a church that our pastor back home had recommended.  After church we drove to the ocean and got out to play for a while.  Kierce was thrilled with all of the rocks that we found at this beach.  She even thought that one of the rocks looked like a chocolate chip cookie!  Our Kierce has a great imagination!  We all thoroughly enjoyed the gorgeous view as we drove along the ocean, something I personally have been dreaming of for a while now.

By the time we made it all the way back to San Diego our hearts were happy, but our tummies were empty.  Ryan decided he would take us to try an In and Out burger, who are known for using fresh ingredients and cutting the french fries right on the spot!  I guess you never know what surprises are going to turn up, especially if your name is Merrick!  This clown even made him and Kierce a little toy dog to take home with them.  Oh, and I learned that Grandma Texas (Ryan's Grandma) was a Shrine clown!  I can't wait to see pictures!  Aunt Lynn, show me some proof ;) lol 

When Aunt Brooke dropped Rowan off, she had plenty of stories to tell and a cute hairdo to show off.  She had a great time helping Aunt Brooke with Eva, and of course now everyone wants a turn helping Aunt Brooke with Eva!! ;)  We had such an eventful week and to think, it all started with a jelly fish!  ...what's next?

Two Skater Chics and One Skater Dude

On Tuesday, Merrick asked me if he could get some more Legos at the store.  I reminded him about the Target gift card he received from Aunt Dawnie, Uncle Kenny and Aunt Lynn before we left.  Since I have been wanting to take the kids to Target to spend their gift cards anyway, we did just that.  The kids had a ton of fun looking at all there was to see at the store.  This was a lengthy process if you were wondering :)

After looking for about an hour and a half I remembered that they have been wanting skateboards.  The kids were soooo excited to see if they had any skateboards there, and they were thrilled to find a few boards that were very close to their budget. 

I don't think I have ever witnessed my kids this excited about any activity!  We played around a little on the boards that night, and of course had dreams of skateboards dancing in their heads as they slept that night.  Yesterday, they all did so great once we got all geared up and finally made it to the skate park.  Kierce was so proud of herself after a few minutes when she was able to push, balance and ride!

On the other hand, Rowan had a little more experience on a skateboard from playing around on one at her friend Kaylin's house.  Her brother had taught her how to do a 360 and some other tricks which helped her to get comfortable on the board.  She had fun working on getting even more familiar with the skateboard and learning how to turn the board with her balance.  She cannot wait to go skateboarding again...I think she could skate all day!  They all could for that matter!

Merrick was very frustrated after realizing that he wasn't just going to jump right into all of the fun tricks he has observed.  He did finally perk up after checking out the guys at the main trick area of the skate park.  The girls and I were reminding him that he is only 3 and he has plenty of time to learn how to skateboard.  

The kids really enjoyed the downtime we spent watching the guys perform tricks and jumps in front of our eyes.  I'm pretty sure each one of the kids talked about eventually wanting to be in the gated area someday doing some of the fancy skateboarding.  

In this video, Merrick has finally perked up and is talking about what he wants to do someday with his skateboard.  I just love hearing the self confidence this kid owns!

Kierce and Merrick thought it would be nice to relax for a minute by the San Diego River, while Rowan practiced riding.  You'll be happy to know that Merrick did push, balance and ride for a short bit just before we left yesterday.  I am so proud of all of the kids and how well they did trying out something so new and foreign.  We sure are enjoying this business of learning new activities and also learning all about our new environment!   

A  BIG, HUGE thank you goes out to Aunt Lynn, Aunt Dawnie and Uncle Kenny for the Target gift cards!  The kids felt so good about spending the cards in this unique way!  They love you tons and tons!

We love and miss all of our family and friends more than all of our arms can stretch!  Hoping that these blogs are helping you to feel closer to us in some way ;)

Fireworks and Family Marshmallow Fight

Our beautiful Rowan, giving us her biggest smile and checking out the beautiful night sky.  The skyline was definitely getting ready for fireworks.  Since the sun comes down sooner on the west coast here, the fireworks are at 9pm instead of 10pm back in Michigan.  I definitely like 9pm much better for getting the kids to bed at a decent time.

Rowan had fun practicing her photographer skills while we patiently waited for the fireworks!

Here is a video of the awesome firework finale!  It was a great show, but for all of you Detroit firework fans, there is nothing like feeling the ground shake by the Detroit river.

After climbing up the cliff after the fireworks, there was a group of people just hanging out using sparklers.  I just love how kind and generous the people are in our new neighborhood.  The kids were thrilled when they were offered a sparkler to whirl around!  Kierce's was the last one to go out!



Since the traditional marshmallow fight after the fireworks is geared toward the adult crowd, we decided to have our own version at home!  It was a game more than anything, and definitely put smiles on all our faces.  Ryan of course had the best aim, and he kids took their turn tossing them in our mouths and mostly at our faces too :)  Either way, I am thinking that this tradition will stick with our family no matter where we live!

Family, Fun and Freedom

What an amazing weekend, we had loads of fun and a little adventure too!  Ryan was especially excited to have a relaxing three day weekend, and we were excited to spend it with him!  On Saturday we had our first small gathering at our place.  Dana, Brooke and Eva came over for the afternoon to hang, eat and swim!  It was definitely nice to do some chopping and cooking in the kitchen in preparation for guests...it felt "normal" since we were very familiar with hosting back in Michigan.  ...and I like normal :)

Well, Uncle Dana definitely passed the initiation this past Saturday.  Yup, he pruned just like the kids from being in the water all day!  The girls had a blast swimming with Uncle Dana, and being tossed up in the air and falling back into the water was definitely the highlight!  

Eva is definitely the queen E around our family!  Even Ryan talks "baby talk" hoping for one of her famous smiles, which actually come pretty easily.  She takes after her lovely smiling mama :)

Ryan's cousin Jessie and her boyfriend, Sabuj from LA stopped over later for a beer and chat by the pool since they were in town for the weekend.  Eva was thrilled with Sabuj from the start, if you only saw the huge smile on her face, it was precious.  She welcomed him with open arms!

As you can see Rowan was thrilled to get a HUGE hug from her familiar cousin Jess!  Even though it was a quick visit, it was so nice to catch up with them and learn more about Sabuj!  Now its our turn to drive up to LA to see their city!

Our family is so lucky to have Brooke, our very own event planner to help us adventure to a new area near San Diego on Monday the 4th!  She is so great at researching new things to do for her family, and now that we are in town, we are blessed enough to tag along!  She found this Old Fashion 4th of July Celebration for us to check out.  There was music, crafts, games, food, trains, quilt show, pretend gun fights, etc.  Aunt Brooke jumped right in with the girls to make a windsock at one of the craft tables.  ...clearly this was serious business :)

After a lot of prodding, the guys finally agreed to show off their guns!   

Here is our sad family picture, since Merrick just couldn't put on his happy face we all had to put on His sad face.  Actually, Merrick was just very tired at this point and was sooo ready for a nap.  Thankfully Merrick was able to take a nap with Dad when we got home to rev up for the fireworks!

Uno Week in San Diego

Wahoo, we were all so happy and relieved when that Penske truck finally sat empty at the end of the night last Monday.  The girls were troopers and Ryan and I send a BIG thanks to my brother Dana, and Paulette for all of their help!!  ...everyone loved the pizza Paulette!

On the day after our arrival, we had our first visitors, my cousin Lorie who lives in San Diego, and my second cousin Tyler and his girlfriend Chelsea, who live back home in Michigan.  Chelsea is already adopted into the family as far as Merrick is concerned, he is absolutely in love with her!  After helping me put our kitchen table together, they offered to take the kids down to the pool to watch them swim.  The kids were happy about that, and I had some time to get some things unpacked!

The next day we had our second set of visitors, my friends Cheryl (who I rowed with at Eastern Michigan) and her husband Mike.  They currently live in Northern California and will be moving to Seattle for a new Cheryl's new job very soon.  Thanks to their visit, we had a nice morning walking the pier and making discoveries at the tide pools.  Lunch at Hodad's was amazing, and it was just nice to take a breather from all the hustle and bustle of the move.

The kids and I were thrilled to check out the farmer's market later that day.  Look at all these veggies...someone was in heaven!  The kids are seeing and experiencing so much culture.  Its so cute to see them look up at me with wonder and awe when they see something they have never seen before.  Hey, I'll join the club, I am seeing a whole lot that I have never seen as well, like three massive organic heads of lettuce harvested same day for only $5.00!

When Ryan and I were in town over a month ago to find our new place, Dana and Brooke took us to Yogurtland in their neighborhood.  Its a place where you can choose from several flavors of soft serve frozen yogurt and add any toppings you choose.  You can imagine how happy we were when we found a similar place in our neighborhood!  When you come to town, we'll be sure to visit this yummy place.  They even have traditional sour frozen yogurt as an option, which makes me happy!  

  

Merrick (my social firefly) has already made a BEST friend within our complex!  They are both thrilled with the friendship and are loving all of the Spiderman, Lego and train camaraderie.  You should hear their conversations...priceless!  The girls have also established friendships with his sister and brother and their fast friendships make this mom a happy mom!

This weekend was a lot of fun!  Paulette and Bo met us at noon to walk down to the neighborhood street fair.  The kids had a blast watching the skate board competition and taking in all the sights.  After that, we just couldn't let the fun end, so we  headed to Coronado Island for a gorgeous beach afternoon and evening that my cousins Lorie and Steph were hosting, with family and friends.  Chelsea and Tyler just couldn't resist the opportunity to bury Kierce and Merrick in the sand!  We all had an absolute blast!

 Dana had a spectacular idea to meet up at Phill's BBQ to bring the weekend to a close.  We met up with Dana, Brooke and their little one, along with Paulette and Bo.  It was a spectacular meal ending with square dancing choreographed by Rowan and a BIG HUGE group hug that was inspired by the little guy in the center that wanted to get smashed!

Now I can officially say that I have the cutest beach bums EVER!  We are really loving San Diego, more and more each day.  Of course we are missing family and friends from Michigan, but are also loving the special time with family that we haven't been able to see often.