January 2015

We always start the new year off with a birthday! 

Happy Birthday to our wonderful husband and father! You make our lives wonderful.

Being Nerdy/Silly

New beginnings kicked off the year with excitement! This girl is so ready to turn 12!

We've been working in our little garden. The fruits of our labor!

The snap peas will be ready soon!

Tyler has committed this year to help Sarah edit her novel, Kyka. It is sweet to watch them work together and see him take this role in supporting her. 

Me preparing the Sunbeam lesson for the little Sunbeams that I love. Sometimes I can't find a good printout so I make one and trace against the back window. The light helps me see the lines. 

Time for a trip with Grandparents!

Sarah cleaned her room so beautiful so it would be welcoming for her when she got back, and took a picture so she can show Grandma.

Emmett welcomed us to San Diego.

Grandma and Grandpa got us a great hotel. We walked in the mornings on the "snail path." Monday we had a nice little family night together.We also explored the hotel with Grandpa's "face of yellow" clues, and they listened to a presentation and got us free tickets to the aquarium, and little dolphin toys.

Tuesday was spent at the Birch Aquarium.

There were tiny jellies!

An Octopus

And huge awesome Seahorses.

Sarah loved the scuba diver feeding the shark in the giant tank.

We saw Bishop Rock on the underwater map. Funny! 

Dad took a work call in the most beautiful surroundings of the outdoor exploration deck.

The view was amazing. There is a college that owns this stretch of beach and does experiments there.

We explored the sea life in the petting pond. Rachel liked the sea cucumber.

Adam got pretty wet, and we had to dry him off at the hand dryer in the bathroom.

Then it was time to go to LaJolla cove. Do you see what Adam sees? 

Seals. There were hundreds of them relaxing on the rocks. Some were swimming in and trying to dive out of the water up onto the rocks when the waves came in. It was fun to watch them try again again and finally make it.

Grandma couldn't walk down the steps to see them up close, so she watched from above.

This one was posing. Boy do they stink! 

A romantic moment, amidst the stench.

 

Grandpa was able to come down to the rocks with us.

Exploring the tide pools.

That night we went back to the hotel and enjoyed the game room together.

 

We traded off playing air hockey and foosball

The next morning the ladies did their back strengthening exercises on the balcony. 

Then we all got dressed and ready for the temple, working a puzzle while we took turns in the bathrooms.

We took Sarah in to do baptisms with us. Rachel and Adam stayed outside together and talked to the sister missionaries. Fun facts: Rachel hadn't brought a skirt, so she borrowed Grandma's. The ladies thought Grandma was ultra fast doing her hair after the baptisms, but it was her wig. hehee

I was so blessed to be born to and sealed to these wonderful parents who love each other so much.

After the temple we took a swim in the hot tub and heated pool.

After swimming we snuggled down to watch a movie. Grandpa really wanted to show us Maleficent. We had to fast forward the fighting scenes, but we had been really curious to see what the hype was all about. It was very interesting. These girls were exhausted by the end of the night. It was so cute to see them snuggling.

Legoland!

We had a fun time and were thankful to good friends for some free tickets!

We loved how kid friendly the lines were. You didn't have to keep them contained in the line, they could step into the center and play until it was time to board the ride.

Wahoo!

Helicopters! Adam flew Grandma around.

We met Lucy. 

And we got to see the real lego set used in the Lego Movie! Everything was Awesome!

We met Emmett!

And Lego Friends, they were a little difficult to talk to, not at all how they are at home. 

We took our final voyage... 

saw Einstein 

then enjoyed the beautiful sunset as we drove the 30 seconds back across the street home to the hotel.

Friday we went back let the kids relax in the hotel and drove back out to the San Diego temple for an endowment session and sealings. Then we picked up the kids and met Aunt Luise and Uncle Tory at the Oceanside Pier for a sunset walk and dinner at Ruby's. 

We saw some pelicans stealing fish from fisherman.

After our delicious shakes and great company we watched How To Train Your Dragon 2 at the hotel and the kids went to bed while Grandma had a Facebook lesson with me.

Saturday morning we took a quick dip in the pool and packed up for the drive home.  What a great vacation!

It is always hard to say goodbye.

What a beautiful drive home. 

Adam and I making potato soup together Sunday night. I love my little helper.

 

 When we got home and we did home and visiting teaching.  We started getting wind that new director may be coming into the Registrar of Contractors, or that they'd be deciding soon, which meant Tyler's job may be in jeopardy. Just in case, scheduled all of our eye appointments. Sarah had chair auditions that day, and her eyes felt a little funny from the eye-numbing drops. I'm glad we went though, because they told us not to have Sarah in bifocals anymore. She likes without better, and they were giving her headaches.

As you see, Adam loves getting to use knives.

Good to be home in our own beds again.