Friday, June 28, 2013

CALIFORNIA 2013

June 9-16th we headed for Southern Californina for a week full of family and fun in the sun.  When we left home it was 103  and it never got above 75 the whole week we were in Cali! Since we did Disneyland last September, we took the kids to Legoland and Seaworld.  Tanner was just learning to crawl the last time we went to both places, and I'm sure we'll go back again when Kason is older to make it fair for everyone! Lots of fun and time to plan for the next vacation!

Here's what we did: 
SUNDAY: stayed in Anaheim
  MONDAY:  Huntington Beach.....

Troy and I have always wanted to rent a beach buggy...they are so fun and good exercise! whoever was in the front basket was in charge of ringing the bell.

Tanner and Braxton building their sand castle hood

A little beach picnic, I think we had more 'sand' in our sandwiches than I cared to eat!

We stopped at the Newport temple on our way to San Diego to walk around the grounds but the gates were locked.  Guess you have to do that in this neck of the woods when the temple is closed for the day....so pretty though!
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TUESDAY:  LEGOLAND
We stayed in San Diego Tues-Thurs


They all sucessfully completed the Volvo drivers course and got their licenses. 

Driving school is 3 and up - Kason barely even looks like he is 2, but they let him go anyway.  He could reach the gas pedal with his tippy toes and had a fun time.

Me and Kason waiting for Dad and our taller kids on some rides.  He was giving me his best pirate look since we were by the pirate rides. I have a picture of Tanner in this same swing 5 years ago....awe, sentimental, I know!


Look who we ran into at Legoland!
 
Jumping on the circles to make the instrument fountains play music
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 WEDNESDAY: SEAWORLD

Holding the Starfish
 
The Sea Lion show is always my favorite

Hanging out with the dolphins

Shamo show



We loved watching the penguins!

  


The kids loved chasing the birds, and they were EVERYWHERE!
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THURSDAY: USS MIDWAY AIRCRAFT CARRIER/ LEGOLAND WATER PARK
Sitting on the chains, each link weighs 130 lbs

In the ship's brig- living on that ship would be bad enough, Let alone spending time in jail!

We stopped at Legoland again to play at the new waterpark, it's amazing! The weather was too cold on Tuesday for us St. Georgians to play in the water, so we stopped to use our hopper ticket Thursday afternoon on the way back to Anaheim. Tanner left his dry shorts in the car, so he sported my cover up to walk back out to the car!



This picture won't go away without deleting others, so here's me and Tanner at Legoland earlier in the week.  We stood in line and visited with some nice people from SLC while waiting for this ride.

Tanner getting his picture drawn at Legoland

This was my splurge for the trip, I think it turned out pretty cute and just need to get it framed

Love this! If only they could be like this all the time!
We had to stop at our favorite strawberry field right by the turnoff to Legoland.  We made smoothies, strawberry shortcake, and ate them non stop the rest of the trip!  Nothing beats these red, sweet beauties!

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FRIDAY: Anaheim
We have stayed at our Anaheim condo several times, but were always so busy that we've never just hung out there.  We had the whole day to just relax so we swam and played lots of ping pong and pool in the rec room.

We took the city bus over to Disneyland and walked to Downtown Disney just to browse around the shops and had some ice cream.  Camrie discovered the rolly pollys in the planter and then they all got in on the action. I think we left with 6 bugs from Disneyland...not the kind of souveniers you'd expect.  I was sure they'd want to go into the park, but either since we'd just been there or because we'd told them enough times we weren't going this trip, they didn't even bug us about going in.  We had great views of the fireworks from the roof of our condo that we went up and watched.
Later that evening was the Anaheim Angles Vs. New York Yankees game. I supported my Yankees and the rest wore their Angles shirts and hats.  Troy was nervous that I wore my Yankees shirt, but I was more worried for them when we found our seats in the middle of a big Yankees section! It was a fun game and the Angels won, so I wore my Angels shirt the next day for my kids.
View from our seats
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SATURDAY: CALICO GHOST TOWN / Vegas
I was 7 the last time I've been to Calico and have wanted to take the kids, but it's always been too late when we've passed by.  So this trip we finally got to stop on our way back to Vegas.  It was a fun little stop walking through all the shops, going through the Mystery House of illusions which messes with your equal librium, and would like to go back and do the little train ride up to the mines



Welcome to Calico!
 
Braxton walking up the plank

How is the broom standing straight up?

Bad picture....but there is water running out of a faucet into a barrel, but there are no water pipes connected to the faucet????
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SATURDAY/SUNDAY: VEGAS
It was a little later when we got here, so the plan was swim first, eat later. We played until the pools closed then sat down to eat grilled pizza and strawberry shortcake at MIDNIGHT!  Isn't that what vacation is all about??  We played in the pools Sunday morning,  headed to Cheesecake Factory to celebrate Father's day, then home and back to reality..... 

Me and Braxton basking in the sunshine on the lazy river at the condo in Vegas
 
 
We love the pools here




Wednesday, June 5, 2013

 If you live in Dixie, you know that roaches aren't the only things out at night in the summertime....that's when people actually venture outside and the parks come alive! Yesterday it hit 100 and by 8:00pm it was nice enough  for some baseball with our fun neighbors the Farley's.  We headed over to Sunset Elem to play and were the only ones there, but by 9:00 the walking track, playground, and grass area was full of people! No wonder my kids can barely pull themselves out of bed in our early mornings when we play outside in the summer until 10 pm everynight!

Kason loved playing baseball, when he thought it should be his turn, he'd put on Braxton's helmet, grab his bat, get ready at the plate, and yell "Kason's turn!"

 I've never laughed so hard at Kason! he was so serious and totally in the 'zone'

Camrie up to bat

This little girl can't wait to turn 5 so she can play ball too!



A Day off in Beaver


Summer time in St. George has arrived!
 
Playing Pivot Pool at Grandma Smith's. Everytime a ball would go in the pocket, Kason would raise his arms up and yell, "I WON!"
 
The things we find at Grandma's house...Check out the box ....Circa 1972!

Riding bikes up to the park.  Macho man Kason on Camrie's Barbie bike

Too bad the swimming pool park , (now called 'pioneer park') wasn't this fun when I was a kid...I even climbed up on the monkey bars and showed Tanner how to hang upside down.  Yeah, this mom's still got it goin on!
 
The best view ever!
 
Kason was so tired after a fun day in Beaver! I had to add this picture of him sleeping in his pillow case like a little snail! It totally fits his personality!  So funny :)