18 November 2023

There and Back Again

Driving to Oregon is long. Driving to California and then back home again? Even longer. 

But we did it. 

Lots of snacks
And lots of breaks.
Getting out of the car is essential to everyone's mental health!
Plus, spinning in circles is just fun.

Since the kids were skipping school, we had them do school work while we drove all the way to California.
Which is exhausting.
Stopping in Oregon meant taking a rest day and seeing my sister!
 Although we only saw Loradona for a few hours, I'm so glad she made the effort to see us!
We spent some time with my parents, relaxing, before we headed down to California. 
Mount Shasta! 
While we were in California, we were pretty busy. Disneyland and California Adventure, the aquarium, Medieval Times and La Brea Tar Pits, the temple...
But in between it all, we found time to just hang out. Mostly at the pool.
My little water babies were happy in the middle of the afternoon
Or in the evening before bed. 
As long as there was water to jump into and floaties to play with!
PS, best use of $20, buying the 3 floaties for the kiddos. 

Thanks for a pretty good trip (in spite of the heat), California! 
Time to head back home!

07 November 2023

A Day of Rest

During our trip to California, we made the choice to be intentional with our Sabbath Day. That meant going to church (even on vacation), spending time with family, and going to the LA Temple. 

Of course, it was hot, so the interior of the Visitor's Center was very welcome. We watched church videos 
and built temples with the toys.

And we had to take a picture (or 7) the Christus statue, 
beach-y edition. 

In spite of the heat, we took a couple of minutes to walk the grounds, as well.
(Caleb wanted a picture of himself "meditating" in front of the temple.)
We sought shade wherever we could find it. 
I have come to realize how vital rest can be, 
and our Sunday - our day of rest - was a lovely oasis in a very busy couple of weeks.

01 November 2023

Bubbling pits and honorable knights

While in California for Disneyland (and dolphins), we also took a jaunt into LA proper and went to the La Brea Tar Pits.
(Shade was always a hot commodity for us this trip...)
It was a lot of fun, seeing the tar bubble up and all the bones. We went to a puppet show that Caleb, in particular, really enjoyed. 
And had to ask all the questions afterwards. 
He came home with a dire wolf toy that he has been bringing with him everywhere. It's actually kind of annoying. Haha.
With a mammoth!

Another part of our journey was going to Medieval Times.
And checking out the horses!
We got to be yellow (which is Caleb's favorite color!)
The kiddos loved cheering for their knight, even if he lost, and booing at the enemies. Yay mob mentality!

It's nice to have quieter days in between our Disney days. Plus, it's fun to eat chicken legs and tomato bisque! 

26 October 2023

Sharks, rays, lorikeets, and DOLPHINS!

Our trip to California was obviously about Disneyland. Of course it was. But we wanted to do some other things, too. For our budding marine biologist, we decided to check out the Aquarium of the Pacific.

21 October 2023

Happiest Vacation on Earth

Earlier this month, we took a big trip. Lots of driving, to end up in California.
And at... Disneyland!
How magical.
We, along with my parents, spent 2 days at Disneyland and one day at California Adventure. 

27 September 2023

A decade of Craig

Craig, my favorite middle child (sorry Cliff!), has turned 10. 
A whole decade. Can you believe it!?!

Craig got his first present all the way back in July, when the Mays came to town
Grammie May made him a quilt!
It's got rainbow cats and video games and science and... he loves it.

Now fast forward to present day...
Craig begged to go do laser tag for his birthday. We lucked out and had a couple of free game coupons, so we decided the entire family could go.
We had a blast. They randomly assign groups, and Craig, Kyler, and I were on the purple team, while Calista and Caleb were the green team. We (mostly Kyler) spent a lot of time shooting Caleb, and running around, laughing. The green team ended up winning
but Craig had the highest score on the purple team! Way to go, Craig! 

Of course, for his birthday, there were more presents. 
He got Lego, Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them (the book, not the movie) and some hover balls.
They are fun, but dangerous! Especially for the videographer!

And, there was also cake. Obviously.
M&M cookie cake for my favorite 10-year-old.
The night before his birthday, I asked Craig for a hug. "It'll be my last ever Craig 9 hug!"
In the morning, he crawled into my bed and gave me a hug. "Your first ever Craig 10 hug! And there will be a lot more!"
Happy birthday, my little man. I love you.
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