A Year Ago in Early November...

...we were at the beach house :)
For the last time ever :(

So much has happened since that fast weekend getaway over a year ago that looking back over these pictures feels like remembering a dream.

I remember that I tried really hard to surprise Lucy and Spencer with the trip.  I hadn't told them anything about it and at the end of a normal school week in November, they certainly didn't suspect anything. When Grandpa drove us to the airport I told them we were going to watch the planes land and take off.  We walked to a particular gate and, what?  Heather and Royce? Kayla?  Fancy meeting you here!  Spencer was eating up the mystery of it all, but the suspense was making Lucy TICKED (which is so her dad!).  So I finally cracked and told her where we were going, because she couldn't handle being in the dark for another second!!

  

And so it began.

Notable memories include:
The artichokes.

All 32 of them or however many Ryan cooked up. 13?

The ever fabulous Monterey Bay Aquarium.

(During which outing we met up with our next-door Payson neighbors :) :) :) :)

But as fun as those kinds of outings are....it's really all about the beach.

There was, of course, the traditional digging of a pit.

Which went on for days.

 And included a plethora of treasures.  

All told, it was one of my favorite pits to date.

We also tried out gingerbread art.

 I was in charge of bodies, Lizzie covered buttons and eyes.

 One night we let the kids stay up for a campfire moment.

That was really wonderful.

The whole thing was wonderful and looking back makes me feel so sentimental.  Pajaro Dunes was where I first fell in love with the beach.  And it has been the beautiful backdrop of so many memories.

I will truly miss visiting.  

But I'm glad to keep the company!  And I know we'll find new places to love.  

(I'm sure we can fight over Chinese take out just about anywhere ;)