CA Trip Day 4

Monday, Day 4:

Since I wasn't able to swim Sunday evening after getting back from SeaWorld, M let me swim Monday morning after breakfast and E went to school.  While C and I swam, M did a load of laundry and D visited.

I had to say to my good friend A before leaving the house.

Before leaving San Diego we went to visit the U.S.S Midway which is actually docked on the pier D used to be stationed at in the early 90's.  So that part of San Diego harbor was very familiar to him as we drove around and looked across the harbor at Coronado Island.  The ship M and D had seen the night before was already out of port by 10 in the morning, so even though it meant getting back later, D was glad we had driven by the harbor the evening before. 

We did lots of walking around and saw planes that C and I could pretend we were flying...

A radio room similar to what D worked in when he was in the Navy...

the chapel...

the three-tiered bunk beds for the enlisted men (D had the bottom bunk during his Navy days)...

The flight squadron's ready room...

the brig (for some reason M&D wanted to put us in it.  Something about running around too much!!)....

The engine room....

A helicopter up on the flight deck, which we could get into....

In other words, we walked all over that air craft carrier and saw lots of things that D could tell us about since he used to be in the Navy (although he never was on an aircraft carrier).  The top part of the ship C and I weren't allowed to go up into so D went on that tour himself. 

After exploring the Midway, and having a snack while we waited for D to finish up, it was time to leave San Diego and head up the coast to the timeshare G had reserved for us.  It was right along the coast and within a mile of San Clemente State Beach.  After checking in and emptying the car, we went to get an early supper.  Then we dropped D back off at the room so he could watch the Monday night Bronco game being played in San Diego and M took C and I to the beach. 

C didn't really know what to think of the waves, so she played in the sand and ran around while I ran in and out of the waves all evening.

Since M was watching both of us, she got to just relax on the beach and watch from afar!

Before we headed back to the room to finish the day in the pool, we walked along the beach for a while.  M and C walked together on the sand, while I continued to play in the surf and walk along.  So the footprints below are M's and C's. 

As we turned around to head back to the car, we watched a young couple take their engagement/wedding pictures in the sunset.  M thought she needed to get her little angels on the beach with the setting sun also!

We headed straight to the warm pool and hot tubs at the resort when we got back to the room and played another hour or so in the water before heading to the room for bed.  C and I each got a bed that pulled out from the wall.  What a perfect arrangement!  We quickly fell asleep after such a busy day in the sun and water!

CA Trip 3

Sunday, Day 3:

We slept in a little bit (at least according to our internal clocks still on mountain time zone!!), ate breakfast and played some before we headed to SeaWorld to see as C stated, "See the whole world!"  E was our tour guide as he loves the place (his parents came along too, while J stayed home to play with her P).

We made it to the dolphin area just as they were letting the dolpins greet everyone.  Both C and I got to pet the dolphin. 

While D, E, J and L went on the Manta rollar coaster, M took us to see the manta rays and to see if we could touch them also.  I was able to reach down and touch one, but C's arm was too short and even when they would come towards us high in the water the rays would dive right before getting to us.

We made our way to the Shamu show, while D and J went to get us lunch.  We watched the whales play in the water before the show started and were enthralled by the jumps during the show.

We walked through most of the other animal exhibits and saw lots of different types of sealife.

We watched the sealion and otter show, which was a special haunted castle episode for the month of October.

After looking at the some more animals, we went on the Atlantis ride.  I got to go twice because both M and D wanted to go and since C was too short, one of them had to watch her.  After E and his parents left (which I had a hard time with because I wanted to leave too and go back to the house and swim) we went on some of the other rides and play things in the Seaseame Street area before heading to the dolphin show.

The dolphin show had flying dolphins, flying birds and flying people.  M was quite impressed with the acrobats and human divers flying through the air.

Before leaving SeaWorld we took our pictures with some of the characters visiting the park for its Spooktacular celebration.

While C and I slept from our long fun-filled day, M and D drove by the harbor in the hopes of seeing D's former navy ship in port.  It was dusk by the time we spotted it, so D couldn't read the numbers to be sure it was his ship, but it was the class of ship he had been stationed on in San Diego, so he's pretty sure it was the USNS Guadalupe.

Since it was late and dark by the time we arrived back at the house, it was too chilly to swim in the pool.  Instead we ate supper and played with train tracks inside.  While M was reading a book to E (and everyone else was in the garage watching the Sunday night football game), they heard a crash outside on the patio by the pool.  When J went out to investigate it was discovered that the middle glass plate on the table had shattered.  Just a freak accident, I guess.

CA Trip Day 2

Saturday: Day 2 of our crazy trip

We started the day by sleeping in and then trying to be as quiet as possible while the rest of the house woke up.  We then ate breakfast and took a bath in the big jacuzzi tub.  Before we left we ran some energy off outside and took time to take some pictures in front of the house.

At about 11 am we started the second car leg of our trip.  Since D was driving, M got to take lots of pictures out the car windows of the desert scenery.  Never having been further south than Colorado in her memory, M had never seen cactus in real life before...

nor hills made completely of sand (especially offset by the water canal)...

nor hills made out of piles of rocks. 

To say the least it was an interesting 6 hour drive along the Mexican border, especially as we entered into California and were stopped once for agricultural inspection and then an hour later came up to the immigration check-point.  Needless to say, 4 blue-eyed blondes with a Colorado license plate had no problem getting through.  However, we did notice the Bronco fan we had seen at the rest area 20 miles back having his truck sniffed out by the drug dog!

We got to D's friends' house by about 5:15 pm.  They were out in the garage with their P who was also visiting, so we played outside for an hour before it got too dark and we had to head inside to the garage to practice gymnastics in E's home gym setup.  D and J headed to get us all supper (at In-N-Out which was one of the required restaurants M had on the trip list).  While waiting for supper to come, we took a very cold dip in the pool.  After supper it was time to get ready for bed and read some books, so we all gathered on the coach while L read to us.

CA Trip Day 1

Friday: Day 1

M and D took C and I on a crazy vacation.  They didn't tell us where we were going, just that it would be a long ride to get there and we would have lots of fun when we got there.

The first day we got up in the middle of the night and spent all day in the car.  I practiced writing all my sight words.

C sang some, napped some and played with toys.

It rained most of the way through New Mexico, but by the time we got to Arizona, the sun came out.  In Arizona, we went through Sand Creek Canyon.  What a gorgeous drive!

When we got to Phoenix, we stayed at D's cousins house.  After running off some energy in the backyard, we went out to eat for pizza and then back to the house to play some more before bed.

Family and Friends

We have a lot of fun with our cousins and the rest of the family.  A few Sundays ago, we went to Uncle B's after church and spent the afternoon getting our hair done and jumping on the tramp.

M had a friend come into the area to do a dog show, so Saturday morning we headed up the mountain to see D.  This was the area where the fire was this summer and it was interesting to see the area with the burnt trees.

Aunt S's aunt passed away and so they made a short weekend trip back to CO.  While here, we got the whole family together for supper and an evening of fun.

The whole family doesn't get together very often anymore, so when we do a picture has to be taken.

We had a fun evening of playing games and laughing.

On Sunday, P invited C and myself to help him sing "Jesus Loves Me."