The first week of April 2013 Amy and Kyle and their kids( Makaden, Meagen and Madison. Erika stayed in Utah for a family thing) came to play. They drove out here with their camper trailer and camped at Butano State Park. Ron was unable to get that week off so we didn't get to go camping with them. They stopped by the house for a few minutes on their way down to the campground and then on April 4th we met them down at the beach. That was one thing Amy said she absolutely wanted to do while they were here was go to the beach and see the ocean. Butano State Park isn't too far from Half Bay Moon State Park and beach so I told Amy we would meet them there. It's one of my favorite beaches.
The kids were in heaven. They were loving the beach. It was their first time to see the ocean and play at the beach. Makaden and the boys wasted no time and started digging in the sand and building a sand castle and fort. They were having so much fun and they all got a long great! They don't get to see each other very often and it was fun to see them pick up right where they left off and continue to play. I know the boys all miss each other a lot.
They worked together to make their castle and the wall as big as they could before the tide came in. It was a race against the clock. Their wall held up for quite a while but eventually the ocean won and washed it away. It was exciting to watch as the anticipation of the inevitable built up each time the ocean waves crept closer and closer. You couldn't help but laugh and sigh and smile at the same time.
The wind is always blowing at the beach and so we brought a kite to fly. Ron held the kite for quite a while. We've not had much success at kite flying around home and so I think he was rather enjoying himself.
Meagan and Madison were absolutely loving their treasure hunting! They couldn't get enough of all the shells and cool rocks they were finding. I loved watching them and all their excitement. It reminded me of when Ron took me to the ocean for the first time back when we were in Washington. I was the same way. Every shell and sand dollar I found was so exciting to me. You can find real shells at the craft store or pet store but there's just something thrilling to see them in their natural environment. I could see that excitement in the girls. They were loving every minute of it.
Of course you can't come to the beach without running in the waves. That's the best part! Even little Jaden got in on the action. His curiosity got the best of him and he tried it out. He had a little tumble but he still seemed to enjoy racing the incoming waves.
They all had fun with the waves. After the waves finally made it into their fort the boys decided to take a break and play in the water instead. Kaeryn and Ron had taken a walk along the shoreline, which is also one of our favorite must do's at the beach, and had come back and joined in the fun.
Jaxen is always the bravest when it comes to things like this. He has no problem getting down and dirty in the sand or completely soaked by splashing in the water. He's in his element here, loving life and carefree! I hope he never out grows that.
Makaden wanted to be right up in the waves too. I don't blame him. It being his first time to the ocean and not knowing when the next time will be. Why not make the most of it. He seemed to have no fear and had a blast racing the incoming crashing waves.
After awhile we all went back to the campsite. Ron, Kaeryn, Jaden and I stayed inside the camper with and Amy and Kyle. A park ranger had come to tell us that we had to move our van. So Kyle followed Ron back up to the front of the park and brought him back but Ron forgot to bring Jaden's shoes with him so we had to keep him in the camper. We had fun visiting. Kyle got a fire going and started preparing dinner. The boys loved roasting their hot dogs with their cousins. I don't think either of them came in the camper at all. They were having to much fun. When they weren't roasting their dinner they were playing and exploring the campsite. At one time I couldn't help but laugh. There was a kid in a neighboring campsite that kept making noises and trying to get our kids attention. I guess he was being more annoying than friendly because all of a sudden Jaxen cupped his mouth and shouted back "WHY ARE YOU TALKING TO STRANGERS!" His expression and the way he said it made me laugh although I held it in until after I explained to him that the kid was probably trying to make friends and that maybe he should be a bit nicer next time. Then I went back inside the camper and had a good laugh with Ron, Kaeryn, Amy and Kyle.
The campground at Butano State Park is really nice and beautiful. It's in a grove of redwood trees. And although these trees were big and tall they still seemed like babies compared to the ones we saw in Yosemite and Redwood forest. Despite that, they were impressive and beautiful. The trees still held a sense of magnificence and serenity. There was a feeling of calmness and peace. Driving into the forest was fantastic. One minute your driving along the coastline then you turn onto a road that leads beyond some hills. It's not until you're behind the hills that suddenly you're transported to an entirely different place. It really did feel like it came out of no where. I'm so glad Amy and Kyle chose to camp there because now I know I want to go back and camp there. It was such a fun day and we loved every minute of our time with Amy and her family. I really wished we could have spent more time together but I'm so happy for the time we had. It was a beautiful and perfect day and I can't wait until the next time they come for a visit!
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