Y'all ready for this?

Back to school!!!! I had really hoped to have my newest post done before this day, but alas... that has not occured. I have some thoughts brewing around in my head that have only partially made it to "paper", but they will have to wait!

In the mean time, here are the pics from our vacation (Part 1 at least). They are not in order, because Blogger kind of sucks that way. I still have not found a successful way to move the pics around... have you?

We started our camping trip in Pismo Beach, then drove Highway 1 to Monterey and then headed to the Redwoods of Santa Cruz. We traveled with some of our favorite friends who rented a motorhome so that they could join us on the adventure. We parted ways in Santa Cruz, they headed home and we journeyed on to the Jelly Belly Factory where we took the super deluxe floor tour! We stopped for a few days to visit family in Fresno and then headed home for a couple of days.

Vacation Part 2 was in San Diego, and maybe tomorrow I will have time to post some pics from that! For now, I have finished my duties for the evening and am going to sit on the couch and watch "smut" as my husband refers to it. The Bachelor Pad.. pretty smutty.... but hillarious.

The kids anxiously awaiting to go in for our tour of "Mecca"

All suited up and ready to see Jelly Belly's being made!

The entire crew (minus the photographer!)

Gavin in front of the train that we rode through the redwoods. He might be 9, but he still thinks that trains are pretty darned cool!

Dad and Ella exploring the Tide Pools along 17 mile drive in Monterey (now dubbed 17 HOUR drive by our family)

Those crazy dunes in Pismo.. boy did they have a BLAST!!!!!

Dad and Ella in front of the one remaining bridge at Natural Bridges - Santa Cruz

View of Morro Rock - ummmm.... yeah... it was cold.... and this was one of our warmer days.

A 5 year old silly girl, some stickers and a 4 hour car ride produces some outlandish photo ops.