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The next arrival in a wonderfully long lineup of visitors this Summer (which has saved my heart from soul-withering loneliness) was our dear friend Carolina from Spain (see Europe blog posts to remember how much we love this girl). She is in Sacramento for the Summer, tutoring a family in Spanish before they move to Spain, and she emailed to ask if she could fly down to visit us. We were over the moon, and asked her what she wanted to see on her first and possibly only trip ever to Southern California - we had three days and we wanted to pack them full of SoCal magic.

It had been 27 years since I had been to Universal Studios. I had pictured a museum-like tour of a movie studio, learning about old Hollywood and the process of film-making. Instead it was a hot, crowded amusement park... with a movie theme. I was disappointed, but the Studio tour (after a full hour in line) was actually really cool, and the show pictured above did have pretty stunning water and fire effects. 

As hot and smoggy and soulless as L.A. feels to me... it is fun to see the Hollywood sign on the hill and to walk in the footsteps of some truly amazing Artists.  Carolina had of course wanted to see the iconic highlights of L.A., and it was more fun than I had expected! We found our favorite stars on the walk of fame...

...and stood in awe as we pictured real live fingers and hands in wet cement at historic moments in history. This one was from the premier of Star Wars in 1977, and we all found slabs that transported us to somewhere meaningful for us. Julie Andrews in 1966... Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson in 2001... Judy Garland in 1939... it was pretty amazing.

Next, a driving tour through Beverly Hills and past Rodeo Drive to the Santa Monica pier for dinner and a (freezing cold) walk at sunset.

Back at home with Carolina. Stone told me that he loves Carolina as much as his own family.

And another Southern California standard... riding the waves. We're getting the hang of the beach now - there are a few beaches I can drive to and park at without needing a map, and we have all the gear and can get it to and from the water pretty quickly. Good equipment + good weather + good attitudes = fun beach days.

Sophie is our hardest sell each time we suggest a day on the sand. She hates the feeling of being dirty and wet, and the waves scare her. I was really proud of her for trying again with a smile!

Carolina and the big girls stayed in for a long time... it was a perfect wave day in San Clemente (only 15 minutes from our house!)

Stone ran back and forth and back and forth through the foam, and then body surfed for a long time, getting slammed by some of the waves but just standing up and going back for more. It was so stressful for Sophie to see him getting crashed by the waves that she was nearly in tears and couldn't watch. :)

Waiting for the perfect wave....

...Lindsay rides it in

The next day, I dropped Carolina off at Disneyland with Lucy, Sophie and Stone, and took Ariana to the airport to fly home. We were so sad to see her go!! 

Then returned to pack in an INSANE number of rides. We had left the house at 8:00 am, parked and shuttled to the entrance to walk in at 9:00 am...

...and were still going strong at 9:00 pm.

We arrived home from Disneyland barely able to brush our teeth and collapse into bed... and Carolina's flight left at 7:30 the next morning! I set my alarm for 5:40 and was unconscious until I heard a light tapping on my door... it was Carolina who had been too embarrassed to wake me up earlier, and so had just waited and worried until she had to come knock on my door. It was 6:20. I leaped out of bed, grabbed a sweatshirt and flew down the stairs, but thought there was absolutely no way. The airport is a 40 minute drive, and we were pulling out of my driveway at 6:25 to make a 7:30 flight. I won't write what my speedometer registered as I wove in and out of the fast lane... but there was no traffic (for once!!!) and we pulled up to the curb at 7:00. I made sweet Carolina, who will never inconvenience anyone, that if she wanted to get on that plane she would have to ask people to let her cut in the security line. I don't know if she did, but she made it onto her plane!!

When I arrived home I found gifts for all of us - chocolates and notebooks and candy from Spain... and on top of classic Seville polka dots was this note and a little statue of our beloved Giralda tower. We had looked and looked for the right Giralda souvenir to hang on our Christmas tree, and could never decide on one... and then suddenly we were in our last few days in Spain and didn't have time to go back to a shop and buy one! We had told Carolina this, and she bought one for us. We will miss her so much! But what a blessing that we got to see her again, and have such a jam-packed awesome three days.

San Clemente Summer

Harry Potter Acting Camp. Lucy hurled insults at Malfoy in a perfect British accent as she played Ginny Weasley; Lindsay anchored the show, delivering opening and closing lines as Dumbledore (The Arts are often short on boys. Luckily she thought it was hilarious)

Grammy and Grandpa brought cousin Cate to the San Juan Capistrano play house to see the performance. We love living by family!

Theater week continued with a performance of Fiddler on the Roof. We have listened to the music in the car many times and I have (through tears) told the kids the story in great detail, so everyone was very engaged through the nearly-three-hour production.

More family time! Cousins came over for sundaes and swimming

I just looked up bubble baths (I love Wikipedia!) to find out when kids first started forming faux beards with foam. It was the 1930's, when soap flakes were invented, and then bubble bath was marketed to kids a lot in the 1960's. May this tradition last forever.

Not pictured: my 2 months of sadness. Erik and I were starting to train for the EATMOR: the Erik Allebest Trail Mountain Ocean Run. He had done this run a few months ago and said it was the most beautiful place he has ever been, so he invited our dearest NorCal running buddies. But a few miles into a 16-miler, I injured my Achilles tendon and ended up having to quit running completely for about 6 depressing weeks. Erik finished training without me, and we all drove up to Palo Alto as planned. The kids played with friends but I shut myself into my friend Betsy's house and cried about my tendon and about not living by my friends anymore. It stunk. Then Erik got home from the run with a busted knee (he had to quit at mile 19 - the only ones to finish all 32 miles were Christie (the woman who masters everything she touches), Esther (the Australian athlete who will. not. quit.) and Zach (the 0.2% body fat machine). I'm so proud of them! Maybe next year is my year to smash through the marathon barrier and feel my spirit communing with my favorite non-human organisms: redwood trees. 

Havasupai:

Uncle Brigham planned an epic camping adventure to the Grand Canyon, and in the early Spring he invited us and Erik's parents to come along. Many family trips to R.E.I. for gear, practice hikes in our hills, taste testing dehydrated dinner packets and learning about Arizona climate and Native American history later, the day finally arrived to embark on our first family backpacking adventure.

The drive to Brigham's house through the high desert, complete with a colorful train

Joshua trees, "Mormon rocks" named after 19th-Century pioneers, cowboy country

View from Brigham's house

Stone loves their dogs (and cats and chickens and horses and goats and 4-wheeler and zip line)

These rules on the fridge made me laugh. And admire their parenting.

Brigham painted this incredible self portrait of him and Nancy, which hangs in the house they built themselves. Not designed themselves, not worked as the contractors, they actually pounded in the nails with hammers using their own hands. I can't think of anyone I'd rather hike in the desert with.

We arrived at the hotel at night to find out that a huge flash flood had inundated the canyon and village, so we wouldn't be able to get into the canyon the next morning as we'd planned. Everyone's jaw dropped - Brigham, Nancy and their kids + Erik and our two oldest girls decided to chance it and camp at the rim of the canyon, just in case it was clear enough for them to hike in. I stayed at the hotel with Sophie and Stone and Erik's parents. Sophie was really worried - it was great practice for being flexible.

And the rest of the story is to be continued.... my phone died right after I took this picture of Sophie at breakfast, but you can guess by her smile that the canyon was cleared for hiking, and in our case, helicoptering!!! I will get the rest of the photos from Erik's dad's phone and tell the rest of the twists and turns in the adventure.

Aunt Lulu and Aunt Rachel come to visit
Two days after arriving home from Havasupai/Las Vegas, we filled our house with family again - this time McPhies!! Erik went to LA for a few days, leaving us like an early-Mormon household: Three women and 10 kids. There has never been happier chaos.

Lindsay was just sitting there talking with me, and I thought she looked so pretty I made her let me take a picture

Stone's dream come true: a room full of boy cousins!

Beach day

We love the Hickoks

We love the McPhies

Lull between visitors

Stone hiding in the sheet cupboard

Lindsay and her friends kidnapping Maren on her 12th birthday. I took them to IHOP and let them sit at a table by themselves - a first for Lindsay. I stayed in the waiting area studying for the GRE (which I am going to take after all), thinking how weird it was that my girl is old enough to just sit with her friends at a restaurant and pay the bill all by themselves.

Sophie came home from Horseback-riding camp every day full of stories about the horses she loved, telling us the commands, how to make their food, clean their hooves, brush their coats, etc.

Sophie's horse, Rushmore

 Ariana comes to town

Lindsay's dear friend from Mountain View flew down by herself to visit!!

Digging a well at Salt Creek State Beach

Sophie the mermaid is sad because she misses the sea

Lucy the mermaid is happy she gets to hang out on land

The Three Amigos - we're just missing Ailey!!

Tomorrow our darling Carolina from Spain is coming to visit from Spain!!! We are so excited. And so grateful to have so many visitors brightening our lives!!