LIFE WITH THE SWANER FAMILY: CALIFORNIA HERE WE COME

IT HAS BEEN AN EXCITING SUMMER SO FAR. WE HAVE HAD TWO GRANDBABIES, FIRST WE VISITED BRIDGER IN WALLA WALLA AND NOW WE ARE ON OUR WAY TO SEE CAMERON. THIS TRIP IS DEFINITELY TURNED INTO A FAMILY AFFAIR, NOT ONLY ARE JEFF AND I GOING, BUT JESSICA IS JOINING US AND WE ARE PICKING UP GRANDPA CLIX IN OGDEN ON OUR WAY TO THE AIRPORT AND HE IS GOING WITH US AS WELL.
THIS TRIP WAS JAM PACKED WITH THINGS TO DO BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY IT WAS SO MUCH FUN TO SEE BRANDON AND DAYNA IN THEIR NEW HOME, AND OUR LITTLE HAILEY WHO WE MISS SO MUCH AND CAMERON OUR LITTLE/BIG BUNDLE OF JOY.

HELLO CAMERON

EVERY MORNING THE WHOLE GANG CAME DOWN TO THE HOTEL FOR BREAKFAST. IT WAS A FUN WAY TO START THE DAY. HAILEY LOVED TO GET A WAFFLE. AND BOTH GRANDPA'S TOOK ADVANTAGE OF GETTING SOME CAMERON TIME FIRST THING IN THE MORNING.

HANGING WITH AUNT JESS AT THE POOL

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY!

BRANDON AND DAYNA WANTED TO TAKE US TO THE BEACH FOR A PICNIC. WE TOOK A DRIVE DOWN LAGUNA CANYON AND UP PACIFIC COAST HIGHWAY THROUGH LAGUNA. I CAN'T WAIT TO GO BACK OFF SEASON AND GET OUT AND DO SOME SHOPPING. IT LOOKS LIKE A FUN PLACE TO DO THE TOURISTY SHOPPING THING. THERE WERE SO MANY PEOPLE THAT WE WERE UNABLE TO GET A PARKING SPOT AT THE FIRST BEACH WE WENT TO, HOWEVER WE ENDED UP AT ANOTHER SPOT CALLED STRANDS BEACH THAT WORKED OUT IDEALLY. WE FOUND A PICNIC TABLE LOOKING OUT OVER THE OCEAN AND ENJOYED OUR SUB SANDWICHES. THE OCEAN IS JUST SO BEAUTIFUL, EVEN IF THERE WERE THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE THERE.

A STROLL ON THE BEACH. THEY EVEN DRESSED PATRIOTICALLY!

BEING THAT IT WAS THE FOURTH OF JULY AND THERE WERE SO MANY PEOPLE OUT, IT JUST MADE SENSE TO HANG A LITTLE CLOSER TO HOME. AFTER A WALK DOWN THE BEACH WE WENT BACK TO BRANDON AND DAYNAS. WE HAD A LITTLE BBQ AND THEN HEADED TO THE PARK BY DAN AND CAROLYN'S (DAYNA'S PARENTS) TO WATCH FIREWORKS. IT IS CRAZY TO THINK THAT ON THE FOURTH OF JULY IN CALIFORNIA YOU NEED A COAT, BUT IT WAS VERY COOL AND THE HUMIDITY EVEN MADE THE BLANKETS ON THE GROUND WET.

FRIDAY WAS ANOTHER VERY BUSY DAY. WE WENT TO THE OAKLEY OUTLET TO SHOP. YEAH! (I DON'T HAVE TO SAY ANYMORE).

ENTRANCE TO THE OAKLEY BLDG.
HAVE YOU EVERY SEEN ANYTHING LIKE THIS
BEFORE? CRAZY!

A QUICK BURGER AT IN-AND-OUT AND THEN ONTO THE LONG BEACH AQUARIUM.

IT'S A GOOD THING THAT HAILEY IS USED TO THE DISNEYLAND CHARACTERS, BECAUSE SHE WASN'T AFRAID OF GETTING HER PICTURE TAKE WITH THE CHARACTERS AT THE AQUARIUM. SHE LOVED THE HANDS-ON SECTIONS AND GRANDPA WAS JUST SO INTERESTED IN EVERYTHING THAT WE ALMOST HAD TO PRY HIM OUT OF THERE.

PERFECT TIMING...IT LOOKS LIKE THE PENGUIN IS KISSING
HAILEY'S CHEEK.

SO MUCH TO DO SO LITTLE TIME. THERE WAS EVEN MORE DOWN BY THE AQUARIUM THAT NEEDED TO BE EXPLORED, BUT WE RAN OUT OF DAY WAY TO SOON. MAYBE NEXT TIME.

SATURDAY WAS ANOTHER JAM PACKED DAY. WE WENT TO THE SWAP MEET IN THE MORNING AND HAD FUN SHOPPING AROUND. I BOUGHT A HAT, (RIGHT, ME A HAT?) I NEVER WEAR THEM, AND THINK I LOOK RIDICULOUS IN THEM, BUT IT WAS SO HOT AND SUNNY I FELT LIKE I NEEDED THE PROTECTION. IT WAS A CUTE HAT, MAYBE SOMEDAY I WILL WEAR IT AGAIN.

ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I WANTED TO DO WHILE WE WERE IN CA., WAS TO GO TO RUBY'S ON THE PIER. I SAW IT IN A MOVIE ONCE AND IT LOOKED SO FUN THAT IT WAS ON MY LIST OF THINGS TO DO.
GRANDPA LOVED WALKING UP THE PIER, THERE WERE A LOT OF FISHERMEN CASTING THEIR LINES AND HE KEPT STOPPING AND ASKING THEM WHAT THEY WERE USING, IF THEY WERE CATCHING ANYTHING, ETC. WHEN THEY FINALLY CALLED OUR NAME AT RUBY'S WE HAD TO TEAR HIM AWAY SO WE COULD EAT LUNCH.

GRANDPA SHARING A MILKSHAKE WITH HAILEY

IT'S JUST AMAZING AT THE AMOUNT OF
PEOPLE AT THE BEACH. AS FAR AS THE
EYE CAN SEE.

HAILEY IS VERY MUCH AT HOME ON THE BEACH.

SHE HAD HER TOYS OUT AND WAS READY TO GO IN NO TIME.

JEFF, JESSICA AND I EACH SPENT SOME TIME IN THE OCEAN WITH BRANDON GETTING NAILED BY THE WAVES ALL WHILE TRYING THE ART OF BODY SURFING. UNSUCCESSFUL NEEDLESS TO SAY, BUT FUN NONE THE LESS.

GRANDPA CLIX ENJOYING WATCHING THE SURF.

I CALL UNFAIR

HOW IS IT THAT EVERYONE ON THIS TRIP GOT A PICTURE WITH CAMERON EXCEPT ME?

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FOUR GENERATIONS OF SWANER BOYS...

WE GOT A WONDERFUL SURPRISE ON SATURDAY NIGHT AND THAT WAS THAT BRANDON AND DAYNA HAD DECIDED TO BLESS CAMERON AT CHURCH THE NEXT DAY. HOW EXCITED WE WERE TO KNOW THAT CAMERON WOULD BE BLESSED BY HIS FATHER AND THAT HIS GRANDFATHER AND GREAT GRANDFATHER WOULD BE THERE IN THE CIRCLE AS WELL. THE ONE PROBLEM WE HAD TO FIGURE OUT WAS WHAT THE GUYS WOULD WEAR SINCE WE DIDN'T TAKE CHURCH CLOTHES. LESSON LEARNED IF YOUR VISITING OVER THE WEEKEND, ALWAYS TAKE YOUR CHURCH CLOTHES.

THIS WAS THE PERFECT END TO OUR VISIT TO SEE BRANDON AND DAYNA, HAILEY AND CAMERON. WE LOVED OUR TIME THERE AND I LOVED CALIFORNIA. I WOULDN'T WANT TO LIVE THERE (SORRY KIDS), BUT I AM GOING TO BE VERY HAPPY TO GO BACK ANYTIME TO VISIT.