Santa Cruz!

Danny's new tie bar on Sunday, from his Gabe grandparents.

He's been having trouble sleeping, and has started wearing an eye mask.

Bright and early Monday morning, off to Santa Cruz!

The vrbo was great, and the games there were a hit!

Charlie brought his Catan card game.

Grace brought a book, and Alice brought her Academic League trivia questions for people to quiz her on. Toby was the most willing to do it, and he was really cute!

I took a turn too:)

Everyone kept saying how "glam" Alice looked on Tuesday.

Lemon tree in the backyard of our vrbo.

We started the day at Twin Lakes beach, just down the street from our house. 

It had a really cool lighthouse!

Alice came prepared and collected tons of shells!

Danny came prepared with a football, since all his collarbone restrictions lifted while on the trip.

There was lots of rock skipping by Paul and the boys.

Toby liked drawing in the sand.

Then to Natural Bridges State Beach to see the monarch butterflies. Here they are huddled on the branches, but we never would have noticed if someone hadn't pointed them out.

Then to the natural bridge.

And up the rocks to the tide pools.

Sea anemones!

Mussles.

Sea stars.

Then to the Boardwalk for carnival rides and fair food.

Haunted Castle ride for me, Paul, Grace, and Toby.

Ferris wheel for Alice and Charlie.

Time for food! Cotton candy.

Funnel cake.

Paul and I went back to the beach for the sunset.

Salad for dinner after all that fair food.

But also this;)

The house had a lot of fun puzzles.

Wednesday morning, I cooked bagel sandwiches.

Then out to Henry Cowell Redwoods State Forest.

Banana slugs!

The 4 oldest climbed inside the tree that used to be a honeymoon suite.

Christmas ornament to commemorate the trip.

Then to UC Santa Cruz campus.

Wet, muddy, sandy shoes.

Rest time.

Back out to Capitola Beach.

Back to the house for New Year's Eve night.

High School Musical, per our tradition.

Thursday morning, we walked along West Cliff Drive.

Anna's hummingbird.

Harbor seal.

The waves were intense!

Then we walked down the wharf.

Sea lions!

Back to Twin Lakes beach for our last activity of the trip. We saw a poor dead seal:(

Iridescent sea foam. 

Brown pelicans.

Me and my love:)

Seagulls.

Back at the house, clean and cozy.

Alice got quite a haul!

Friday we drove home all day. Which one is Danny and which is Toby?!!

Cool moon on the way home.

Charlie this morning. What a trip!