Then we did this...and that...

I really feel like one of those boring narrators who drones on about boring things made interesting. I am accustomed to taking a small isolated event and making it a blog post. Now, I  have so many events - and some are really awesome - but I'm feeling like I'm destined to list them like bullet points or something.


I will do all I can to avoid vacation bullet points, I promise. I have some great photos with great stories all of their own. I don't want to sell any of them short. I'm fair like that.


Let's take a look-see at July 4th. Certainly I can condense 4 hours into 1 blog post right? One that doesn't take half the day to read I hope.


With the entire family now in La Jolla, we all (Parents plus 1 nephew/cousin, Brother #1 and family, Brother #2 and family with a couple extras, Sister and her family and us - oh, plus my sisters in-laws) went to Birch Aqu@rium to watch the Fireworks. It is about 5 minutes from the apartment and over looks the water. We bought a membership last year and it was still good for 1 more week - very convenient! In total, we had...let me see...(6+3+5+4+6+3 I think...so....27?) 27? Ya, I guess that seems right.  Here are most of the kids...

All these kids were spread out in our 3 apartments...thank goodness!

Because we believe in NOT looking at the camera at the same time. Ever.

We all bought the kids matching 4th of July shirts for this trip. It is the first vacation we have all taken together (my parents and their kids) - and since we tend to be on the side of the spectrum labeled "Corny", not only did our kids have 4th of July shirts, but so did the adults.

Dad searching for me as I photograph him (again, CORNY).  Mom - well, I think she is telling someone to leave our wine alone.

Brother #1. Total rule follower - wearing 4th of July shirt, protecting his wine.

See Brother #2 - in RED shirt? NOT a 4th of July shirt. Total rule breaker. Said peeps in photograph are with him. Rule breakers.

Scroll back to photo with all the kids. See the 4 kids in the photo without 4th of July shirts? All with Brother #2. The rebel rule breakers. There is one in ever bunch.


I'd like to insert a photo here of my sister. However, I regret to say that she was off somewhere chasing her "runner". He's 2. Need I really say more??? She did sit down eventually and we just boxed in the runners :) Sorry Mel!


The view from our seats was phenomenal and reinforced my decision to spend 4th of July watching fireworks over the ocean.

and no, I do not have any photos of fireworks in the dark.  Taking flash photography of fireworks does not do them justice. I was busy with kids that were up past their bed time and watching the fireworks reflect off the ocean. Nothing quite like it!


The 5 minute drive home took nearly 30 minutes.There were lots of people watching from down on the beach. I can attest to that. We did go to the beach earlier in the morning - and we were there with about 6 million other people occupying every square inch of the beach. Literally. But there might not have been 6 million. It could have been 5 million.


Cheers!