California knows how to party...

A part of my family drove down from Utah the day before Lauren's birthday and spent a week with us. My parents and one of my brothers, Paul. My grandparents came too but stayed with my Aunt and went out with my cousins during the week. Our week was packed with lots of fun things, first up was Sunday, the day after Lauren's birthday. We attended my cousin Johnny's ward in Rialto because he was being set apart as a high priest and then joined the High Council. Todd wasn't able to join us because of some last minute meeting he had to attend because he's in the Elders Quorum presidency. He was on his way to meet us afterwards at the park where we were having lunch when he called me telling me he got a call from the stake telling him that they wanted to set him apart today as 1st counselor in the Quorum. He knew this day was coming he just didn't know it would be that day. So he picked me up at my aunt's house and I left the kids with grandma and grandpa. I went back to be there for Todd and then drove all the way back to Fontana to meet everyone at the park. What a crazy day! The park was awesome, the whole playground was covered by a massive tent which is great for whities like my daughter and myself, I wish I had pictures but I don't.
Afterwards my parents and brother went back to their hotel which is right down the street from our apartment and we all took naps. Then I made navajo tacos, they are probably one of my favorite foods and we all were starving after sleeping so it was the perfect meal.
The next day we went to Newport. The weather was perfect like usual, cool breeze from the ocean and the warmth from the sun. Our first stop in Newport was the Newport Sports Museum. It's free for the public and really cool if you're into sports, it has everything.

They had a basketball court inside, that's why Lauren's shoes are off.

First was football, we saw O.J. Simpson's signed football, then we went into the golfing hall.

Next was basketball, our personal favorite.

Then the basketball shoes, the pictures don't show you how massive they are.

There was a surf hall, that was neat too. I found these shorts, so cute...their style hasn't changed much.

The tag says, "Quicksilver Boardshorts circa 1976"

A.J. spit up all over himself at the museum, really bad. So he was just in his diaper half the time we were there. Good thing we were right across the street from Fashion Island, we ran into Macy's and got him a new outfit, one fit for Newport. A polo shirt with the word Surf on it and little shorts with surfboards printed on it. Now he fit right in :)

Next stop, Ruby's on the Pier! It was only a 15 minute wait and the pier isn't a bad place to wait, watching all the people on the beach run into the waves and the surfers swimming past all the breaks. Huge yachts and fishing boats out in the distance. Lauren wanted to jump right in, which is scary but funny at the same time.

After Ruby's we walked over to the Ferry that takes you to Balboa Island. A little man-made island with a little community on it. All the houses are different and the icecream we got on main street was really good. The shops were full of great things, like electric guitars covered in california license plates, very cool. That store did not want people taking pictures so no pictures of that either. We went home after that and relaxed.
Todd and I love Newport, we would move there in a second if we could, we have so many fun memories there. The first year we were married we went kayaking in the little gulf at Newport and some friends joined us and now with both our kids we walked around Balboa Island, we will definitely be back so we can daydream some more about living at the beach.