As we approach the end of summer—Joe and William are both already back in school, and Julia is just a couple weeks away from starting college—we have a quick trip down memory lane: a selection of photos from Mother’s Day, 2014.

We celebrated the holiday with our pre-pandemic tradition of visiting the Santa Cruz beach boardwalk. Some years, it’s been too cold or windy, and we’ve had to delay our visit until later in the year, but the weather was perfect for this trip. By the time we got there, it was warm enough for the kids to frolic on the beach and in the surf, and we even had a visit from a passing dolphin.

When we’d had enough of the sand and water, we headed up to the boardwalk to partake of its gifts, primarily unhealthy food and carnival rides. Pay particular attention to the look of abject terror on Joe’s face on the Rock & Roll ride.

Even William, then less than a year old, had a great time. There were plenty of new and novel sights, sounds, and smells for him to experience, and he has always been happy to spend a day out with the family.

Gallery: Mother’s Day 2014