Summer Fun in Pacific Grove: May and June

After moving in to our house, we got busy exploring the area. Also we did a fair amount of relaxing. Here are some highlights from May and June:

Eating in our backyard.

Loads of tree climbing happening all over Monterey and Pacific Grove.

Aunt Carly and her husband Spencer came to visit us one evening, passing through on a road trip.

Playing at Dennis the Menace park with a friend, Aneilla. This park is huge and has amazing, old fashioned, playing-hard wonders for children.

Lots of walking on rocks and enjoying the shore.

Our brave explorers.

Ponderous.

Playing in the sand. The water is freezing, but the kids got in anyway. There's also a small, heated pool just above this beach that we spent many hours swimming in this summer.

Natural History Museum, free for Monterey County residents: that's us!

Our backyard has a fire pit, but it doesn't work right. So, no s'mores. Bummer.

The Butterfly house in Pacific Grove; the man in the picture is the creator. He painted his house brightly and decorated with butterflies for his low vision wife. Pacific Grove is Butterfly Town! 

This was actually from our first trip to Dennis the Menace park. Love my kids.

Family picture at Lovers Point Beach, a mile's walk from our house.

Just down the street from our house is the middle school and there's a great park there we call the spiderweb park. We go all the time when school's out. Sometimes I walk or run the track adjacent while the kids play.

Our Pacific Grove house

Tour of our new house, most of it. Prepare for 25 pictures:

Audrey's room

Master bedroom (seems overly brown right now) 

Declan and Ian's room

Bathroom near bedrooms (Bonnie and kids share)

Linen closet, the game side. It's just to the left of the bathroom.

Kitchen. We're getting used to the orange.

 Dining Room

 Laundry "room" and pantry and you can see the back door a bit in the first photo.

 Living room and front door

 Den

Stairs from the den leading to the kitchen area bathroom (between the pantry and kitchen), which is Mr. B's bathroom. Not pictured is a room up those stairs to the left before going into the hall that connects the laundry/pantry to the kitchen, and this room is being used for storage, although it has a desk and shelves as well. Currently infested with ants and undergoing a long extermination process. And it's a tough room to photograph and ugly.  

  And that's our new house! Hopefully I will remember to do some backyard pictures. It's a fun place.

May part one

Our last two weeks in Surprise. We had some fun, spent a lot of time stressed, worked on getting ready, found a house in Pacific Grove, withdrew the kids from school and said goodbye. Here are the pictures we took along the way.

Last chance for water fun in this backyard.

Went to a library program "Don't let the Pigeon have a party!" and brought Declan's best friend Micah with us.

Had some fun at the Hippo park--we will miss you! 

Probably 1-2 times a month for the past several months Declan just passes out somewhere. Sleeping kids are cute. And quiet. It's a welcome break. 

April

April was our last full month living in Surprise. We were busy with moving details and didn't have much excitement going on, but we did celebrate Declan turning four! 

Audrey with her BFF Anna Kate dressed for Twin Day at school.

Declan enjoying his birthday donut. We also had cupcakes and presents another time.

Declan being cute at the neighborhood park.

MOMS Club field trip to Pratt's pets. Declan was very gentle and I was tempted to buy all the lizards.

This yellow wiggle car was Declan's Christmas gift and the kids ride on it all through the tile floor. Super cute.

Moments I love being their mom.

At a ward party at White Tank Mountain Park.