California Dreamin'... Beach Baby.

I don't think it has to be said that this year's beach house vacation was the bomb-- but it totally was...

I'll just let this obnoxious and obscene amount of pictures be proof.
{Oceanside, CA. September, 2011.}

Chris and her boys headed out to sea.

Sarah took to the beach immediately.

I think that if we would have let her, she would have walked right into the ocean and never looked back.

Just hangin' with Poppy.

Our little beach baby.

Nona and Poppy and their little boys.

It took Jake a while to really warm up but once he did, all he wanted to do was run and jump in the surf. He affectionately called the beach the "backyard beach", thanks to Phineas and Ferb.

Jake catching air and Jack being Jack.

There he is again. Love this kid.

Awe.

Miles was really digging the sand.

Markelle looking adorable.

I wish I had pictures of every time Jack did this. Seriously, he did this all week long. It was awesome.

I said Miles really dug the sand. :)

Sarah digging her sunglasses.

The grand-kids on the beach.

I love these kiddos of mine.

Doug and Van.

Funny girl.

Our next door neighbors had these really cool, old lifeguard chairs. I was too chicken to sit in them but I did take some pictures.

Some surfer dude.

I know the code. I've watched "Gidget". 

Live and let live.

Oh, Miles. You almost made it.

Are you kidding me? So cute.

I was not, however, too chicken to put my kids in the neighbors' chairs.

Now, there's a handsome guy.

Most days during low tide, we would walk along the beach and collect sea shells. I don't know who enjoyed it more: Jake or me.

Putting shells in the bucket.

There's something so endearing about seeing your kids' footprints in the sand.

Just the girls.

My family.

This is what happens when Jake forgoes his nap for running around on the beach.

He never does this, so Blaine had to get proof.

Hilarious.

Our nightly s'mores were killer.

One morning we ventured down to the marina to check out the sea lion scene.

There really wasn't much of one but it was fun anyway.

Once the sun is out, everyone on the beach, STAT.

There he is again. :)
Seriously, all week.

More running and jumping.

I love this picture so much.

Oops.

That's slightly better.

"Cheese."

This is what happens when Sarah won't look at the camera... we tell her to dance.

*sigh*

I'm not sure anyone really knows how this happened.

Sean and Doug playing some game I don't know the name of.

Perfection.

Sarah trying to put the lens cap back on the camera.

Doug and Jack.

My guy.

With my other guy.

I still love to take the self-portrait FB shot.

My favorite view...
And there's nothing better than reading a great novel on the beach.

Oops.

Slightly better.

Our last night we took some family photos.

I didn't realize that everyone matches, but Blaine, Jake (and Sarah too, I guess) until I was editing them later.

Did I miss something? Were we all supposed to wear "oceany" colors? No really, did I miss something? (Markelle?... Jen?)

Now, this is the whole crew. It's just not the whole gang without Dennis.

These grand-kid pictures are brutal.

Still, I had to post them. Even the really bad ones.

This one's almost okay.

Cute.
Van is just the sweetest little guy. I loved getting to know him a little better on this trip.

Okay... these next pictures are awesomely awful. So bad. Sarah was screaming her head off and Jake was stabbing Blaine's eyes.

Oh, man. That's funny.

Doug, Jen, and Van.

Brent, Jack, Markelle, and Miles.

The girls were dying during this picture. Poor Doug was stuck in the middle and didn't know what to do with his hands.

This one is completely real also. Brent leaned a little too much in this one. 

We were dying.

Sarah was obsessed with Van the whole week. She was always loving on him and kissing him. It was pretty cute.

Loving on Nona.

My pal, Jake.

Love these kids.

The girls.

I love being a Carter girl.

And this lady? ... LOVE her.

Thanks, Carters for a great week at the beach. Life just doesn't get any better than this... except maybe at Disneyland... Stay tuned. :)