the fourth week of summer

Summer has just been flying by. Week four marks more than halfway through our summer vacation!

We took another visit to the Arizona science center.

We spent more time in the pool. I feel so grateful that we have a pool—it has been great for every member of our family.

These guys are always up to something new, impressive, impulsive, dangerous, or daring. This is the tamer of the new tricks.

They convinced Eric, too.

I have a guess that Layla took this picture. Another real life snapshot of our family. Dishes that never ever make it into the sink and wild Brinny hair.

Kacin and Layla got creative in the kitchen and made cookies bigger than their heads. Kacin’s broke when he moved it off the baking sheet. Which just meant that there was no guilt in eating it right away.

Some more random pictures from Layla right after we went to the gym. We did that multiple times that week.

These cousins had a sleepover one night.

Jacqui took pictures for Layla’s baptism. (These are just the pictures I took on my phone)

We went to the best performance of the year—the camp challenge talent show! These kids perform from their hearts. It is so much fun to see their dancing and singing. Perry’s group performed to “Baby Shark.”

We caught Perry in a few of the pictures during the slide show.

Perry loves camp challenge so very much!!

The week ended with the beginning of a road trip.

Coming in Hot in California

Every once in awhile I just need a complete recharge. Just a few days to be myself and think and relax and step away from the day to day. I think it makes me a better mother and person. And improves my sanity.

Nicole and I went to California for the weekend and stayed with my sister. 

I introduced her to the joy of a trip theme song. Because every good trip needs one. and deciding on a song keeps you occupied on a long drive. We listened to a lot of music, but in the end there was only one song that was fitting for our trip. “Coming in Hot” by Lecrae and Andy Mineo.

It was the red rental car, the hot tamales in my bag, the California sun, the hiking and running...it was meant to be our song. And so I blasted it too many times. I made sure to play it every time we pulled up to a new destination. Because we were coming in hot. Just like the fajita.

We left on a Friday and had a close call with running out of gas. In that instance we were coming in on fumes, not so much hot.

Jenny works for DC comics now and had these super costumes laying around her house. We had some fun with her roommates too and made up a dance.

We hiked and ran the Los Liones trail Saturday morning. I have always had a love for trail running so it was a highlight of the trip for me.

We followed those seven miles up with my first experience at a Raman restaurant and then treats at Milk Bar.

It is dangerous having Milk Bar down the road from Jen’s house. We were seriously there three times in 24 hours. 

Those birthday cake truffles! And the strawberry lemon ones, too. Yum.

After our first experience at Milk Bar we did some shopping. Sun bracelets because we were coming in hot.

And saw this wild street performer.

We saw the beach as the sun set.

And then hunted down a Korean Mexican fusion food truck—Kogi. It was worth the wait and the drive and the search!

We ventured out on another hike the next morning. Our destination was the Hollywood sign. Not the best for hiking, but something cool to say that we’ve done in our life.

Which meant we were deserving of a delicious lunch at La Brea and more Milk Bar.

We spent a short time at the beach (more time driving, parking, and walking there than sitting in the sand), but it was exactly what I needed. (And we finished up taking the videos for our trip them song music video.)

See, we were coming in hot all weekend! Such a fabulous trip.