girls

"Mom, take a picture...."

a "climb in bed with mom" morning

Springtime Sunday

And some more Sunday afternoon photos

First Derby

Michael did a good job in the heat of cub scout competition.  Grandpa helped shape the car with his sander.  I helped Michael choose a design, paint, getting the wheels on, and add weight at the last minute.  And dad helped a lot too.  Next year we'll know what we're doing a little more and maybe enjoy it a little more too.  :)

Springtime Family Visits

Fun at Grandma's -- We don't get over there enough.

We got to have cousins stay at our house on their visit.

Ella had a birthday and the girls painted nails and beaded necklaces. 

Tessa was in her element!  

These ladies have superpowers.  Really.


  I don't know why my sisters vacuum and clean
when they come visit my house....

 

 

 

Renee is helping me get a garden started.  
We are taking out the sod in the corner of the yard and moving it to the 
side where the weeds have prevailed.  It is very motivating to me to see 
the dirt and weeds replaced with grass that I can easily mow!  




Leisel gets to be outside now much more after her first long winter.  
But it's still hard to get things done and keep her happy.  
Thank goodness for Renee's help! 

Jared's family came for dinner and to deliver some things in the truck.  :)  
After visiting there was more visiting outside.  
Teresa called it "Truck Talk."

      More time in the truck with cousins in Garland

the boys' last day

Jared took the boys to Legoland with his brother Derek!

He took lots of photos of the Miniland and Lego StarWars Miniland.

They got wet on the pirate boat ride and didn't dry off the whole day.  brrr...

Shark tank

I love Jordan's reaction here.

I was glad Jared took photos so I could see what they were up too.

Other favorite spots were the Lego Club area with Master Builder's Academy, roller coasters, and driving kid sized Lego cars (They had to obey traffic signs and all).
We couldn't take a trip to Southern California with those two young Lego lovers without getting them to Legoland.  Jared wasn't so sure it was a necessary investment.  But it was a good way to finish the trip.
Meanwhile back at the condo, I packed up all our bags and cleaned up the condo to be ready for the trek home.  We left as soon as they got home and had a bite of dinner.  Homeward bound!

Flagship

One of the last days of our trip, we went on a whale watching trip out of San Diego Bay.  Jordan loves learning about sea animals and especially orca whales.  He has told me a few times that he wants to see them in their real habitat.  So when Stan told us about this trip, we decided to try it out with the whole family.  

I took this photo as we were pulling away from the dock.  The aircraft carrier museum is along the same pier.  The "other" whale watching boat is behind us, leaving at the same time.  I chose the less expensive boat and felt a little guilty because I realized it was less stable and more apt to rock in the waves and produce sea sickness.  But, I chose the right boat for a great sighting!  The naturalist and crew said we had the best show in years.

As we left the bay we saw the city skyline, resort areas, military areas, natural reserves, and the Point Loma lighthouse.  It was fun to see it from a boat with a lot less traffic and trouble with navigation.  The tradeoff though was that Michael got a bad case of sea sickness and Jordan (our fearful one) got pretty nervous about being in the open sea and deep water.  Overall I think it was a valuable learning experience that we won't forget.   

The grey whales follow the same migration pattern Northward along the coast to their feeding grounds each Spring.  Our boat, and a couple other small ones you can see in the pictures, caught sight of 5 whales and 20 or so dolphins playing in the water around them.  The whales were stopped maybe eating or just resting.  We stayed near them in the water for a good 40 minute show before heading back to the bay.   

Michael slept after the Dramamine kicked in.  After filling up his first white sack, he kept the second one close by.

Leisel, Tessa and Jordan were the only ones not affected by the boat's motion. 

Tessa made a friend with the only other girl on board.  It was just what she needed since the total trip was about 4 hours!  I came with lots of activities and treats for her to share.   

I loved seeing the sea lions sun bathing on every buoy and dock along the way.

Jared found a good spot along the harbor to try some fresh oysters and a red clam chowder.  

Old Town and Mission Beach

The closest we got to Mexico on our trip was a great restaurant in Old Town San Diego, and it pretty nearly satisfied me. I wish I would have taken more photos of the colorful fountains and garden.
 

Then we went a block down the street to the visitors center for the Mormon Battalion.  It was awesome!  They asked us to "like them on facebook" and I did. :) 

Michael loved being the volunteer recruit.  The gun is a foot taller than he is. :)

The big and little kids love panning for gold!

I had planned to spend LOTS of time at the beach during the trip. But we only made it for an hour!  ...Right before rush hour and getting back to the condo for dinner.  Jared did not enjoy my navigation around San Diego.  :0 
We did have lots of "marine life" time on the boat trip and at the aquariums.  Maybe it was better that way since we came during the Springtime chill.... 
The cold, with sweatshirts and all, didn't keep the kids from jumping right in at the beach.  When they got back in the car they were soaked and covered with sand.

Jordan is reunited with the beach!!    

I love how the video captures some of the kids' personalities and quirks