Hanging out

Aaaand here's the last of my family's trip pictures. You know, just in time for our next trip next week. We're sort of spoiled and get to see them twice within a month. It's a good thing, too, because Jake is a fan of his fans, as you can see in the pictures below! As much fun as it was to go out and do things with my family, it was even better just to have them in our home and share our regular ol' life with them. We watched football, played games, cuddled up on the couch, and just hung out. It's so nice just to be together.

We included Jordan in The Game of Things via Skype. Oh yeah, and I schooled Christian in cards. NBD.

All the fun and games wore the babies out!

On his way to church for the first time!

Sunset in Santa Monica

We couldn't have asked for a better October day at the beach. The skies were clear, the weather was comfortable, and the sunset painted gorgeous shades of purple and gold across the horizon.

The last time we visited the beach, I was 37 weeks pregnant. I remember holding Matt's hand and looking out over the water, thinking about how beautiful our lives were and how much better they were about to become. Nine weeks later, as we stood at the edge of the Pacific with our baby boy in our arms, I had those same thoughts:
Life is beautiful. And it just keeps getting better.

The only thing that could have made Jake's first beach outing better would have been our camera lasting for more than 10 minutes. But hey, that's what cell phones are for, right? I did manage to get a couple pretty pictures of my parents and sisters before the battery passed away. Then I accepted Matt's "I told you so" smile as he handed over his iPhone, and proceeded to record our few hours at the beach with my family. (Matt spent the last two years pointing out every occasion where we would have "needed" an iPhone, and now I think he feels a little smug every time it comes in handy.) When the light started to fade, we walked to the pier and watched as the sun sank down over the water. It was a lovely evening.

Jake has the best (and the best-looking!) grandparents around.

Yes, my sisters are gorgeous.

My mom makes the sweetest Grammie.

Airplanes and Airmen

Happy Veterans Day! I'm forever grateful to all those who have served and those who continue to serve our country and protect our freedoms. When Matt and I took my family to the museum at Edwards Air Force Base, I was once again struck by all the incredible feats our military men and women have achieved. For the last 60 years, Edwards has been the hub of flight test for the United States Air Force. More than 100 planes have taken their first flights here, and countless heroes who went on to become famous pilots and astronauts have called Edwards home for a time. We loved learning more about their accomplishments.

Jake riding an airplane and sitting in an ejection seat. Future pilot, perhaps? (As long as he doesn't inherit his daddy's eyesight...)

My dad with his all-time favorite plane, the SR-71 Blackbird. He fell in love with it years ago when he worked at Lockheed.

I'm so proud to be an American, and to be married to my Airman.

Under the pier

As I've said time and time (and time) again, Santa Monica is one of our favorite places on the planet. It's a one-size-fits-all stop to get your LA fix -- the beach, the pier, the shopping, you name it. We love it. One of the things we'd always walked by but never stepped into is the Santa Monica Pier Aquarium, located right under the pier. We finally decided to check it out with my baby brothers in tow. As it turns out, it's a great little aquarium with a good representation of the fish in the bay, cute grandma volunteers, and fun touch tanks. And at two bucks a pop, it was quality entertainment.