Although theme parks were on the agenda for our trip, we were in no hurry to get to them. First on the to-do list was some time on the water! The boys had never been sailing before, and we were excited to show them what it was all about. Uncle Brad directs the sailing program at Orange Coast Community College, so he was all over getting us on a boat. Here are some pics from a couple of our outings.

Oops! Poor Kieron took a boom to the head before we even set sail the first day! Poor guy!

The boys were naturals at the helm

Layla was quite comfortable on the water

Uncle Brad, Avery, & Uncle Brian

We had lunch at the Newport Harbor Yacht Club a couple of afternoons.

They are in the middle of building a new club, so the current location is a temporary one. Here the boys are checking out the site of the new yacht club.

The temporary yacht club consists of a small beach portion and the rest of it is on the yacht pictured here, the Barney Lehman.

Avery found a coupe of sea slugs while he was digging on the beach. He brought them up to our table to show us. Wish I’d been quick enough to get a picture of Uncle Brad holding it up at the table! Eeeew!

Playing on the beach with Uncle Brian

At the end of May we flew to Newport Beach to visit my uncles and take the kids to Disney Land. It’s a trip we’d been meaning to take for ten years, but we just kept putting it off. Either Avery was too young, or we were expecting, or we had a newborn. Now, four kids later, it was finally time. We had an absolute blast, and I’m just sorry we didn’t make the trip sooner!

My Uncle Brad (and new Aunt Julie!) graciously offered to host us. I snapped this photo of my entourage after we arrived in California and collected our bags.

Layla snoozing on the plane. I wish I could do this!

Happy baby after a nap!

Off the plane, almost there!

These Dutch doors are one of my main memories of visiting Uncle Brad’s when I was a little kid. I always thought they were SO cool, still do!

The kiddos on the porch

Shopping at Target before our first beach outing (notice the photo bomber in the background).

Getting ready for dinner with Uncle Brian

The big boys reading during some quiet time

Sleeping baby pic

We went on a family outing the Museum of Flight one day over mid-winter break. The boys loved checking out all the aircraft. We could have spent a lot more time exploring everything if not for our tired baby girl. There is so much to see and do there, especially on a rainy winter day!

Around the World in 80 Days!

Avery & Kieron loved the flight simulator! It was Kieron’s first time in and we were excited to see what he would think. Avery piloted and Kieron was the gunner. The second they got in they started doing barrel rolls, and continued to do so for pretty much the duration. Despite this they still had three kills and both came out smiling!

  

“Yes, I’d like to order a pizza…”

In front of a B-17 Flying Fortress, the same aircraft their great-grandfather commanded during WWII

This was our first Christmas morning completely on our own, just our “little” King family. It was nice having a relatively quiet house in the morning and doing our own thing, although we missed our family and having everyone together for a full house on the holiday. Fortunately we didn’t have to wait long. Grammy & Papa, Nana, Uncle Scott & Aunt Manivanh, and Nicole & Andrew joined us late in the morning for the rest of the day’s festivities.

Snapped this pic from up above of the boys discovering their presents under the tree

Of course we told them they could open their presents after they posed for one quick photo-op in their Christmas jammies

Later in the day… all the cousins

“It’s my first Christmas!”


     

The kid table

And the adult table