A Pat Surprise and Jump Rock

Our friend Patrick flew down from Oregon on Friday night just to come to our neighborhood Halloween party on Saturday! What a surprise! Danny and I wanted to show him around before he took-off Sunday morning. We thought it would be fun to take him for a boat ride and swim out to Jump Rock. Here are some pictures from Saturday morning. Fun stuff!

Shanny on the dock.

Boyzzz. Aaahummm... I mean MEN.

Danny and Pat.

I'm diggin the suspenders Patty! 

The gang.

We had to fill-up the boat before we made our way to Jump Rock

Shanny and I hopped off the dock and got some fruit for the ride. I love this little stand -- so cute. Danny and I walk past it when we take evening strolls around Balboa Island.

We made it to Jump Rock and dropped the anchor about 300 feet away. The swim was the only hard part...it's a bit cold in October and we "trunked it" in Daniel's terms (meaning, without a wetsuit). Pat didn't bring trunks so he decided to swim in his jeans and suspenders. Ha-ha he's hilarious! What a good sport. Once we reached the rock, we climbed up the back side and jumped off!

It's such a rush! I love it!

You can only climb the back side on calm days, otherwise the waves will smash you against the barnacle rocks. Some people prefer to climb the front of the cliff if they are swimming from the beach.

Here are some great videos put together by fellow jumpers. If you're ever in town, you've got to try it! The rock is about 25-30 feet high. It's surrounded by kelp beds and beautiful Garibaldi fish. Just make sure you bring someone that knows the area and can show you how to jump safely. 

So much FUN! 

Shark Picture: This Made My Heart Stop

So I came across a horrifying post on tumblr... it literally made my heart hurt. What do you think, real or fake? Either way, I would never want to be in this situation!

A husband and wife and their 15 year old son were on vacation in Australia. The husband was previously in the Navy and been trained in diving. He thought it would be fun to scuba dive with his family. Their son wanted to take a picture of his parents with all their gear on, so he got out the water camera and took this picture. The father noticed that his son looked panicked and proceeded to give him the "ok" signal to see if his son was alright.
The son took the picture and swam back to the boat in a frenzy! Naturally his parents followed him to make sure he wasn't hurt. When they reached the safety of the boat. The son explained to his parents that a shark was behind them. His parents thought that he was joking. They only believed their son after they viewed this picture.

This is what they saw.

Our Fishing Trip

Danny and I went fishing with my Grandparents at 6:30AM yesterday. We launched the boat in Dana Point and headed north towards Laguna and Newport.  We snacked on edamame, fresh strawberries and oatmeal cookies while Grandpa gave us lessons on tying polymer and cinch  knots for our hooks. I loved taking pictures of the beautiful coastline and spending time with my family. P.S. Grandma, Danny and I caught about eight mackerel and released them (yucky eats). Grandpa…the fish whisperer of fishermen, caught two beautiful Sea Bass. Good job Grandpops!

Grandpa and Danny getting the boat ready

Lovebirds

 Giant sea cliff mansion in Dana Point

Hoping for a big one!

No luck!

Laguna Beach

This is one of my favorite beaches called Thousand Step in Laguna Beach. This early morning picture doesn't do it justice -- it's a beautiful secluded cove with clear water and a soft white sand. The trek to get here is a little tiring (hence the name) but it's well worth it! I love the  beach huts and the rickety old elevator that someone made to make their daily visit less daunting.

One of Grandpa's Sea Bass! He never fails to catch a fish!

Thousand Step (Laguna)

 A resort in Laguna and our friendly fishing neighbors

Sun bathing beauties (Dana Point)

 Crumbling cliff? Yikes! (Dana Point)

One of Dana's old fishing vessels

 It was a great morning!

A Summer Day

Awwww summer, how I have missed you. I had an amazing day at Old Man’s with a few of my best buds. Nothing is better than a hot day on the beach with a cold watermelon and smashball. Danny and the boys went surfing, while us ladies caught some rays (don’t worry, I lathered-up on my SPF 90+). It was truly a relaxing day. It’s beginning to feel a lot like….summer every where I go!

P.S. How do you like our classy Winnebago?

Mmmmmmm I love my watermelon!

Shan's excited about the "food setting" on her new camera ha-ha. Thanks for the great pictures Shannie.

Danny, AJ and Ev

Trusty Rainbows. I live in these year round!

Bamboo showers, surf racks and BBQ's!

This little kid was so cute. He ran over to me and wanted to make sure I was witnessing the huge waves he was running away from. "Excuse me...did you see that!? Did you see how big that was!?"

" I did! It was giant! You are SO brave!"

Our classy ride

After a beautiful day at the beach, we headed to Pedro's for a bite to eat and then to Lavendar Lounge for some tea and choobee to go.