Newport Beach!

This summer the Jones family all went to Newport Beach! It was so much fun! We hadn't had a complete family vacation all together for about 15 years, so it was about time!! Melissa and Sara stayed in a beach house right on the beach and the rest of us stayed at a resort down the coast, so we had the 'best of both worlds' with beach house living and resort amenities. We had so much fun that I think I forgot to take pictures of most of it. Here are a few in no particular order:

We went down to Crystal Cove Beach and looked in the tide pools for interesting stuff. We mostly just found sea weed, some dead lobsters, really flat rocks and some sea shells.

We loved digging at the beach. These holes even had a tunnel in between that you could hold hands through. Here's Melissa and Sara being romantic and holding hands through the tunnel.

We also loved boogie boarding! The waves were perfect and Kirk would help us catch the perfect wave, so we could ride it all the way in. The girls put bets at 50 to 1 that I wouldn't get in the water one day, so I had to show them I would, and ended up being a pretty awesome boogie boarder. :) (It was a good thing that I did get in when I did, because the next day we went to the beach, there was a warning about the water being contaminated - so I definitely wouldn't go in the water then!)

Amy was such a good sport and let Liz bury her all the way up to her neck. I'm feeling a little claustrophobic just looking at it!

We loved sitting and reading and talking at the beach! (Do you like all of our matching chairs and umbrellas? Guess what was on sale at Costco? BTW - Jones' LOVE Costco!)

One day we went on the ferry to Balboa Island. We went on the ferris wheel, the merry-go-round and ate churros and a bunch of other deep fried goodness. Too bad I only got one picture!

We also had tons of fun swimming at the pool! The kids went from pool to jacuzzi about a million times.

Nicole was such a trooper coming by herself with baby Owen for a few days until Kevin could get there. Owen is such a little cutie and it was so fun playing with a baby again!

One night we went down to the little putting green with the kids. Marissa and Noelle were racing down the hill, and Marissa tripped at the end and skinned her knees on the putting green. Ouch!!

I'm so sad now that we didn't get a picture of all of us together! I don't think I got any pictures of any of my bros and sisters. Next time we'll have to have a photo shoot! I'm sure it would be worth the cranky husbands, the screaming kids, and the rolled eyes from the older kids. Maybe pictures of us doing pyramids in chambray shirts on the beach? :)

All in all it was so much fun to all play together, even if all the kids wanted to do was watch Disney Channel.