hours, days, weeks

If I'm not careful...

 the hours turn into days...

 and the days turn into weeks...

and before I know it...

lots of time has past.

I hate when that happens. 

I've wanted to share these post-Thanksgiving photos since our trip to California last year. Wow. I can hardly believe it's Thanksgiving time again!  Regardless of how many months have past, these memories of Thanksgiving 2011 are some of my favorites.  

 Thanksgiving 2011 was filled with traditions like early morning kick ball in the park, a shooting range, lots of yummy hor d'oeuvres, and sharing what we are thankful for around the dinner table.

The next day we decided to continue the fun with some beach hoping.  We started off at Dana Point.  There we found a park perfect for playing ball while overlooking the ocean.  Where else but California could you do that?

The next stop was Huntington Beach.  When we got there the sun was just started to set.  It was the perfect setting for some fun photos.

This chicka can be a real ham.

At the time, Oliver was only three months old and just starting to smile.

Grandma sure knows how to coax out those sweet smiles!

What follows is an example of what I like to call the "Jumping Phenomenon".  I have a theory as to where and how it got its start, but that's for another post.  Suffice to say, that Brooke is one of our best jumpers.  She jumps at every opportunity.  On this day she was jumping off the wall onto the sand below.  Go Brooke!

Brittany was quick to make the jump.

Nataleigh was all about posing as she jumped, and even Jacob was getting in on the fun.

Before we knew it, we were all jumping.

We started to settle down just in time to take some last photos before the sun set.

Rasmussen family, November 2011, Huntington Beach.

Me and my girl.

Belle and Brooke.

The ladies.

Just after the sun had set David got these amazing photos.  When I see these pictures a ton of memories come flooding back.  I think of all my time at the beach.  I think of  San Clemente, Dana Point, Doheny,  Salt Creek, Aliso, Laguna, Huntington, Newport, and all the other beaches by our home.  I my mind I can see the seagulls, taste the salt water, hear the waves crashing, and even feel the sand through my toes.  It makes me think of sun tans, toe rings, bon fires, dates, and driving my car down Pacific Coast Highway with U2 blaring on my radio.  I love the beach.  I love California.