On to Oceanside...

( I always have to start with one of her so I can see it right away every time I go to my blog.)

Beyond that, maybe I'll start with the key players-- so that at their mention in the future, you can scroll back up and put a face with the name.

Ross' folks, Mom and Dad/ Becky and Steve/ Nana and Grandpa B.: thanks to them, the whole week happened. Ross' dad could not be happier than when he is surrounded by family, half asleep, under the sun, listening to the crashing waves in one ear and Dr. Laura through earphones in the other. All his mom needs is her children and grandchildren, her scriptures (and some pass-along cards), some Costco rolls with butter, and a pillow to rest her head... and perhaps, after my own heart, a little chocolate in the mornings. They really are some of the easiest people to vacation with. (Mama B., how did you manage to avoid ALL cameras, I think this picture is from the Oceanside trip three years ago! I didn't have a single one of you this time!)

Here we are, thinking the ocean will turn up in the background, forgetting the flash doesn't work 30 yards behind us...

And of course, she's ours-- My little 2 year old! (Pictures of the birthday to come in my drawn out posting-of-the-week process.)

Here is Ross' beautiful older sister Brooke, the only daughter, and her husband Taylor. They've moved from LA to Seattle for Orthodontic school, and so relished every sun kissed moment, even a little more than the rest of us. They've got two now:

Kai, just a couple of months older than Sophia was of course, her playmate all week long, and little Beau is 4 1/2 months and going on a year with that double chin (just like Sophia when she was little!)

Ben is Ross' younger brother who served a mission to Samoa, has the islands in his heart forever now (important in making sense of fire-dance picture to come), and married his gorgeous Hawaiian princess, Marie... They had their beautiful, big-eyed, Kanoa 5 1/2 months ago.

This is Ross' younger brother Zach-- he's available.

Just kidding Zach, but really ladies, super smart, obviously handsome like his brother, and from personal experience, can throw a frisbee and quote Seinfeld and Arrested Development like nobody's business.

So yup-- all 13 of us stayed in a three bedroom condo on the beach and we really fit perfectly! Well perhaps Grandpa who slept on the couch and Beau who slept in the bathroom might disagree... but thanks to incredibly selfless parents who gave each married couple with children a room, and Ben and Marie who passed on the bigger room for our sake, our little family could not have been more comfortable. And thanks to Grandpa B's insistence on getting place ON the beach, we had constant access to the water and sand with the convenience of the kitchen, bed for naps, and bath a mere few steps away. It really could not have been easier. Sophia was in heaven, waking up each morning with us in her room, a show while she cuddled in bed with us since we didn't want to open our eyes before 7, Kai and so many others to play with, morning beach walks, and endless fun in the sand and the water... for nearly 7 whole days. Here she is lookin' all content...

Ross and Sophia looking at stars... and playing...

Kanoa :)

Sophia listening to Dr. Laura.

Ben playing the ukulele for us around the bonfire.

and some more....

Still to come: lots more pictures of the beach, and Sophia... mostly Sophia on the beach, because this is my scrapbook and I reserve the right to post way too many pictures, a visit from Missy and Avery!, and Sophia's 2nd birthday party with local guests, Nana and Papa Kirk.... and lots more of the beach.