Carpinteria Week 2013

The Winger beach week at Carpinteria continues strong! 

This year was no exception.

Morning walks on the beach to the tide pools

The kids loved holding some star fish

Rick decided to take it to the next level.

Gross!

The Wolf-pack

We're basically like a traveling circus in a town this small

It isn't a Carpinteria trip without a stop at the candy store!

Sophia was VERY happy about her big lollipop.

A little too happy.

She scarfed it down, and threw up like a half hour later (face-palmed)

All the cousins loving their candy.

All the family at the candy shop.

We've been coming to it every year for +20 years.

We told them that and they put our picture on their Facebook page! 

We're famous.

Just a little messy...

I guess we're getting old???

Oma ace-ing it at the ring toss

The Winger clan spread on the beach

Observing the ocean

And this is as much as she touched the ocean

Lazy beach bum baby

Rock painting

It's amazing how in to this everyone gets 

As the newest member of the family, he fits right in, don't you think?

The first/only time I believe I've seen both of my parents IN the ocean

Awww- aren't they cute?

Sophia's lovely Grandma's

Opa quickly took advantage of the situation

And kidnapped Oma out to the ocean.

Santa Barbara for the surreys

Every year we say we're getting to big for this, but we still do it.

Old habits die hard I guess.

We took up 2 this year

All the brother in laws boogie boarding

Sophia learning how to pump her legs by kicking daddy

Awww, what cute cousins...

...um...

....yep, definitely related.

Excited to be at the beach!

No umbrella? No problem. 

With our "beautiful" family watching the sunset.

Let's just say Church was a lot more fun (and loud) with all the cousins

Kissin' cousins!

Ukulele lessons on the beach

It's not a beach trip without digging some mega-holes

A little beach football

Rick and Jaden building the 'Great Wall'

Rick was so proud

The newest Carpinteria tradition- frozen yogurt almost every night

Celebrating my birthday with all my family

And a beautiful date night out in Santa Barbara

Sophia showing off her new Alice dress from Oma

Enter the Winger-family Performance night!

Notice we don't say talent because it is not required.

The kids mesmerized by Oma and Opa's puppet show

Best rendition of 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight' ever.

California loving the skate park

With Grandma and Grandpa Smith

All in all, another fantastic trip to see our wonderful family...

...I wouldn't have them any other way.

Summer play

The splash pad with some friends to cool down in this heat. 

Things I always want to remember...

How we hold hands while we walk together.

How silly you are, and like to swing like a rag doll.

How excited you get about the little things- like feeding the ducks.

How cute you look in a hat. There are very few years in one's life you can pull it off.

That you sing and dance every day.

And that the carousel is the highlight of your week.

That you are so creative and proud of your art.

That you love to go out and have lunch with me.

How you must make silly faces at all times.

How you are so intent on being a ballerina, and promptly correct anyone for telling you otherwise.

How fun and fearless you are.

That you are you.

Belle Isle Picnic

We spent a lovely afternoon with our old friends who recently joined us in Detroit.

We had a picnic dinner down on Belle Isle at the Conservatory grounds.

It was beautiful! BUT... they apparently don't check the grounds before locking the gates, and we got locked in and all had to hop the 6 ft (plus) gate! 

I even tore my shirt in the process!

Now that's a memorable picnic.

Sophia's so happy to have some new little girl friends to play with!

A 'berry' July recap

My apologies on the corniness of the title of this post.

My little Sophie girl just lights up my world.

Here are some of my favorite things from this last month.

- "No, I do it!" ~ okay, so it's not always my favorite to have here say this when we are in a rush to get somewhere, but I love how independent she's becoming. She wants to do everything by herself. Put on her clothes, make her food, walk the dog, drive the car (seriously, she's always trying to sneak into the front seat). Our goal has always been to foster independence in her, and I love to see it blooming.

-Going to school~ she always is talking about how she wants to go to school. I think she knows Rick goes to school, so that's a big motivation. But everyday she talks about it, and says "I get to go to school when I'm bigger!" She loves seeing the school buses and putting on her backpack and walking out the door. She'll be a school-loving nerd just like her parents.

- Friendliest person I know~ she is just SO outgoing and friendly, it's hilarious. Whenever we go somewhere public (like the park, or splash pad, etc.) she'll just find other little girls and start holding their hands and say "hi, I'm Sophia!" and starts playing with them right away. She does the same thing with unsuspecting adults too. I've had many a mom get sucked into playing with her at the playground. Whenever we go somewhere there are other little kids she says, "look! my friends!" Everybody is her friend.

- BIG voice/ little voice~ Sophia is all about opposites now, especially volume-wise. She loves to say things really loud (BIG voice), and then in a tiny soft squeaky voice (little voice). She especially likes doing this when she's saying prayers. It makes it really hard not to laugh. She also loves to do anything fast or slow. We have a nightly round of 'head, shoulders, knees and toes' at all the varying speeds. 

-Tiny dancer~ she's still on the ballerina/dancing kick. She loves to spin and dance until she makes herself dizzy. Then she falls, laughs, and does it all over again.

-Hug each other! ~ Every night she has to put one arm around Rick and I and then says "hug each other!" and squeezes us all together for hugs and kisses. She just loves it. It makes me think about how essential knowing our parents love each other is to our own security as children. It is so cute, and I am happy to comply. 

We went to pick blueberries, and Sophia had such a blast.

All the bushes were actually her height, so she was able to pick them all herself.

She kept singing the "going on a berry hunt..." song from Dora.

(If you don't know that reference, than consider yourself blessed)

She ate SO many blueberries.

Honestly, I think she ate at least as many (if not more) than made it in the buck.

Got to love the U-picks!

I have to give it to her though, these blueberries were the BEST I've ever had.

Like the most blueberry-blueberries I've ever tasted. So rich and juicy and sweet.

Yummm

All about the silly faces

There's a pretty smile

Yay!

Some of these bushes were my height. 

Huge!

With our blueberry picking buddy.

She and Amy love each other, and are so cute together.

What a fun berry hunt!