this was our first stop.
you can't really tell from here but it's really high.
and i was losing my mind with them climbing and leaning.
i actually at one point yelled "i can't take it!!!" and walked away!
craig just laughed at my fear of heights.
my heart was pounding!
they went up on the ferris wheel…i did not.
doesn't sound fun to me.
for me or for them (me: sit down! stop leaning! sit down! don't do that! sit down!…pass out.)
i loved the color out there.
everything should be painted like this.
after the pier we walked the beach.
it was cold so we didn't get out their swimsuits.
they still went in.
oh well.
we stayed completely dry.
soaked.
we showered off and they put on their jammies in the public beach bathrooms
and we headed for the hotel 2 hours away.
another very exciting event…a hotel!
we shared one room.
lauren was thrilled.
it was not a problem at all because it was late and we all fell asleep the second we laid down.
everyone had a bed but annie.
everywhere we went she got to have "special beds" (cushions with blankets on the floor)
and she loved it.
craig even let me get ready in peace the next morning.
he took all the kids to the continental breakfast by himself.
because he's awesome.
on our way out of the hotel….
JACKPOT.
annie has a card obsession.
i told her "you can have as many as you want"
she was stoked.
Shay - Ah, my hometown. I jumped off the Santa Monica Pier when I was in the “Mermaids” program through the Municipal Pool. It was high back then too. You must have been just down the beach because we were out visiting family, in Santa Monica, at the Pier and at Ocean Park Beach about the same time!
Blessings, Shay
kim - great shots meg!
Laura - Cool Mom – You are,,, I totally get the ferris wheel & the pier thing, I have abandoned my kids, because I didn’t want to watch them fall off xyz-highplace. @$!#@$@#$ Can’t take it… I literally crawled out of the capitol viewing tower in Baton Rouge, LA,… I think I saw a plane fly by when we were up there, in my brief view.
LOVE the picts.
Jess - teen smiling….yeah! hubby smiling…yeah! beach, rides,hotels…sounds like a great vacation! you guys make it look so easy! -jess
Amber - Oh no! Now i FEEL BAD! HUG IS *OBSESSED* BIG TIME WITH THESE (woops, sorry about caps) free cards & brochures too & I spent our recent trip trying to limit him to only 1 or 2 at a time. Shall take your lead next time 🙂
Becky @ Farmgirl Paints - Hi Meg,
Just got my Country Living magazine and recognized your name immediately. Congrats on the blurb on page 12. Great photo of your little one.
meaghan easterhaus - love all the pics! i’ve been wondering for some time now…how do you take such great pics indoors w/o a flash?
Laura - It is so neat to see my “home” with your family! That beach you were at? That is where we will be parked all summer long!!!!
The ferris wheel with Annie wading in the water is something I would frame in my own home! so beautiful.
Nessa Dee - Great pics! Love the one with your little girl in the water with the amusement park backdrop!
rachel - Looks like the you and your family were having a great summer holiday, I love going to the seaside…. Can’t wait for to part 3…. 😀
traci - I hope you read your comments. I didnt see a place to send you a personal email or I would have. I might have to check again. ANYHOW……..My parents live in Leavenworth,KS and are getting ready to celebrate their 45th Wedding Anniversary!! My sister and I were chatting about what really special thing we could do for their Anniversary and thought LETS DO A FAMIY PICTURE. One hasnt been done in waaaaay too long. I wasnt sure how far you were from LV. KS? We both agreed no more stuffy studio pics. Soooo, let me know if you know? Here is my email hey_traci@yahoo.com …..THANKS meg 🙂
Heather - Fantastic pics! I agree with your other fans — the blue wall and the pic with the ferris wheel in the background our stunning. Way to go mom and dad — you make taking 5 kids on a cross-country vacation look easy.
Nicole Q - Loved all the pics . . . especially the ones with the blue wall! I laughed out loud at Annie picking up fliers! My twins go crazy at these things!! Free fun!!
Lisa K in FL - Meg, I couldn’t find a link to email you, but wanted to let you know I raved about your photos in my post this morning 🙂
traci - the pictures are great meg. i love all the ones of the kids in the water. beautiful. lauren looks so cute. love her outfit and bag!!! can’t wait to see more. ps. i am not afraid of heights, but i probably would have freaked out at them climbing in the rails too. sometimes i am a nervous nelly.
Ashley - Meg, We loved Santa Monica pier when my kids were young too. I had some friends kids one summer and we went to the pier to show them and I felt sick the whole time just knowing it would be one of her kids that fall over and Im not a good swimmer… I feel panicked just thinking about it! I knew exactally what you were talking about- LOL
The pictures are great, Im glad you guys had a wonderful time. Glad your back!
~Ashley
Rach - Well hey, you were just down the street from me. I should have come and sad hello. 🙂 Sounds like you guys had a great time. I am glad Cali treated you so well.
rhondagill@comcast.net - You take fantastic photos! Loved the blue painted wall background. Also, your daughter in the water with the ferris wheel in the background. Great memories!
the rauths - love your photos … you were in our backyard! =) btw, is there a tutorial for annie’s dress? i’ve seen it on a few other blogs and want to make my neices some.
elizabeth - wonderful pictures of my town — glad you enjoyed your stay in Los Angeles! The only thing that made me wince was the wading in the water below the Pier — one of the most polluted beaches in southern CA — oh well…
your blog is just addictive — thank you for it!
callie grayson - ah, what a great time you had! I wish I had known, I am from there and I would have suggested some great spots for you to visit.
next time:)
callie
the tulip lady - You know…I live in Texas currently and have met people who have never left the state (granted, it is a VERY big state and takes a whole day just to drive yourself OUT of it) so way to go taking the whole fam on an adventure like this one!
Danielle H. - Hi, Meg. You don’t know me but I stalk your blog! Went to Santa Monica Pier last December — loved it! This has nothing to do with the post though. Just opened my July Country Living and there was a pic of Annie and I thought, wow, that look’s like the daughter on the Whatever blog. Then I read the info and it WAS her and was written by you. What a small world. Couldn’t find an email address for you on your blog so thought I would comment! I’m sure you already know about this but you hadn’t blogged about it!
Keri R. - I love Lauren’s scarf! So cute!
jamie - Good Old Santa Monica Pier! Did you go down the boardwalk a few miles to Venice Beach? That is always a kids dream. Wonderful People watching down there too. Beautiful shots.
Sandy Coppertone - Hey, I was there last summer while visiting my daughter. She lives about a mile inland from the pier. She’s going to school out there. Major in Psychology; Minor in Photography. The pictures she sends me are so different than yours. She had a darker, more gritty style to her photography.
I love the blue wall picture especially the second one taken at an angle.
I’m hoping your next stop was San Diego; my favorite place on earth.
Beth - Hmmmm. A dislike of heights and airplane smell. A love of photography, kids, blogging. We must be cut from the same cloth.
Elisa - Your boys in the group shot- totally crack me up!
Becky @ Farmgirl Paints - Oh I’ve been to Santa Monica many times, but never made time for the Pier. What in the world am I thinking? That looked like so much fun. That blue wall was the absolute perfect backdrop. Can’t wait to see more.
thatgirlblogs - Do you ever get tired of hearing how much we love your pictures?
Heather Anuta - Great pictures! I was just in Santa Monica (and all over California) last week on a road trip. My friend and I spent a great evening at the pier and your pictures made me happy, remembering the fun we had.
Cate O'Malley - Love the one with the kids against the wall, and the one of Annie with the ferris wheel in the background. I hear you about too many pictures. I got nearly 850 on our cruise in January, and over 200 from my daughter’s first birthday. It’s a fine line between not wanting to miss anything and getting just the *right* shot.
erica - i love your pictures! they are so bright & beautiful! you make me miss home as i am a cali girl born & raised now living in the south (go figure!). i love santa monica and the pier. looks like you guys had a blast, can’t wait to see what else you did on your trip 🙂
Molly Pearce - Beautiful pictures!!!!! Love the one with Annie in the ocean with the pier in the background, you frame that one and the one of all your kids lined up as well. Love the plane pictures too, I’ll never ride in a plane, too scared but looks like you all had a great flight and vacation. Wish you lived nearer I would have you take pictures of me and my family. Have a great weekend!!!
~Molly P
Kathy - I love your pictures, your family is darling!
Sarah - I love the one of all the kids lined up along the wall. Precious.
And the one of Annie in the ocean with the pier in the background is amazing!
i feel like I was there with ya’ll.
Amanda - I was totally the kid on the “special beds”. Except my family never called them that. It was more like, “Mandi, you’re on the floor in the middle.” Punks. 🙂
Anna Marie - I am scared of heights too! Definitely would have been freaking out a bit and definitely would not have road the Ferris Wheel.
Mindy Harris - ferris wheel pic is my all time fave. i can smell the salt and fish. i want to go.
Lisa - Hey Meg,
Your trip looks like it was a lot of fun. I can’t wait to be a parent and do fun stuff like this. Your eye for photography is also wonderful. I love looking at your pictures.
Take care,
Lisa
Lori Danelle - I hear ya about the ferris wheel!!! I hate heights! I can do any roller coaster before I’ll even consider a ferris wheel. I HATE THEM!!!! I know it’s irrational, but you just learn you’re limits!
http://loridanelle.blogspot.com
Mandi - Santa Monica pier is the MOST AMAZING place I have ever been. I am glad you enjoyed it as much as I did!
Angela - You are the coolest mom.
Jenn Thomas - These makes me miss the ocean so much!
Nina - I just love the pics! Especially of all of the kids against that awesome blue wall…….def, frame worthy!! haha