Vaycay while Kirk works away

Last Sunday Kirsten and I kissed Kirk goodbye as he left for his first business trip. He loves his new job and chosen career path second only to Kirsten and me and was excited for the opportunity. To bad for him he ended up in windy Wyoming for over a week. But he's had a good time, I mean there was the whole Indian folklore thing he attended and breakfast at McDonalds every morning (who doesn't get sick of an egg mcmuffin?), why wouldn't he be having a good time? Ok truth be told I miss him terribly and can't wait for him to come home and be with me again. If he wasn't 12 hours away I would be driving there right now.

sigh

But Kirk traveling is no excuse to sit at home and mope. So Kirsten and I spent Monday whipping the house into shape (it gets out of shape as easily as I do) and prepping the car to drive to California. We talked my sister in law Liz into driving down to San Diego with us for some relaxing days on the beach. She has a cousin there who graciously let us stay with her make the trip incredibly cheap...BooYah!

So let me give you an idea of our week.
Ben is a 7 year old boy (with everything that entails...torturing his younger sister, making the baby squeal with delight, and constantly playing his DS (you know like the updated gameboy)
Brixton will be 4 next month (she loves princesses, asking questions, managing Kirstens toys, vampires (although everyone else calls them pirates), and dresses)
Kirsten is 15 months (she loved sitting in between the two older kids in the car always someone to whack in the face until they started paying attention to her, sleep became a foriegn idea...something only a mean mom would enforce)

Did I mention both Liz and I are pregnant?
28 week old Kate (I don't always call her Claire) who has discovered how awesome my ribs are. She enjoyed most of the 6 hour each way drive cuddled cozy in my ribs. The rest of the trip? Pelvic pressure was her favorite game.
10 week old Howcroft girl/boy who thought nausea would be ideal and the need for constant food would only be appropriate.

Did we have a great time?
can you give me a big whopping YES

Mostly because we went straight to the Ocean. We were in Oceanside which is where Garrett has been serving. He wasn't kidding when he sad the weather is always a perfect 75 degrees there.

Kirsten loved the ocean. This smile was on her face the entire time. She thought water coming up to her and then retreating was the coolest thing. I was so excited to take her back in a swimming suit.

Both girls got wet and sandy. So they ended up stripped down the the bare essentials on the drive to Lizs cousins. Aren't they cute?

More updates of our week in San Diego coming soon.