Newport Beach and the mermaid tail

I had wanted to make one more trip out to California before everyone started school. After our trip to Utah, I was a little road-tripped out, but I also knew that if we didn't go in August, it might be a very long time before the cousins could play together again. I made plans for the first weekend of August and happily it was a slow time at work for Ryan, so he was able to come along too. We left Thursday morning and came home on Sunday.

It was a fun trip, just like last time, but I forgot to take any pictures! It didn't even cross my mind - maybe because we had been there so recently. I also took to leaving my phone in my room at times so I wouldn't be tempted to check it, and that's what I take all my photos with. Suffice it to say, we still had fun even without the photographic proof.

Highlights include a warm, beautiful beach day. The Thalmans were out visiting their family inland and they met us there, which was very fun. One morning the O'Kelly's took us to breakfast at Ruby's on the pier and Willa got to see the fishermen casting off. One lady let the kids touch a live mackerel that we weren't sure if she was using as bait or if she just caught it. The kids loved taking the ferry across to Balboa and we even saw some seals in the bay, which is always amazing to me.

Shannon watched the girls while Graham dropped Ryan and I off at the bay to try paddle boarding on their boards. It was really the most perfect Southern California day and so nice to be out in the sun and on the water. We had never been paddle boarding and we give it two thumbs up. I can see that it would be a big workout on the open ocean. In the bay, it was nice because it wasn't super intense, but it also felt more active than just laying around somewhere. I also fished an old grocery plastic bag out of the water and carried it on my board back to the shore, for which some sea lion thanks me, I'm sure.

We swam at their neighborhood pool a few times and this is where I took the only photos of the trip. Claire received a mermaid tail for her recent birthday. I showed Willa a picture of her in it that Shannon had sent me and boy, Willa has been thinking about and talking about this mermaid fin NON-STOP since then. She was very hopefully that Claire would let her touch it or even try it out on our trip and this dearest hope was not disappointed. It's pretty difficult to swim with unless your a strong swimmer. Willa made do in the baby pool. Ryan and I were hoping that this would be hard enough that she would get it out of her system and not keep talking about it and asking for one for her birthday. No such luck yet.

Probably the final exciting thing that happened (or most exciting from Ryan's point of view) is that Graham took us out for a spin in his Tesla and let Ryan drive. I really can't explain how cool it was, but I want one. Graham described it like driving an iPad, which is actually a pretty good description! It's faster than their Porsche, and when Ryan and then Graham were gunning it at the green lights I had little butterflies in my stomach and g-force keeping me in my seat. It also had cruise-control for stop and go traffic. You put in the speed you want and then it automatically slows you down and keeps you three car lengths behind the car in front of you, then speeds you up again. It also vibrates your chair if you start to change lanes without signaling, so in annoying traffic like that you can sit back and relax a little. I want, I want, I want. I told Shannon that if they were interested in trying out a 2003 Ford Explorer, I'd be willing to make a trade.