My sister, Kate, really wanted to do something special for Jesse’s birthday, so we planned a little surprise birthday trip up to Nana and Poppa Argenals’ Sea Ranch home. Even though we recently returned from a completely different beach a few weeks earlier, we downed some Dramamine, packed the cars with supplies, and headed up the coast!
After a 3.5 hour drive with 3 families, two cars, two infants and two toddlers, we felt totally refreshed when we arrived after opening the shades to see this view:
We spent the three days relaxing with puzzles and card games, and cooking delicious meals whilst having dance parties in the kitchen! But we also got just enough sun everyday so we could let the kids hunt for adventure while also tiring themselves out.
Bo and Kendall played AMAZING together and were completely ecstatic to get outside and discover. Nothing invigorates a nature-loving parent like seeing their children learn about and love the outdoors. We saw tons of sea life in the tide-pools, and baby seal-pups sunbathing on the rocks, but of course, the hit of the day was a puddle…and the throwing of objects into it.
Kendall won the splash contest…
and Bo’s heart.
To the major annoyance of equally annoying parents, neither of the kiddos would touch the starfish. No amount of coaxing or bribing was working. Gus even got on his knees and kissed the starfish…all for nothing, because Bo wouldn’t budge. However, they were both ALL ABOUT the starfish (dead ones) that were on the shelves and bookcases back at the house.
Bo was crazy over the mussels and barnacles that were impossible not to step on. He also loved the hermit crab I caught (yes, I put it back), and is still walking around our house with a plastic crab and a plastic shell that he dug out of his sandbox as soon as we got home. He holds the toys together and proclaims it is a hermit crab.
Having Kendall’s gentle and sweet countenance around the babies was eye-opening to the vast differences between girl and boy toddlers. Most of my day is spent telling Bo that Ace can’t wrestle yet, so it was a nice break to see Kendall’s gentle and loving attention to Reece and Ace.
My little photogenic niece can’t take a bad picture!
Ace on the other hand…
Mark, Jesse and Gus even got in a little golf while Mandy DEFEATED Kate and I in Dutch Blitz, which is a fabulous card game by the way!
My favorite snapshots of the weekend are by far seeing the Daddy’s playing! Obviously, there is nothing more precious than seeing the man you love be the best Dad ever, but it also means that Momma is getting a much needed break. heehee.
Great trip, great friends and great memories. XOXO, Sea Ranch.
P.S. I just realized how lame it is that I really only have one picture of the birthday boy. In all honesty, he might have been sleeping more that weekend than he was awake…so, essentially, mission accomplished: Uncle Jesse got A LOT of R&R for his 31st b-day.
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