Why staycations are the best vacations...

I now realize why "staycations" are the next big thing when it comes to vacations. We knew we wanted to get away for Memorial Day week-end with the kids but the idea of packing up and staying in a hotel just sounded like way too much at the moment. I just was not in the mood after a crazy spring and just plain too much going on. So we thought we would give this whole thing a try and see what the big woo was. Oh my goodness we had the best time! We did everything like we would normally do on a trip including eating doughnuts for breakfast and staying out late. Since only my closest friends and family are reading this they know what a big deal that is. We even joked with the kids about what time check out was and if they liked the accommodations. So anywho I mean seriously good times and this will not be our last time using our own home as the hotel. Truthfully, I can't think of a better place to stay.

Remember that post a little while back on how I just can't stop myself from taking thousands of pictures of the Golden Gate Bridge. Well here we go again..the infatuation continues. It still takes my breath away and this angle left me smiling endlessly. It was a combination of a beautiful day and walking along on a newly discovered hike along the ocean side of the bridge. All of us had a little spring in our step as we walked along that trail with 360 degrees of some of the most beautiful landscape in the country. I guess it will never get old, so here we go... more pictures.
The whole clan

My boys

Little Ella

Tom has wanted to go to "carnival" in the city forever. It is a Latin American/Caribbean celebration of life and spring. It was hot, basically just a little creepy and well I wanted to leave almost immediately. We stayed just long enough for Tom to realize that once was enough and this probably would not be a repeat.

Point Reyes National Seashore. Now this is a repeat and will go down in the books as one of the best days ever.

I was constantly trying out new settings on my camera and trying to figure the whole thing out. The lighting is certainly tricky at the beach.

I just liked this shot of Ben flying his kite

Charlie

Another shot I just liked of Charlie climbing the jumping hill.

Charlie

Everyone climbing to the jumping off place. The kids jumped off this hill for hours. They made up games, tricks and measured how far they jumped for like six hours. This is why we all love kids. What adult would do that?

Another picture because I just liked it. There will be many of these now as I try things out.

Ella laughing when she got to the bottom of the hill

Benjamin showing his stuff.

I am just almost sure that Nicholas's surgeon would not approve. But why in the heck is the color so much more vibrant when I shoot in manual. Nicks shot is in automatic and Ben's and Ella's are in manual. Compare the sky and the grass...why in the world is that? Please someone tell me.

Ben's kite flying occupied a huge portion of the day as well. Now I could never put in this blog how hard we laughed when that kite would nose dive 100 miles an hour straight down into the sand. Ben was not happy after working so hard but we all couldn't help it...it was just too darn funny. Cool picture though I thought

This is my boys face when things just did not go his way. I never saw a face be happier in one second and hang so low the next. A real roller coaster of emotions all depending on the flight of the kite.

We all had a hay day at the oyster farm. Tom could hardly wait to have everyone try one. I have all ready been down that road and was not interested in gulping another one of those slimy things down and no amount of Tabasco sauce was going to convince me otherwise. But the boys are young and well naive so Tom preyed upon them and convinced them to try. Ella being a girl and well just a little too smart passed. Charlie still only eats cereal and toast and so it really was out of the question from the beginning... so on to the big boys. They gave in and swallowed those disgusting things and Nicholas actually had two. Ben had one and I am pretty sure it will be his last as well. Poor Tom he was really hoping for a different outcome. But the experience was worth it all.

I am so grateful for family! This is what life is all about and now I will tuck away these memories inside hoping that I get to hold onto them forever. So remember if you ever need to just get away, don't disregard never leaving the comforts of your own home. It might just be the best vacation you ever had.