Our last group of visitors recently were a couple of tired people desperately needing a relaxing weekend: my parents. My parents both had a busy week and they decided that they needed some sunshine and to smell the ocean to feel better. They drove down Friday night and we stayed up talking and laughing. Step 1 for having a relaxing and restful weekend: Laugh.
The next morning we woke up and Mom and Dad were itching to head down and see the ocean. For both of my parents, the ocean is their weakness. They've walked up and down Newport a few time so we thought we would show them a different beach in town. We drove them to Crystal Cove where we could look at tidepools and sea caves. My parents might look like your average, healthy grandparents, but the second you say tidepools and they go bouncing from rock to rock like little kids. Jason and I would stop to look in a pool and then look for my parents and would see them a mile away. Step 2: Tidepools.
Here are a few pictures from Crystal Cove.
We always bring a Frisbee to the beach.
We timed it just right so that we were there at low tide. You can see all of the places you can go and look in the pools.
That's my dad in the distance.
Look at all of these mussels.
Jason next to a huge cluster of mussels.
Here is a good perspective as to how far my parents would get ahead of us. The closest person in this picture is my dad, and then that person in the far distance that you can barely see is my mom.
My dad checking out the mussels.
My mom, dad, and Jason.
A picture of Jason and me.
A picture of Papa.
Jason, dad, and mom. It looks like mom might fall in this picture, but she didn't trip a bit being so used to tidepools.
We found all sorts of things in the tide pools. There were anemones, abalones, and of course, sea stars.
This is the first sea star that we found.
I loved this purple one. I named him Patrick.
There are a whole bunch of logs around the beach that you can sit on and just relax.
Mom and Dad found a log and waterfall to sit by and relax.
Jason looking great as always. This spot is right outside the sea cave.
Early in the morning we got up and went to go see some of my parents favorite sites in LA. The first stop was where I have been meaning to take Jason since we moved down here: The La Brea Tar Pits.
Here is Jason next to the tar pits.
Here I am looking in on the pits.
Yes, the tar pits tend to smell.
There is a small museum that goes with the tar pits, so naturally we had to go inside and see.
A woolly mammoth.
We also decided to go and visit a museum in town. The LA Natural History Museum is a great one and so we went there for a bit and wandered around. Step 3: Good museums.
Watch out for T-Rex!
We had some wonderful meals and even ended up stuffing ourselves one day for lunch that we completely forgot about dinner, and we didn't even miss it. Step 4: Good food.
Overall the weekend went by way too fast! My parents had just arrived and then the next second they were packing up to leave. We went through the necessary steps to make my parents feel better, and by the end they look refreshed and ready to take on a few more weeks... until they come and see us again! :)
We've just been busy with our visitors lately! Kurt n Shel and the boys were in need of a quick vacation, so they drove down one weekend to get their Disney fix. We have missed the boys so much and we were just dying waiting for them to drive down. The last time the boys came down to California they had a hard time figuring out what this place called "California" was and what it had to do with Disneyland. I think they started to get the idea after a while, but Drew would still ask me if we lived in Disneyland. On their way down Shelli text us saying that Drew has decided that he wants to become a lawyer like Jason so that he can live by Disneyland.
We all fell asleep and woke up next morning ready to go! We drove to the parking garage and the boys were so excited to ride the tram. We all laughed knowing that if they were this excited about riding the thing that takes you to Disneyland, then they are in for a big treat. It's been a couple of years since the boys have been to Disneyland so it was a totally different experience for them, especially since Matt couldn't ride most of the big rides. Here are some picture from that busy and wild day!
Matt looking at me right before he could protest me taking a picture of him.
Look at those excited faces! They just can't wait to get to Disneyland.
Matt ready to ride Star Tours. We rode that ride 3 times!
Drewbie also ready to ride Star Tours.
Jason and I by the little rocket ride. We were watching the boys and Kurt n Shel ride it.
Here's a picture of the teams. Matters rode with his dad and Drewbie rode with his mom.
Oh the random things that can happen while waiting for people to use the restroom. There is this cool little back wall by one of the restaurant that I took the boys to while we were waiting for everyone to hurry up. These are pictures that depict our sweet nephews personalities.
Matt looking over the edge while riding the Steamboat.
While riding the Steamboat Drew was trying to point out everything to me so I would take a picture of it.
Drew found a little resting spot.
Riding the Jungle Cruise. The boys did really well on this ride, but Matt told me afterwards that he didn't like the monkeys.
Riding the railroad around town.
The boys were excited to ride Autotopia. They both got to drive the cars.
One thing that we have been dying to have one of the boys do is the Jedi Training show that happens a few times each day. We've watched it before and usually walked away just dying from laughing. We were excited that Drew was willing to do it and entertain us. The student get called up by a Jedi master and they are taught a few basic moves. Then suddenly a couple of storm troopers come and Darth Vadar and Darth Maul rise up on the stage. The kids are told they are going to have to fight one of them using the moves they were just taught. Here is a video of Drewbie fighting Darth Maul.
And here is the longer clip showing the other kids getting to fight and Drewbie is the last one on the video. If you watch it I have to apologize for my laughing because it is so funny to watch the different types of kids and how they react to fighting. I am shaking so hard from laughing that the video gets kind of bumpy. If you are looking for Drew, he is the cute boy in blue that gives us the thumbs-up signal right before he goes on to fight.
After the Jedi Training Drew told us that he doesn't want to be a lawyer anymore, but a Jedi Trainer!
The boys were too small to ride Splash Mountain last time and we really didn't think it would get hot enough to ride it this time. Well, the Barnum crew must have timed it just right because it was pretty hot that day and we all needed to get cooled down. Matt rode it down the first time in front and he wasn't expecting such a big drop. The look on his face kills me! Drew rode in front the second time and he kind of has the same reaction.
In the end we had a great time and hit all of the major rides in Disneyland several times. The boys were good troopers and made it almost to midnight. We were going to ride Star Tours one last time when Matt just had enough and wanted to go to sleep. I took him outside and he was fast asleep by the time everyone else was done. Drew fell asleep as well and so they were carried out when midnight hit.
Before...
...and After.
Let's just say that the boys slept really well that night at our house.
Look at how cute Drewbie sleeps!
The next day we took everyone to the beach. We were trying to explain to the boys what the beach and ocean were, but it is a difficult concept for some kids growing up in the desert. They loved chasing the birds and running away from the waves. Whether they understood it or not, they liked it!
Running away from the waves.
Here is a video of the cute boys playing at our beach.
I have to admit that there was a downside with this trip, and that was that my little nephew, Ben, didn't make it down. Otherwise the trip was a blast and we loved having the Barnums' come and play with us in California!
It was Jason's parents 30th anniversary and naturally that needs to be celebrated. As Mike and Avis's gift we brought them down to California to see what we are doing down here. It's such a long drive from Price to California that we brought them in by flying them. We picked them up and insisted they went to bed because it was going to be a busy couple of days.
The next morning we slept in and took it easy. Once everyone was up and ready we went on a little tour around town. We showed Jason's parents our Temple, my work, the Angels Stadium, the Honda Center, and the Crystal Cathedral. We had lunch in town and then we were off to one of our favorite places in all of California: The Huntington. It seriously has the most beautiful gardens we've ever seen. We were happy to share it with Mike and Avis.
Here Mike and Jason and trying to pull the bamboo.
The happy couple walking around the Huntington.
Michael and the group in the Chinese part of the gardens.
Here is Jason showing them where we were going to go first. The gardens are huge and you really could just spend all day there.
We timed it just right to go and attend the Huntington because everything was blossoming for springtime. I just love that spring comes in early February down here!
Inside the Huntington is the library and gallery. Jason and I love seeing the paintings by Thomas Gainsborough and all of the book collections. Here is Jason and his Mom in the electricity room with a collection of old light bulbs and original work by Thomas Edison.
Finally it was off to the true present of Mike and Avis's Anniversary: Disneyland! Jason and I believe that if you are going to do something, you do it with 110%. Thank goodness Mike and Avis were okay with this because we got them up early and took them to Disneyland as soon as it opened. Here are a few pictures throughout the day.
It's a Small World.... after all.
Star Tours.
The Jungle Cruise. Actually on this ride I was named Captain and was almost sold to the natives.
Right before we got on to my favorite ride: The Tower of Terror! You can't see their faces, but they must be scared!
The picture of us riding Screamin' California. I would tell you which time it was that we rode it, but I forgot since we rode it 4 TIMES!
We utilized the railroad to get us around the park more easily. I think Michael is telling me in this picture to stop taking photographs.
Big Thunder Mountain Railroad (a faster "railroad"). This ride always brings a smile to everyone!
It looks like Michael did get to do some fishing. He didn't know it was going to be him that got caught.
Here they are with a great view of California Adventures. In the background you can find their favorite ride: Screamin' California.
When you ride Buzz Lightyear- Astro Blasters you get an email with your picture. Here are ours with Michael verses Jason and Avis verses Me.
Here is a video from the parents' reaction to the take-off on Screamin'.
We drove Jason's parents to exhaustion by the time we were done with Disneyland. It was so much fun to have them down here and to experience just a small fraction of our lives down here in California.
