The kids loved the all-you-can-eat mac and cheese at Souplantation and soft serve in a mini-cone was a big hit!
Of course, hitting the beach is mandatory.
Aunt Kristin sent a huge bag of sand toys and that's all they wanted to play with!
The first thing Brady did was dump a shovel full of sand in grandma's tote bag. Second order of business: fling a shovel full of sand at Emily, covering her from head to toe.
Mallory is the smiliest baby this side of the Pacific!
Brady wanted to share the wealth with "Baby Mally"
It was a little breezy with the last of the June gloom (which I desperately miss inland!)
I taught them the art of sandcastle design using the Wet Sand Drip Method. Brady just wanted to "renovate" aka destroy.
In this video Emily is acting oh-so-nonchalant, then BLAM!Emily finds a shell.
A lifeguard boat came up and sprayed water on some kids swimming in the water.
Emily and Brady played tag on the lawn
Mallory is happiest when she's being held :) 
Mom and I shared a plate of my personal favorite Fair food: Australian Battered Potatoes with Ranch and Cheese sauce!
Emily found the perfect place for the mini-Australian flag
Infamous Fair Food this year included Fried S'mores, Fried Zucchini Weenie, Fried Frog Legs, Fried Hot Wings, Fried Twinkies, Fried Oreos, Fried Avacados, the cookie sandwich with cream cheese, strawberries and chicken (?!), and the lowest of the low: Krispy Kreme donut chicken sandwich with honey and raspberry sauce.
My favorite animals this year were the rabbits. Mom and I reminisced about all the rabbits we raised during my childhood- Sugar, Thumper, Peanut, Kritsnee (yeah, Melanie named that one), Pee-Wee, Peanut, Charcoal, and Sweetie. Am I forgetting anyone?? I think they are all buried in the backyard except for Sweetie, who met her demise after a muddy chase through the backyard with a wild animal on her heels (we came home from church to find the evidence, but Sweetie was MIA. Kristin was traumatized).
The baby goats came in a close second!
Brady freaked out when we passed the amatuer horse riders on the way in, but was fascinated on the way out.
How much do you love Emily's Converse? Jon calls them her clown shoes because they are a half size too big, but they are the only thing that can even remotely stand up to her toe-scuffing tendencies. 
She makes the cutest expressions while she's concentrating!
Kisses!
At the end of the day...
Mallory was fascinated by the floor to ceiling underwater observatory!
Emily overheard a lady remark, "That's amazing" when viewing the sunflower starfish, and promptly turns to Brady and informs him, "That's amazing" in a matter-of-fact voice. I think she got the idea that the starfish was actually named Amazing. Cheryl and I totally got a kick out of it! 
Emily would rather hold the plastic lobster than touch the real critters in the tidepools :)
The view of La Jolla from the outdoor tide pools. Jealous, anyone? Just come and visit!! 
We had a little too much fun with the shark mouth...
Emily was absolutely fascinated with the multiple-way mirrors, and stayed there with her "other Emilys" for at least ten minutes.
checking out her friends :)
