I have now been working on this post for roughly a week and have had to change this first sentence a couple of times. Needless to say, the Hess family has been extremely busy for the last three four weeks and here are some shots to show what we have been up to!
A few weeks back, just after Father's Day, Jay was busy with the NACC and I was busy with Sportscamp, it was a great week, but we were both pretty exhausted. A couple days after that, our lovely Smith Family came for a visit. They were on our summer bucket list and the kids were so excited when they got here! We hit some of the major highlights of the Cincy area and got to see some great shows including a movie, a firework show and C and K go round and round like any sisters will when close in age and temperament! The day that the Smiths left to go back home, Jay and I flew out to California for a few days...just the two of us. We had a great time and can't thank Tiki and Grandpa enough for the nice little get-a-way without the kiddos!
First, off....Cincinnati Museum Center.
Here is the crew at Coney Island. They loved it and it might have been a few of their most favorite activity of the week!
Our two spunky girls got up the nerve to do the roller coaster first. I love the excitement on K's face and the way that C's looking up at the big coaster! C has done this coaster before with her Auntie Paula, but when asked how she liked it she will tell you honestly that she cried the whole time. I was shocked that we got her on it again this year, but proud of her for trying it again!
She is still looking! 
And, the after picture of the brave girls and two goofy dads......K is super proud and pumped and C will still not take her eyes off that thing! I can only imagine what she was thinking!
Some shots of the big slide. I always forget that I am afraid of heights when I get all the way up there and I am expected to sit down on a tiny slide, without slipping down on the bag while holding one of my offspring. All of the children (and Josh) loved it way more than I did!
This is the tilt-a-whirl. Let's just say that Jay and I did not have a good experience on it, but the kids loved it! We are both concerned that we are not going to be able to keep up with our thrill seeking children as they grow!
The carousel and some cute little boys!
My personal favorite...the bumper cars. All the kids enjoyed these!
Scrambler and the brave big kids that would ride it alone! 
Ferris wheel with kiddos and dads!
Trains and spaceships!
We also visited the zoo and got to catch one of the barnyard shows. The kids really like it and KB even got to race a chicken!
And of course, a reds game!
The day that our sweet Smith Family left, Jay and I headed out west to LA to spend a few days without the kiddos. We saw some of the sights, took a tour, lounged and enjoyed some local scenery.
Below is a cool spot in Laguna Beach by the Montage Resort. We ended up coming back here again at toward the end of our trip. Just beautiful.
We rented a tandem bike in Venice and enjoyed the 3 mile ride up to the Santa Monica Pier.
We try to take shots like these wherever we go.
Teamwork makes the dream work when you are working with a tandem bike...
There was a bubba gump shrimp restaurant on the pier. We didn't eat there, but we had to get a shot of Jay sitting on the famous bench from the movie.
We went on one of those "see the sights" tours. It was long, but fun and interesting.
Within the next couple of hours we are headed out to Florida, the kids are so excited about the plane ride, the ocean and the crabs with their chompy, chompy's!