Beach Day and The Happiest Place on Earth

So much happened the week the Klemetsons came to town that the best way to describe everything that happened is through pictures with captions.

Friday the Klemetsons pulled into the alley behind our apartment to find a frazzled, worn out Jessie, Eliza and screaming Lilly. Not the best of ways for the aunts and uncles to meet their second niece. We were soon calm enough with the help of everyone and got dinner going for the night. After dinner most of the older kids went down to the pier to walk around and see the fun sights. They were able to see the pelicans dive and the seals swim in and out of the lights scattered throughout the water. It was a beautiful night. 

One of the amazing pictures Michael took of the Pier Friday night.

Saturday was our beach day. It was a windy day so a bit on the chillier side. But that didn't stop most of the group from plunging into the water. As the day progressed, "June Gloom" dissipated and it became a beautiful day and there was even some sun bathing involved.  Here are the pictures from the day.

Four of my favorite people from left to right Jill, Brittney, Woody, and Katie with one of my favorite views behind them, the Palos Verdes Hills. They had a blast boogie boarding and didn't let the cold water get them down. 

Waiting for just the right wave.

I love the surf right behind Brit

Way to go Jill!!!

Our family, minus Lillian who was fast asleep in the stroller..thankfully

It was a really windy day so these two were freezing when they got out of the water.

I swear if David was 4 years younger, or Eliza 4 years older they would be twins. They are so alike and get along in every aspect. They are such best friends.

I sure do love this guy.

I had to make sure to get a picture of our resident photographer. Mike took some INCREDIBLE pictures!

He fell asleep WHILE Eliza was putting handfuls of sand on his tummy. This is how he ended up by the time she was done with him. SOOO FUNNY!!!!

Proof that he really was asleep. He was so confused by the time he woke up.

Burying David. What a good sport

Three big boys taking naps like all big boys should. ;)

Great Grandma and Grandpa enjoying the fine conversations.

You can tell how windy it was that day by this hairstyle. Then again her hair is pretty much always like this though.

Poor Jess was freezing. She was also a good sport.

Two of the best in-laws a woman could ask for. And wonderful grandparents too, might I add.

After dinner on the day of Lilly's blessing the rest of the troup headed off to Anaheim to spend the next three days in Disneyland. Ryan had to work on Monday and I had other obligations so we were not able to join the rest of the family till late Monday night well after bed time. Tuesday and Wednesday were spent enjoying time with family in the Happiest Place on Earth.  Lilly's expression pretty much shows how all of us felt to be there together.

Again, two peas in a pod, those silly kids.

Eliza with Princess Aurora. She wasn't quite sure what to think of her once we got up close. I think she was disapointed to learn that she really was Aurora and NOT Snow White.

Family picture. I can't believe how dark Lilly's hair was. She was only 2 1/2 months old. Now at six months there is a lot less of it and mostly a strawberry blonde. I will have to do a comparison pictures it is just that unbelievable.

With Tigger. Eliza was so excited to go see him but then was equally terrified once she was there. However, she hasn't stopped talking about him ever since then.

Such a stud. Every time he came around on the carrousel, he struck a different pose. What a goof.

All tuckered out.

Mother and daughter. Two curly-ques.

Grandpa, Lilly, David, Grandma and Eliza with Mickey. Lucky, lucky!!!

Such a stud

Aunt Brittney with Lilly.

Group photo in our lime green shirts. Sure made it easy to find everyone when we were scattered abroad.

Uncle Brad and Grandma chillin' in front of the fire in the backyard of the rental house.

Uncle Woody took such good care of Lilly while Ryan and I went on my all-time favorite ride, Indiana Jones!!! Thanks Woody. That was the one of the three big person rides I got to do the entire two days. I really did appreciate it.

Me, Eliza and Uncle Brad cooling off in the shade of the trees. The heat never brought down Brad's smile. I think the only thing that would have made him happier would have been to have Kenzie there, right next to him. We all missed her.

Uncle David with Grandpa. He's so tall!

Even Aunt Jessica is a good aunt and knows how to take such good care of the baby.

These two hit it off right from the very beginning.

Right after Splash Mountain. I'm glad I finally did it. It was a blast. We got much wetter after the big drop because we all decided that the others were not wet enough and then proceeded to splash each other the rest of the ride. We sure couldn't have done that if there had been other people in the log with us. I think Ryan said it best when he said, "It's not so much about the ride as it is about the people you go on the ride with."
Oh, one other funny thing about this situation. From the back it looked like Ryan had let himself go and had an accident. When he turned around to show Eliza she gasped and said, "Daddy go pee-pees?" It was the FUNNIEST thing ever.

Waiting for World of Colors to begin

Disneyland: you were amazing. Eliza and I spent many days together wandering in and out of your masses to see the sights and go on an occasional ride. Yet despite how amazing you are, you are NOTHING compared to the people we spent those few days with. Klemetsons: you were what made dragging a toddler and an infant around in a massive double stroller worth it. Thank you for the fantastic time. We wouldn't do it any differently if we could do it again. We love you and are glad you made the trek down to sunny Southern California to enjoy a week together.

Baby Blessing

 

In June we were blessed to have the whole Klemetson clan, minus Kenzie who we missed very much, join us for Lilly's baby blessing followed by a few fabulous days at Disneyland. (That's another post) Even Great Grandma and Grandpa Klemetson flew down for the day at the beach and the blessing. We had so much fun catching up with family at the beach and enjoying ourselves in the Southern California sun. Only Grandma and Grandpa had been down to our place in the year we had lived there, so it was a ton of fun to show off the fun things we love to do in our neck of the woods. I think Eliza had a blast playing with all of her aunts and uncles and having attention non-stop. She often even joined in as the center of attention and entertained all of us rather than just being entertained. 

My dad and my sister, Jayne, were also able to come down for the blessing. I loved having them there to represent the Smith side of the family and appreciated their sacrifice to come down more than they will ever know.

Eliza LOVES being a big sister. She's really good at it too.

It was a beautiful blessing and I was overcome with the feeling of love for all my family as I saw the men who love Lilly so much stand around her to give her a blessing from our Heavenly Father. I am so lucky to have a worthy husband who honors his Priesthood and who loves his daughters with all of his heart. As Eliza would put it, "I such a lucky girl."

Lilly's Laugh

Isn't it contagious?

The Men in My Life

I am so grateful for the men in my life who are such a good influence to me, as well as Eliza and Lilly.

First is my wonderful husband, Ryan. I don't think I could ever be the woman I am now if I had not married my best friend. I have learned and grown so much over the last 4 1/2 years of marriage because of him. He is so wonderful to me and treats me with the utmost respect. He is also a lot of fun to be around. ;) He is also such a fantastic father. I love how he will read with Eliza every night before bed and how her eyes light up when he comes home. I love how he is willing, and happy, to change any of Lilly's diapers, wet or poopy. I am so blessed to have him be my eternal companion.

My dad is one of the best men on earth. He is honorable and truly selfless. Elaine S. Dalton recently spoke in conference about how the best way to raise a daughter is to love her mother. My dad has exemplified this throughout my life. I knew I wanted to marry a man who treats me the way my dad treats my mom. I never doubted that my father loved my mother by the way he treated her. He NEVER let us speak ill of her or talk back to her. He taught us to respect and honor her. He was a wonderful example of how to live the Gospel and to continually serve with no question. Plus, he's a pretty funny guy. I love how he plays with words and can make any conversation enjoyable. Thank you, Dad, for being so wonderful and for raising me.

Then there is my father-in-law, Rick. He is a great man who has raised some pretty fantastic children, especially his boys. He absolutely loves genealogy and its always great to hear the connections of names and who is related to who. When we first named Lilly, he immediately knew of several ancestors who shared their name with her. It's great to be able to know our ancestors and feel closer to them through Rick. He is also a wonderful grandpa. Eliza and Lilly are his only two grandchildren, however, he is a pro and does the whole "grandpa" thing very nicely. Rick, thanks for being such a great example to us.

We are also lucky enough to have both of Ryan's grandpas active in our lives. These two men are prime examples of what it means to be a life-long learner. Grandpa Klemetson is professor at Utah Valley University and absolutely loves working with the students. Grandpa Cobia is an entrepreneur and has his own pancake business. It's always great to hear how his business is growing and allowing for more opportunities. Both of these men are incredibly strong in their faith and great examples to everyone who meets them. I never knew my great grandparents, so I'm thrilled that my girls can know theirs. Thank you Grandpa Cobia and Grandpa Klemetson. We love you both.

Lilly's Smile

I just had to share.