California- part 2

  Well, I'd like to share some more pictures with you from our trip to California.  When we planned our trip we wanted to show the children 3 things that Texas doesn't have.  One being waterfalls.  The closest waterfall that I know of is in Oklahoma and it can hardly be called a waterfall at a 10 foot drop.  So a few posts ago I shared our pictures from Yosemite.

 The 2nd thing we realized that Texas doesn't have is big trees.  Now I'm in no way trying to complain about Texas because I really like it here but the "woods" here don't even compare to where both Rich and I grew up.  The wooded areas here look more like big scraggly bushes.

 Unfortunately we did not get to go to see the Sequoias but these trees at a local park in San Jose did give us our tree fix just fine.  They were magnificent and this park is not known for it's trees! Big trees are so common there it's no big deal.

 I did not realize how much I took for granted when I lived in California all my life.  

 The 3rd thing we wanted our kids to experience was the ocean.  Now we can go to the ocean here in Texas but it's a long ways away and right now with the oil spill it's all messed up plus it's humid down there near the Mexican gulf.  I do want to go some day but just can't get excited about it yet.

Rich's parents live 30 minutes from Santa Cruz, California.  I can't believe we never took advantage of this place before!  This is not a postcard.  We were really there and enjoyed every minute of it!

We found a parking place right up the street and just walked down to the beach on a 75* day in October!  No fee to get in, no crowds to fight, and God's handiwork everywhere we looked!

 It was a wonderful parenting moment where you get to experience a "wow" moment with your children.  They were stunned to see the vastness of the ocean and waves so big!  They are used to the lake.

 This is every child's dream to be engulfed in white foamy water with nothing but soft sand beneath your feet.

Olivia says she doesn't like to swim in lakes because you never know what's under the water.  This she could get into!

 AJ was obsessed with digging a deep hole and then watching the water either wash over it or fill up from the hole itself!  They dug and dug and then reached water.  Amazing!

He is my science kid!

Of course, Julia was not afraid to get in on the action.  She has always loved dirt and especially mud!

Oops, lost her there for a minute!

We really had to keep track of Micah.  He loved the water and kept wanting to go in it.  We would race to the edge of the tide and then run away so it wouldn't catch us.

 He'll never remember his visit to the beach but we will!  And these pictures are to die for!

 It was a perfect day and so incredibly relaxing.  What beautiful greatness God has made for us to enjoy!