Hi friends!
I’m BACK!! Boy have I missed being in my creative space here on the internet. Summertime was BUSY and my priorities had me being pulled in lots of directions so I took a little break. My top priority this summer was to be with my boys, create memories and have fun with them. And we had a blast this summer and I can’t wait to catch you all up!
In July, our Gimeno family visited us from Florida. It was a celebratory moment all being back together. This visit was supposed to happen last summer but the pandemic changed those plans.
My in-laws, Kathy and Arturo drove out here and made a road trip out of visiting us. They arrived a few days before everyone else. Words can’t express how much we’ve missed them. Living across the US from all of Jason’s family is a challenge but we all put in effort and make it work to be together every year.
Every time the grandparents visit they spoil our boys with gifts. And you won’t hear them complain about it, lol Luke’s were for his birthday too.
Tyler’s Restaurant
Tyler opened up his restaurant for Grandma and Papi! He was the perfect server and took great care of them.
Rothschild’s Restaurant in Corona del Mar
Our parents enjoy hanging out and I gotta say it’s so nice that they get along and have a friendship. Dinner was delicious and the company was even better!
My Aunt Diane joined us too!
We love playing games and for a hostess gift they gifted us, Rummikub. It’s such a fun game and we enjoyed playing it throughout their visit.
That evening the rest of the family arrived in LATE!! Their flights were delayed and when that happens you feel so bad when traveling takes longer. But true to form, we don’t let it put a damper on the mood and we stayed up late visiting. The adrenaline of being with your people is strong and takes over any form of tiredness, lol.
T-Street – San Clemente
The beaches in CA are beautiful and we always like to change up where we take them. We choose T-street beach in San Clemente. The waves are the perfect size and everyone can enjoy going in the ocean.
These two have a bond like no other and it’s pure happiness to see them with each other.
My SIL, Dana….no one makes me laugh more than her.
Our beautiful nieces, Katie & Lily! Ohh how they’ve grown up over this past year. The teenage years happened overnight!! I’m excited to get to know them as young adults but it for sure pulls at the heart strings to see them no longer as little kids.
Luke and Sofia had a blast riding the waves with their boogie boards.
The PERFECT picture of my amazing FIL, Arturo! Pure happiness on his face 🙂
Time to catch some waves with Dad, Tyler loved it! But he definitely has his serious face on in the picture, HA!
Jason braved the cold water to help Tyler catch some waves!
For dinner we took them to In-N-Out because they don’t have one near them and these burgers are among the best and needed to be enjoyed during their visit.
Just because family is in town, it doesn’t stop all the neighborhood kids from coming over to play.
The next day we took them to Huntington Beach! There was a lot going on downtown but it was the day before the 4th of July. First stop, ICE CREAM!
Some of my favorite Boys….Luke where are you?!?!
The pier had some fun vibes going on and it was fun to hear live music being played on the boardwalk. They had fun booths up everywhere and it was a beautiful day!
There was a cover band playing music and it created such a fun atmosphere at the pier.
Messy beach hair….don’t care!
We all had fun with this “The Tomorrow War” truck, it had these creatures coming out of it and they looked so real.
We of course enjoyed the people watching and the animal watching…I mean this is one cool dog!
We checked out a bunch of stores and on our way back to the car the kids found the perfect climbing tree.
Playing games & enjoying the pool
Yay….they got the teenagers off their phones and engaged in playing a game outside, lol
Little Ty taking a snooze on his daddy!
The Fourth of July!
First, we went in our pool and bbq’d some traditional American burgers. Jay cooked the burgers on the grill and then put them in the smoker to finish cooking and they turned out so delicious!
Trying to get the perfect 4th of July pic together, lol
We enjoyed cocktails out of festive stemless glasses.
The San Juan Capistrano Carnival
San Juan puts on a fun Fourth of July carnival. The lines were LONG for the rides but we figured out a good system. We would wait in a line and the grandparents would wait in a longer line and by the time we went on one ride, we wouldn’t have to wait long in the next line before enjoying another ride. Score!
My parents joined us at the carnival for some fun too!
I went on the Ferris wheel with Luke, Sofia and Tyler!
The views were beautiful up at the top!
These two have the best cousin relationship!
My beautiful nieces! They had fun being independent and going around the carnival solo.
We went on roller coasters and then found a nice spot to set up camp to watch the firework show.
Two cuties!
The only family picture I took, lol
My pops!
It was a fun day and the firework show was spectacular with the music playing in the background. It was a memorable time with our family!
This was a loooong post, if you made it this far, I’m impressed! Thanks for reading along today. I want to document all these family memories but it’s always a lot of pictures because we do a lot when we are together. The next post will be on a recap of the beautiful National Park, Joshua Tree!
XO