Newport...

We love spending time in California's Newport, so we figured, why not check out Rhode Island's Newport!  It was so fun and so charming; we wish we had more days to explore.  We drove to the tip of Long Island to Orient Point and took a auto ferry over to New London.  We pulled out just as the sun was setting, and it made for a gorgeous departure.  

We pulled into Newport and drove straight to the Red Parrot where we had some of the best clam chowder I've ever tasted…for real.  It was official, we were in New England!  The next morning we woke up, had a delicious breakfast at the Hungry Monkey Cafe, and headed toward the Cliff Walk.  Some of it was closed due to damages caused by Hurricane Sandy, but it was still fun to see. We saw the "40 Steps", a place the servants from the nearby mansions used to gather on their time off, and made the walk down to the bottom to get a closer look at the ocean.  

We knew our kids wouldn't be too thrilled about touring more than one mansion, so we chose "The Breakers" because it was the most kid friendly, and famous, of the Newport Mansions.  It was amazing, complete with a 'playhouse' about the size of our actual house.  I enjoyed seeing all of it, but when I asked Finnley what her favorite part of the house was, she said "none of it, it was all boring!" So, if you're traveling with kids, maybe skip the mansions?

Day two started out with another breakfast at the Hungry Monkey (it was yummy)!  Then we were off to explore downtown Newport.  We checked out the Lobster Factory, ate at the Black Pearl, spied the sailboats and did a little shopping.  

Our favorite part of Newport was most definitely the 10-mile drive!  I only wish it was biking weather because it would have been so fun to bike the 10 miles along the coast, amazing mansions, and gorgeous scenery.  Its a must see, whether you see it in the car, trolly, or on a bike!

On my parents last day in New York we headed into the city to show them the World Trade Center memorial.  It always overwhelms me when I think about what actually happened, and how it must have felt to be living in New York City at the time.  After, we hopped on the subway to Times Square to eat potato pancakes and goulash at Junior's - the only reason my dad likes to come into the city!  

As always, we hated saying goodbye. We always have such a great time when my parents come to visit, and we are looking forward to their next visit soon!

USS Midway...

Our first night of the Duckworth Beach week, we stayed down on Corondo Island.  After a day full of walks on the boardwalk, and swimming in the pool, we decided to go over and check out the USS Midway in San Diego.  I'd never been on an aircraft carrier before and it was very cool.  The kids were so cute with their headphones on listening to the tour.

Finn got her Junior Ranger badge by answering a bunch of questions, and then got "sworn in".  She was so proud!

Remi is quite the mama's girl, and at this point she didn't want to walk away from me.  Breaks my heart, but so cute at the same time.

We really enjoyed touring the USS Midway and finished our day off in Old Town San Diego at the Mormon Battalion and eating some Mexican food.  Doesn't get better than that!

 

Duckworth Beach Week...

The first week of October, we drove down to San Clemente, CA to spend a week on the beach with Mitch's family.  We had perfect beach weather and perfect company.  We spent all day on the beach, soaking up the sun, riding the waves, and enjoying our family.

Finn loved boogie boarding with Jayden, Jackson and Carter, while Dieter dug in the sand with Reese and Mason.  Remi and Harper just napped in the shade and went with the flow.

One day we rented surf boards and paddle boards.  The kids had a blast working out their surfing skills and the adults had fun paddle boarding out into the ocean.  Although, we did have a few accidents including stitches and a torn ligament due to the waves knocking over paddle boarders.  It didn't dampen the fun though!

One of my favorite pictures.  Love these two so much!

Finnley and Reese

Grandma and Grandpa with their NINE grandkids!

Harper and Remi…just 23 hours apart!

We had such a great week and didn't want to leave.  We miss California everyday and still think of it as our home.  We are so grateful for the Duckworth's for putting on another great family trip. We feel blessed to have such great siblings and parents on both sides of our family.  How did we get so lucky?