Family Vacation

This summer we took a week off to road trip up CA. We went to the beach for a few days, camping for a few days and then up to the bay to visit family.

1st stop, a place we never get tired of, Irvine CA. We stayed two nights at the Doubletree Hotel, which was perfect because it was in the Irvine Spectrum shopping center, one of our favorite places :) We went to a new park that had nice clean white sand

Jayson had fun on his own

We ate our favorite Pho place and bakery where we get the biggest mochis ever and 10 other things that are soo good!

Day 2 we were at Laguna Beach all day, we all got burnt. See those tiny fins in the picture, we actually saw dolphins!

of course we had to bury Jayme in the sand while Jayson fed her

Jayme's best friends Marianna and Paulina met us there to play

It was a long day... Jay had to carry all three kids...I helped after a while

on our way out, we stopped at the Spectrum one last time for some shopping...the girls ended up getting wet in the water fountain, perfect spot right outside of H&M..so it kept them busy while Jay and I took turns going in:)

Then up to Santa Barbara for what they call "glamping" (glamorous camping)... but first we went to downtown SB to take the kids on a surrey ride

El Capitan Canyon

the tent rooms were decent, but we could've used a little bit more glam...haha! Coming from a hotel to this put the girls in a little bit of shock mainly because of the bugs. The first night they were whining they were scared and wanted to go back to the hotel...BUT After two days/nights of swimming, bbq and smores, they thought it was the coolest thing and didn't want to leave


We spent one day at the beach that was right across the campground

it was too cold for swimming, but Jayme battled the incoming tides to write her masterpiece in the sand, while Jaylin and Jayson threw rocks in the ocean

And, we couldn't pass up a family shot. That's Jayme taking the picture

Jay wrote on this rock and said we would go back in a year to see if it's still there :)

The second day we checked out the harbor and went to the aquarium, where we saw a huge crab...I wish I could eat it :) Then went back for swimming at the campground

We bbq'd and made smores both nights



While it was an experience, we were anxious to go to the bay. We had enough nature :) especially Jay since he spent the last night fighting off a raccoon that kept trying to get into our tent

Our last stop was San Jose, the kids love going there because they get to play with their cousins. Jay making the kids surrender so he can shoot them with water guns...Uncle Jay is always one of the kids

We spent one day at Vasona Park in Los Gatos, a place that Sheila and Tony take the kids to bike ride regularly.

Even Jayson got to ride

Deguzman Kids

After a full day at the park, Capital Drive-Ins to watch Wall-E

Even the dogs came to watch movies with the Deguzman Family from SoCal

The DeGuzman family from Sacramento were all nice and cozy

And the DeGuzman Family from San Jose, who go regularly. We only got to watch one movie because it was time to head home the next morning.

While on vacation...

in San Jose, I also got to lunch with old friend, Laurie

And dinner with college friends Diana, Loan, Gina and Shirley at Dish Dash Mediterranean Restaurant on Murphy Street, Sunnyvale


Then to new hot spot, Yogurtland :) The line was out the door

We made some interesting creations

I also got to visit cute little Lincoln, Betsy and Quinton's new son

and attend Sheila and Henji's wedding

at the Ranch Club in Silver Creek...

overlooking the golf course

Sheila is an old friend, now extended family, my sister's sister in law
It was a lot of fun, especially since we got to hang out with the Castros

Aren't they sweet...their wedding was on their 10 year anniversary!

Gina and Mark's Wedding in SF

Gina's Wedding was simply beautiful, just like her! My favorite picture of her. She looked like she just came out of a wedding magazine. Everything was so elegant and classic.

The ceremony was in a beautiful church in San Francisco. I especially enjoyed the ceremony, because the priest's stories were good, true, short and sweet. The first one about two brothers who unknowingly were giving each other part of their harvest because they felt the other deserved it more, basically telling us that both husband and wife should put the other's interest first. The second reading having us put our names in the famous Love is patient, Love is Kind reading, which most of would laugh because we aren't all those things all the time. But Jesus is all those things and when we put him at the center of our relationship, He will help us and guide us through a successful marriage.
Her lovely bridal party

Another favorite picture of mine, their engagement picture that was displayed at the reception, which was at the Flood Mansion on Broadway Street

An old school typewriter for us to write the couple notes

Beautiful long tables throughout the dining room

while the newlyweds sat right in the middle

such an elegant cake...

that was displayed against the view of the city...we all fought for the blueberry one, there were three different flavors, red velvet, green tea and blueberry

Father, Daughter dance and Mark and Gina's first dance was in another part of the mansion. Picture is dark, but you can see her beautiful dress.


The two SCU moms with 3 kids :) Christina was the first to get married in the bunch and I was the first to have a baby, now we have opposite of each other...she had two boys first and then a little princess...Yes I committed a fashion no no, I wore the same dress to another wedding, what can I say, I had nothing to wear :)

I read in the wedding, so we also went to the dinner rehearsal... Jayson loves Auntie Gina!

The food was delicious, even Jayson ate a bunch

But of course the best part, the cupcakes. Jayson had one and stole another before we left.
On the way home through the desert it rained, so Jay took the kids to play in it for a few minutes. Thanks to Auntie Melissa and Auntie Sheila, Jay and I got to enjoy Gina's wedding day in peace :) Jaylin and Jayson had fun hanging out with the Uncle Neil, Bubba and Daisy (their dogs) and Jayme enjoyed her cousin time with Marcus