Cookies and The Beach

This picture has a story and it's a great story about an eight year olds determination to make something big happen.  Back in 2008 we made our first trip to the beach in Carlsbad, CA with our little family.  We had so much fun that we had to go back the following two summers.  Lazy days playing in the sun, sand and ocean with family...is there anything better?

Summer 2008

Last summer we didn't plan very well and our summer beach tradition fell by the side and we had a very disappointed 7 year old.  Well, about 3 months ago, Preston my now eight year old, asked if we were going to the beach in the summer.  He asked me to check and see if there was a room available at the hotel where we usually stay.  Surprisingly there was a room available, but I explained to Preston that it is expensive to stay at a hotel for a 7 nights and we hadn't been planning on this trip.  Preston is a quite crier and as I turned to him, I could see his big blue eyes filling up with tears.  Preston is also a thinker and as I looked at his face, I could see that in his little mind he was making a plan.  He looked at me and said, "I am going to earn it!  Will you make cookies for me and then I can sell them."  Wait a minute...you want to earn $1500 for the hotel???  Selling cookies???  Well guess what...WE DID IT!!  I made cookies (A LOT of cookies) once a week and Preston and I would sit out on the corner selling Preston's Out of This World Cookies (he came up with the name in the middle of his outer space/rocket obsession) for eleven weeks through wind and heat and we earned enough to pay for the hotel.  Todd and Noah also played a big part because they would take turns watching Stells so that I could sit with Preston every week.  It was definitely a family effort and it will be an experience we will remember for the rest of our lives.  Amazing things can happen when a determined eight year old dreams big and comes up with great big ideas!

 Summer 2012