California Part 1

Before we left for California on June 15, we celebrated Matthew birthday at home. He woke up to a donut and some balloons. I asked if he was surprised and he said no. He said he always gets donuts and balloons on his birthday. This is not true, by the way. I just started this tradition last year.

Happy birthday 13th birthday to my middle monkey! I love you so much!

That afternoon, we left for the airport to fly out to visit my family in California. We were only able to stay for a week this summer so we had to pack in all the activities and cousin time!

The next day, we drove over to Santa Cruz for Jeff's birthday lunch. We celebrated him turning 40!

Later that evening, we went over to my Aunt Molly and Uncle Brian's house for dinner. They had just moved from Southern California. This was the only picture I got.

The next day, we went to my brother's house for breakfast. he made crepes and the boys loved it. I guess I might have to add crepes to my breakfast repertoire. The boys also loved spending time with their cousins. Michael especially loved being with Alexander.

On Tuesday, we took Michael to the airport to fly back to Dallas and we stopped for lunch at Michael's favorite Mongolia grill place. This place is one of our tradition when we visit California. Michael and I started going to it when we were dating and I was going to Santa Clara. It's been there for over 20 years and we love taking the boys there.

After lunch, I took the boys to visit my alma mater. The campus was as beautiful as I remembered it and the weather was perfect for walking around.