Some of Jonathan

Jonathan must be getting big because I don't take any "photo shoots" of him anymore!  This last one is from May.  

The bear is Jared's childhood teddy bear made by his great-grandma.   

EPIC Field Trips

We had some pretty fun field trips throughout the year.  

We love Norman Rockwell!  We had so many favorites at this exhibit.  He portrays America and family life in a fun, wholesome way. 

Norman Rockwell does a lot of self-portraits.  So this was Candy's modern spin on his style with a cell phone while I was taking a photo.

The next morning as the kids were eating breakfast I had a flashback of Rockwell's Kellogg cereal advertisements and had a good laugh.  

Here are more of our Tree of Life crafts from Lehi's vision.

The Iron Rod is the Word of God -- the primary exhibit at the Relief Society building downtown

Eating yummy fruit on every outing

The kids learned about a prophet to teach our group and we visited the Hall in the Conference Center with the busts of each prophet.

Then we visited homes where the prophet's lived in Salt Lake City.  Tessa learned about Wilford Woodruff.  Now when  I go to Liberty Park I remember his farmhouse that is just a block away.   

We also visited the graves of prophets in the Salt Lake Cemetary.

At the end of the year we did a reenactment of Lehi's dream.   

Grandpa and Grandma

Grandma and Grandpa H are really good at keeping in touch through skype video calls.  Here's a photo of how we see them for the last many months.  As summer got closer we were excited and we prepared for our trip to visit with them in Mexico City.  More on that later....  We have started the countdown for their return.  And we're glad they are staying busy till then taking care of a great bunch of missionaries in the MTC.

Grandmother and Linda

Grandmother Harston and Aunt Linda live close by and we are able to see them fairly regularly.  I remember visiting my Tucker great-grandparents when I was young and am glad that I have some memories of them.   It is a blessing for these kids to hear some stories about their heritage and get to know Grandma's personality.  

Jordan compares artwork with Grandma. 

It is especially a treat for the younger kids when Linda get's out her books and toys.  She has a great collection of games and fun music.  We can sometimes catch up with cousin Josh when we visit too.

Jonathan was rocking up a storm in Grandma's little rocking chair.

We made an experimental batch of Easter divinity to share with Grandma.

San Diego April 2016

Saturday Traveling

Conference tradition of Fruit Loop Necklaces --road trip version
I was pretty unsure of how a 10 hour + drive would go and I wanted to be able to listen to General Conference as well, so I packed LOTS of quiet busy activities for the kids.  

Michael was pretty happy with his fancy new Rubik's cube and sudoku book.

Tessa drew a cute picture.  And Jonathan was a champ, although I sat by him the whole way.


We found an In 'n Out and cached in our free library burgers in San Bernidino.  I realized the crossed palm trees were part of their logo.  We just don't have them in SLC.  :)

The drive went pretty quickly.  We did panic when our car battery died about 15 minutes from La Jolla.  The helpful gentleman that offered his cables didn't realize they didn't work and we thought we had a bigger problem on our hands than needing a jump.   

Sunday in So Cal

The condo we got to stay in (courtesy of Jared's boss) was beautiful and so convenient.  It was on the same exit from I-5 as the San Diego temple.  On Sunday, we watched conference and found a few places to explore.

We took a few meals on the road during the week, but ended up eating most of our meals at the condo.

Our first stop Sunday between sessions was a closeby monument to veterans called Mt. Soledad.  It was a good chance to explore the area and stretch our feet after our long Saturday drive and Conference morning.  The parking lot was at the bottom of the hill, but we welcomed the time to see all the new and different plants.  We were at a high point in La Jolla above the morning mist and it was strange to look down and see the clouds below near the houses.  

In the afternoon we went to a nature walk area near Scripps Reserve.  We saw lizards and rabbits, big beetles and strange bugs.

dandelion type succulent ground cover

That's the ocean in the background!

This is one of the houses on the cliffs overlooking the canyons and beaches.   

dew even in late afternoon from the moist climate

heart shaped prickly pear

cute Tessa!

We also went to the Children's Pool beach where the Sea Lions sunbathe and took a walk on the boardwalk.  It was our first sight of the beach up-close!  We made it!  Our goal for the trip was to have lots of time to explore and enjoy the natural habitat and wildlife of San Diego.

We also went to the Children's Pool beach where the Sea Lions sunbathe and took a walk on the boardwalk.  It was our first sight of the beach up-close!  We made it!  Our goal for the trip was to have lots of time to explore and enjoy the natural habitat and wildlife of San Diego.

After dinner we drove to Torrey Pines State Beach and Park --also 5 minutes from the condo.

 BIG pine cone

Jonathan wasn't sure about the waves.

the shoes take a break

The kids came home more wet than we hoped after chasing the waves on the beach.  Except Leisel.  She and Jonathan kept a pretty good distance from the water the whole trip.   

The short outings were perfect for traveling with kids and allowed us to get our feet wet without the stress of all day sightseeing.  

Monday Marveling

We stopped at Shelter Island pier and watched the boats going out the bay. 

We also stopped at Miramar National Cemetary on Point Loma.  I think it was meaningful for the kids.  They really love to participate in the Veteran's and Memorial Day programs at school. 

We were the ultimate tourists at the next spot, Cabrilla National Park.  These guys loved to watch the subs from the Navy Base on Coronado and all the other boats and ships.  

Cabrilla was one of the first Spanish Explorers in California.  

Tessa always loves incentives.  She and Leisel finished the Jr. Ranger program and earned a commemorative pin.

Yea for lighthouses!

The lighthouse keeper's garden

A beach on the way home (in the bay so...without waves for the little ones).  It had lots of jelly fish instead though!

  Leisel is the speck at the end with the sky full of birds.  She ran all the way down and made 70 or 80 birds fly away to find a new spot without precocious children.

Jonathan loves the birds too!

Monday evening we stopped at the grocery store.  The kids bought a treat and chose a movie.  They crashed at home and watched "The Good Dinosaur" after a full day.  

Tuesday Trompings

Jared took the kids to the pool at the condo in the morning and we went to La Jolla shores beach in the afternoon.  We took some wetsuits and tried some body boarding.  (even me!)  I had to reminisce about my childhood at the beach in Guam.

Tuesday night, we decided it would be more fun to buy seafood and have a feast at home rather than go out, so we stocked up on shrimp, crab, and two kinds of fish. 

Wednesday Wanderings

Wednesday morning we visited the U.S.S. Midway aircraft carrier.  

We spent some time in the evening packing up and then went for a last outing.  The girls discovered water under our feet after walking down the boardwalk to the end of the pier!  We met a family from Draper and South Jordan trying out the fishing too!

     

This pier has Cottages that you can rent.  It is really wide at the sandy end and has room for parking in front of your unit too.  You sleep to the sound of the waves all night.  

Michael adopted this football all day.

On the way home we stopped back to a favorite spot where we didn't spend much time during our first visit.  It was a nice place to say goodbye to San Diego.  

Then, Thursday morning, we got back in the car for the long ride home, taking some great memories with us. :)