Already 3 years old!

These 2 turned 3 today!!!  It is hard to believe that they are already 3.

To celebrate, we started the day with a birthday breakfast.  Kate and Liam opened their first birthday presents: new booster seats, which meant that they got to join us at the table!

Afterwards, we went to Seaside.  Before we went to play on the beach, we went to Norma's for some lunch.  We got a chilled crab cocktail (like a shirmp cocktail) for the kids, and Jacob had calamari.  He loves trying new things, for sure!  Kate and Liam, because it was their birthday, got a free dessert, which they shared with the group.

One elderly couple sitting next to us was very gracious as they left and thanked us for coming into the restaurant with our family and complimented the kids on how well mannered they were.  It is nice to be able to go to sit-down restaurant with this crew.

Liam was cute waiting on the bright red bench to be seated at Norma's.

After Norma's, we trekked down to the beach with all of our people and beach stuff.

We set up camp and got to playing in the sand.

The kids and Jared all started on a big sand castle.  Eventually, Claire lost interest and started digging a hole, and the other kids all joined.  She got all the way down to the water level and was as deep as her arm is long!  Nearby, Jared finished the sand castle on his own.

It was the first trip to the beach for little Torin.  As is his norm, he was pretty relaxed throughout the trip, just hanging out in tent.  We propped him up a little so he could see out.

Kate and Liam wanted to go into the water, so Jared took them down into the frigid water.  They ran in and out of the water over and over, alternating chasing and being chased by the waves, and Kate and Liam ended up going in above their bellies.  Poor Liam ended up with a pretty good rash from the sand.

 

It's a lot of work to bring all of these people to the coast, but it's worth it!

 

That night, Kate and Liam blew out the candles on their birthday cake.

Liam apparently wasn't impressed that the candles were still lit after his first attempt!

We opened presents after dinner.  Jacob and Claire contributed a half dozen home-made presents to the pile!

Kate got an Elsa dress which she was SOOO excited about!

We love these 3-year-olds!