Beach Camping

We spent 5 days camping at Carpinteria with Grandma, Jessica, & Sam and Joanna, Kirk & their kids. Jonathan, Briana and Ethan came up for 2 days and one night, it was a treat to have them join us. The weather was amazing and it was truly a fabulous vacation. The kids played from sun up till sun down. They especially enjoyed taking walks down the beach in the morning, riding their scooters around the camp grounds, playing war and speed, and making s'mores EVERY night.

We had a crazy experience late one evening when we walked right into an area where five Raccoons apparently lived. They stared at us with their big yellow eyes in the dark; it was pretty creepy. So we booked it back to our camp site and just when we thought we were safe we heard them.... they had followed us!!!! So crazy!!! We shined our flashlights in the direction of the noise (remember it is about midnight, no one else in the camp ground is awake and it is totally dark outside).... all five of these huge raccoons had climbed into the tree in our camp site and were staring right at us! I freaked out... ran to the tent, zipped it up and didn't leave again until the sun rose. That night was really weird and really scary.

Climbing Trees


Poor Julia got bitten by something... it's kind of scary to think of what could have done this! Even though her arm was all red and hot, she never complained that it hurt or bothered her, this face was just to make the picture look more dramatic!

I could hardly get Trey to stop and take this picture. What a goof ball! He was going, going, going all day every day.


We came home for a day, washed clothes, went to church and headed up to Leo Carillo, in Malibu, for another 6 days of beach camping. I must admit that when we pulled up to our site and I saw all of the dirt I would be living in for another week, I wasn't too thrilled. Of course as all of our family arrived and the fun began there wasn't anywhere else I wished to be.

The fact that we can all live together for an entire week and truly enjoy every minute of it says it all. I love being a part of the Salmon family! They know how to have fun and enjoy the simple pleasures in life and they really, truly love being together.

Cooking Breakfast

Playing ladder golf

All 12 Grandchildren ready for a scooter ride with Grandma

The kids must have found at least 50 hermit crabs at the tide pools. Julia loved holding the crabs and letting them crawl all over her hands.

Trent loves the water!

I celebrated my 29th birthday while we were there, and Darin, being the thoughtful husband he is, gave me a sweet gift from his heart. When everyone gathered around the campfire at night he brought out his guitar and sang a song he had written for me in front of everyone. It meant so much to me, especially because I know how nervous he was. It was such a cute song and the highlight of my birthday! He is the best!

Lauren turned 6 months while we were vacationing. She is now sitting up, rolling from her back to tummy and tummy to back, playing with her feet, grabbing toys and and putting them in her mouth, and especially enjoys making noise and listening to her own voice. She will let out a long, loud yelling sound and let it go as long as she can until her face turns red, then stop and smile at her accomplishment and do it all over again! It is such a crack up! We love her happy, peaceful personality and can't imagine our family without her!