I just had to snap a couple shots of my girls on Sunday. They're just so beautiful!

We received so many recommendations to visit the Mormon Battalion Historic Site in Old Town San Diego, and I'm really glad we did! It was a fun visit with an excellent interactive presentation. Mormons were instrumental in settling San Diego. It was really neat! Holly loved it and wanted to go through the whole thing a second time, and when I said no, I had the thought, maybe she'll serve her mission here. Who knows? There were lots of lady missionaries in old timey dresses.

We did very little shopping while in San Diego and what we did do was done at Old Town. We bought a nativity and blanket and some tea. I know right? Big spenders. But to be honest, I loved that shopping wasn't anywhere close to important. I really felt like the focus of our trip was being together and making memories. And we did! It was uh-mazing!

Going to the zoo was so much fun! A definite San Diego must. We loved seeing all the different animals and I feel like we saw so many! It was a ton of walking and our girls were troopers about it. Conor gave Greta lots of little shoulder rides to rest her legs.

We saw pandas which was so exciting! Greta was thrilled to see kangaroos (I think a trip to Australia needs to be added to our to-do list). I got a tad emotional thinking that my gandkids may not see some of these animals. And then I thought, well if we lived a 100 years ago I wouldn't have seen any of these animals!

Summer has and hasn't ended. Holly's been in school for one week, but the weather is still summery and warm. I'm full of emotion over the close of this summer season, not only because summer has ended, but it's also the close of a season of life. How I've enjoyed these last 5 years of mothering, of being at home with my children and my children at home with me. If only it had no end... But here we are. Holly has begun her school years and so we now have early mornings, and life revolves around a schedule that a system has set for me rather than my own, likely for the next two decades. How short those 5 years were!

I should be reflecting on the positive. This summer has been beautiful, even if I didn't do as much as I'd hope. We made some splendid memories and had sweet moments. My daughters played endlessly with each other and we went on an amazing vacation.

I'm torn between not wanting this season - summer and my babies being at home with me - to end, and wanting to stay in bed for a week and cry because school is my reality.

I'm so grateful I have these beautiful memories to cherish (if only I could remember more) and photographs to adore.

I love being a mother.

Are you tired of my San Diego pictures yet? I'm not even close to being done.

La Jolla was gorgeous. We found a little side beach that according to a local is a hidden treasure, so we were pleased to have found it. The weather was just gorgeous and Conor and I were uncomfortably sunburnt (luckily it did not ruin the trip!). We wised up and I finally convinced Conor that an umbrella is a good idea. We loved playing in the rough waves and I enjoyed swimming out to where I could no longer touch. Honestly, the ocean scares me a little. It's stronger than I could ever comprehend. I haven't spent enough time in it to feel fully confident in it's waves. It's always quite cold up north and so I never truly realized my adrenaline inducing fear of the ocean until this trip. It's interesting that something that can give my soul so much peace and solace can also inspire fear.

This was our first day with the boogie board - a worthy investment. We all loved it and filled our swimming suits with sand.