San Diego - September 2011

I guess it's about high time I updated our blog about our busy month of September.  We did a lot of traveling that month, which I highly recommend to those living in Phoenix.  September may be my least favorite month here on account of the weather.  It's already been hot for several months and the relief of cooler weather still seems out of reach.  So, we got out of town and it was great.  We kicked off our traveling month with a trip to San Diego for three days.

We go to the Blessed City every six months or so.  It's our favorite getaway spot.  We do nothing but play on the beach while we are there.  It's the most relaxing and enjoyable thing we can think to do.  This time it was a little bit chilly on the beach, but it actually felt great to have to wear a jacket after enduring searing heat for several months.  We went to a different beach every day and played in the sand until we got hungry and had to leave to get food.  Our favorite beach was the last one we went to, Del Mar.  It was much less touristy than the other beaches like La Jolla and Ocean Beach.  Because it was a bit chilly we had basically the entire beach to ourselves.  We pulled out our buckets, shovels, and balls and just played and played.  It was like a dream.  And, gratefully, our car didn't break down this time so we were able to enjoy all three days we had to the fullest!

On the drive to San Diego we gave Tommy a little road trip present.  It's a tradition we started this past summer that kept him happy and occupied in the car.  It was nothing more than a small green Hot Wheels fire truck, but that thing kept him occupied not only in the car, but throughout the entire trip.  He played with it on the beach, in the hotel, in the car, during meal times.  Best $0.97 we've ever spent!

I wish we could somehow capture the feeling of relaxation in a video.  The sound of splashing waves does a pretty good job, but I always feel like I leave my stress and anxiety on the beach and come home feeling a lot happier and a lot lighter.  We spent precious time together as a family without any distractions.  It was just what a vacation should be.  Below are a couple of videos of the things we did the most on the beach.  Tommy and Daddy dug lots of holes, made lots of tunnels, and built lots of sandcastles.  Tommy and Mommy played a lot of "football", which was really just Tommy running around with the ball while I chased and tackled him.  We searched for cool rocks and sea shells, played "football net" (volleyball with a football), and challenged each other to soccer games.  For the record, Ben beat me in soccer every time, but I blame that on being pregnant:)  We had such a great time together and hope we can go back to relax on the beach soon!