Moving the Dibble's

So Elliot's brother Adam was in Africa when they finally got word that they could move into their new house in Mesa. Xan doesn't let anything stop her, so she was almost completely packed up before we even went over to start helping!

It took us a whole night to pack up that enormous pantry. I thought I was packing up a whole grocery store! Lots of food for a big family! Malcolm helped too. The girls pretty much stayed out of the way except for their one job of throwing away the expired cans of food.

The boys were a big help (once Elliot got there to boss them around . . . I mean, encourage them).

Then the actual move-in day came around after Adam got back from Africa. I thought that Malcolm would be safe at the lowest part of the house since this house has 40 sets of stairs. It figures that he would choose this day to learn how to climb stairs. I'm afraid I wasn't much help.

The girls tried to keep him occupied, but now he had a new favorite activity.

Everyone was thoroughly exhausted after emptying the trucks and arranging furniture and carrying boxes (I tried to unpack the pantry . . . P.S. Xan, you have plenty of Crystal Light drink packets). Elliot fell asleep on the floor.

Ray thanked us by giving Stella these little water baby bullets that you put in water and they expand. You can't use them unless you have the proper water bullet gun, but Stella insisted on keeping them in the cup on the counter anyway. It was fine until it was just in the way of something I dropped out of the cupboard and 500 water baby bullets and it's accompanying cup of water fell all over my floor.

I may have said a bad word.

The Beach Trip - Last Day and Home

The last day of our trip always seems so rushed with taking down camp and feeding everyone breakfast and cleaning up after that. I tried to keep Malcolm in his awesome camping highchair for as long as possible and people were very helpful in entertaining him while we cleaned up.

Stella's job was to clean the sand off of the beach toys. I'd like to say she did it happily.

She really just wanted to play with Ella.

And say goodbye to her other new friend Piper that she insists is from India. She spent a lot of time in our areas, eating our food and such.

Had to get a picture of the boys . . . Adam, Travis, and Elliot.

Adam and Xan's family

Ella and her sisters

Travis, Lorraine, Sarah, and Garrett

Goodbye Beach!

The kids were so patient on the way home and loved the route we took through these rolling hills roads. They thought it was a roller coaster.

Happy to be home.

The Beach Trip - Sunny Beach Day

Disneyland wore us all out and we slept fantastic through the night. I was also concerned for this trip about Malcolm's bottles since I usually warm them up at home. He was totally fine with a good cold one if he ever woke up.

I was so happy that the sun was out for our day at the beach!

But first, the boys needed to text each other the plans for the day.

Claire is so good with Malcolm and doesn't even mind him pulling her wavy hair out of her skull.

Adam busted out the Sea Eagle again and Elliot braved the cold water to go with him. Of course, the second voyage ended with a bleeding head injury and near concussion, but it was a good time.

After a several year hiatus from the Sea Eagle, Ray tamed the beast and didn't have any sort of wreck like he did when it made him take the hiatus.

George coming to take a rest.

Happy with Uncle Adam.

Not happy with Mommy.

Lucy likes to cuddle with Uncle Elliot and this quickly turned into this . . .

Happier with snacks.

Happiest clawing at George's face.

The Little Mermaid and her Mexican father.

Finally fell asleep.

Finally saw Stella for a second when she took a snack break.

That's a big boy on some big stairs.

Goodbye beach. I will not miss your wretched rocks.

Stella finally discovered how much she loves boogie boarding the last couple of hours of beach time. She got it down pretty fast and absolutely loved it!

Ella and Stella = Beach BFFs 2012

The Beach Trip - Cold Beach Day

Day 3 of our trip the kids woke up happy and ready to go to the beach! It was cold and overcast again, but that didn't stop anyone. Uncle Adam had a terrible sunburn from his Day 1 at the beach (overcast and forgot that sunscreen is still necessary), but we all still had a great time and bundled up when we weren't walking or playing in the water.

Stella had a great time entertaining herself and/or playing with Anabelle and Lindsay (Anabelle's friend) until her new friend Ella showed up with her family (friends of the Gregory family).

Malcolm played in the sand for the first time and wasn't quite sure what to do. He tasted it a few times and is not a fan.

George and Claire buried him and he was fine with that until he crapped his pants. I'm so happy that his cousins like playing with him.

Elliot tried to rinse most of the sand off of him before I changed him, but I always forget how sand doesn't ever come off. Ever. And he didn't like the cold ocean.

Mid-sneeze.

Sharing snacks. Lucy liked our fruit snacks better than anyone elses. :)

Finally into the water! I love it that Stella is not afraid of the waves (like me). It just makes her giggle.

Finally her friend Ella showed up and they were all able to play for the rest of the day.

Malcolm took a great nap on me, we got to eat a bunch of snacks all day, sit by my Sweetie and just talk, and I got to watch my kids play and laugh. I love lazy beach days.