Balboa

By Martha -
My dad's family has a 60+ year tradition of going to Balboa Island in Newport Beach. We went for a week and had a great time! I love vacations for so many reasons. I love living in the same house as so much of my family. I love having so many people around wanting to play with my kids. I love eating Mom's cooking. I love playing games. I love time with Adam and my girls. And, of course, I love all the Balboa traditions: big breakfasts, tennis, sitting on the beach, playing in the waves, catching sand-crabs, walks around the island, Balboa bars, sitting on Grandma's bench, church with the family, picking out T-shirts with Larry, the fun zone with Grannie, and the list goes on.

A couple highlights from this year specifically were: going to an Angels game, wetting my pants on the tennis court (thanks to my siblings being so inconsiderate as to make me laugh so hard I couldn't control myself!), seeing Suzy, Danny, and Peter (my mission trainer), and hearing a brother in church tell us how Hyrum was "co-prophet" with Joseph. (And people make fun of Utah Mormons?) Adam and I also took advantage of the available babysitting to visit the bench with a plaque dedicated to my grandparents. Four years ago this trip we sat on that bench and decided to get married!

At the Angels game


Anna and Emmy

Daddy burying Mini


Eating Balboa bars!

Riding the merry-go-round (which Mini still says thanks for in every prayer)

Comments

Deanna said…
Yay for updates! I'm so glad you have a Balboa tradition. I have some fond memories there myself. That's awesome about your grandparents' bench. You'll have to tell me more about it so I can look for it next time I'm down there. I'm so glad we got to see y'all last month. We love you guys!
August 25, 2009 at 5:51 PM
Kendra said…
What - 2 posts at once!! So fun to see all of your adventures. Looks like a fantastic vacation and fun memories with the family. How fun to have a family vacation tradition that goes back 60 years - your girls are adorable!!!
August 25, 2009 at 8:42 PM
Spencer said…
I MISS YOU GUYS!!!
August 26, 2009 at 11:16 PM
theminerfamily said…
So fun! I am craving a Balboa Bar (acutally to be honest this is a week long craving, since being in the fudge capitol in Michigan, It made me think of a BB bar and I cannot get my mind off of it. I almost bought one at costco, but it wouldn't be the same!) I am glad you have such a fun tradition!
I have some photos to send your way, I will try to do it soon!
August 29, 2009 at 11:30 AM
Mimi Collett said…
What a wonderful tradition! That is so cute that Mini is thankful for the Merry-Go-Round in her prayers. :) What a sweet little girl she is!!
August 30, 2009 at 8:00 PM
Melissa Markham said…
I wish we had overlapped longer at the beach. Good times!
September 1, 2009 at 12:00 PM
Maggie said…
Such a fun time. Hope all is going well. I need to call you.
September 2, 2009 at 1:25 PM
Carrie said…
Cute pictures, Moey! I'm glad you had such a fun time . . . like Melba, I wish we had overlapped with you longer. At least we got to see you and meet precious little Emmy. And I hadn't heard about the tennis court incident--thanks for spreading the word! I'm REALLY sorry I missed that!!
Love you! :) ~Carrie
September 4, 2009 at 12:47 PM
KateHazen said…
We went to Balboa Island over Labor Day weekend and had a Balboa bar in your honor!
September 14, 2009 at 9:38 AM
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