Favorite Picture Friday: April 19th, 2013

Here are just some random pictures from our lives.  We don't have much time in between school, work, and church but we find time to have some fun.

Disneyland with the blossoms.  

Eating a delicious Indian dinner.  

Walking along Corona del Mar beach.  

Favorite Picture Friday: April 12th, 2013

Friday night we were able to go and play a little bit at a charity event.  It was held at this cool classic cars garage with tons of shiny and expensive toys!  I know that I didn't appreciate it as much as Jason did, but he had fun walking me through and explaining all of the cars to me.  We had an awesome time that night and were glad to hang out with Jason's friends from school. 

Spring Break with the Barnum Boys

We were so lucky to have the Barnum Boys come down and visit us while they were on Spring Break!  Actually, I was the lucky one because I would have been alone during that time because Jason was in New York City at that very same time.  I liked to claim that my family came down so they could babysit me while he was gone.  They came down on a Saturday afternoon and they were ready to have some fun!

Baby Ben showing me his flower Grandma picked for him.  

Drewbie trying to fit his orange in his mouth.  I like how it matches his Skylanders shirt.  

One place that I have been anxious to take the boys is the Aquarium of the Pacific just a few miles from our apartment.  Jason and I have had so much fun every time we've gone there and I knew that the boys would find it fascinating!  Here are some pictures from that visit.

Drew with the jellyfish tank.  He was trying to figure out if they were alive or not, so I stood there with him while we watched them swim around very slowly.  That finally convinced him that jellyfish are alive.  

Here the boys were allowed to touch sea stars, anemones, and other ocean creatures.  They were both hesitant at first but liked being up close.  

Here is Shel encouraging the boys to touch everything, even the squishy, slimy, and pokey ones.  

I took this picture to show Jason when he arrived home.  He hates sea urchins and here I am touching one.  The workers at the aquarium showed me where to put my finger and it wouldn't hurt me, but it was weird because the spines would start to clench around my finger.  It pinched a little but not bad.  It totally grossed Jason out to see this picture!  

I think this is by the penguin exhibit, but it was in the afternoon so they were out sleeping at this time and not swimming.  

The cute boys smiling at their favorite part of the aquarium- THE SHARK TANK!  We probably spent most of our time outside so the boys could see the large and small sharks.  Here they are standing by the large shark tank.  

We went underground to see the sea lions  in their tank.  If you can see the shiny reflection in this picture, that is the sea lion.    

Matt likes watching the sea lions swim.  

At the aquarium is a live bird exhibit where they wander around an open area and so you can get up close to them.  Matt and I found this bird on a rock by itself. 

Drew especially liked the splash pad and taunting the other kids to squirt him.  He was pretty soaked by the end.  

I think this was Drew's favorite part of the aquarium, because if we couldn't find him we would just come back here .  This is a touch tank so the kids can actually touch sharks.  There were also some other animals, such as horseshoe crabs.  There was another touch tank with stingrays in it, but the boys weren't too crazy about those unusual animals.  I liked them because they kept coming really close to me and I could touch them more than before.   

The next day we took the boys to Newport Beach.  They love the beach and continue to impress me with how comfortable they are getting with it.  At first they were confused by the waves and were constantly being knocked over by them, but now they can go out further and can control themselves better in the ocean.

The only one that isn't crazy about the beach is Baby Ben.  There is something about the sand that he just doesn't like.  The whole time he was telling us "go?"  

Shel and Ben.  

Grandma walking with Ben.  He liked watching the shadows while he walked, but this sometimes meant that he would accidentally step in a pile of sand, and that was unacceptable.  

The boys told me that they wanted to learn how to surf at the beach and were telling me that they were going to use our surfboards (paddle boards).  Drew tried it but the waves kept taking it away from him, so he retreated to digging for buried treasure.  I was impressed with how dedicated Matters was in trying to "surf."  Apparently his idea of surfing is getting in the shallow part of water and being able to stand on the board without falling off.  He was pretty good at it.  I tried to show him how to use it as a boogie board, but he thought that looked too hard, and he was happy with his version of surfing.  

It was fun having my fam down visiting me, but it was the first time I had been to the beach with my sweetheart.  How I missed him!  

Finally the party had arrived!  Jason was back in town and the boys (and me) were so happy!  All three of them love Jason and think he is the bees knees!  He can do anything and it is fun and hilarious!  Here is proof because Jason entertained Ben forever with our oven mitts.  Look at Ben's cute smile!

It was so nice to my Mom, Shelli, Drew, Matt, and Ben down to visit during their Spring Break.  They spoil us with their love and kindness!  

Favorite Picture Friday: March 22nd, 2013

Catch up on some recent favorite pictures.  Enjoy!

Solvang and Santa Barbara Getaway!!

Jason and I were wanting a little getaway for a weekend, so we decided to take off for Martin Luther weekend up to Santa Barbara and Solvang.  I went there a long time with my parents and I remember having a great experience with them, so I have been waiting for an opportunity to do this with my sweetie.  We ended up staying the first night in Solvang.
Solvang is an interesting town because it has tried to remain very authentic to it's original settling, so when you drive in you have to check the date on your phone because you feel like you traveled back to the 1800's.  The food, the shops, and even the hotel we stayed in all have this old world, Norwegian feel to it.  We spent the day wandering the town, tasting the delicious snacks, and then had the most AMAZING dinner at a small, local restaurant.

We spent the night in Solvang and then went to Santa Barbara.  Even though it was January it was so warm and beautiful.  We spent the day there and then we went back into town to get ready for the work week.

Favorite Picture Friday: January 11th, 2013

Happy 2013 everyone!! As 2012 came to an end, I realized how busy we became and how posts like "Favorite Picture Fridays" were pushed to the side. Here's to a new year and a more consistent blogging routine!
This is a picture of one of the toughest girls to hit the Disney screen: Jessie! Gotta love Disneyland!

The Rest of 2012

So it seems that the year 2012 became so busy and jam-packed that it just slipped right by us.  Here is a quick and painless run down of some of the things that has happened this last year that we didn't do a post on yet.  Looking at these pictures, it seems like my life is consumed with Jason, Disneyland, my Young Women, and our nieces and nephews.  How could life get any better?  

Here are some of my Girl's Camp pictures.  It was so much fun to hang out with my young women in our ward.   

Khan demonstrating the hats we crocheted for our service project.  

I took some pictures of my girls.  They have to be the most beautiful girls in the world.  

Before our big hike up the hill.  

We also made face masks one night for mutual.  

A close-up of Baby Ben.  Not sure when this was taken, but it was on my phone so it counts as a 2012 picture!  

Baby Jeb!  Again, not sure when this was taken, but based upon his face this was taken a few months ago.

    

Some good times at Disneyland.  

Such a nice day.  

In line at Cars Land.  

Sunset over California Adventures.  

Jason wearing Oswald ears in front of Oswalds.  

We were walking by and then we saw Goofy.  Random!  

It's the most wonderful time of the year! This is the closest Californian's get to having a "White Christmas."  

Pretty much the best sandwich place on Earth!  Earl of Sandwich!  Only at Downtown Disneyland.  

Gotta love Small World at Christmas time!  I want my house to look like that!  

Here is Jason's first time riding the Dumbo ride.  It's such a classic!  

We love Disneyland!  

Here are our Halloween costumes:  Jason is Wall-E and I am EVE.  

Here is Jas as Wall-E during the daytime.  

Kurt and his baby Sis.   

Here we are on Halloween on Big Thunder Mountain.  Can you see Shel and the boys in the background?

I love the faces of the boys on Thunder Mountain.  

Jason and Baby Ben playing on Halloween.  He must have dressed up like the cutest baby!  

Here are some pictures of the Burrows clan from when we saw them back in September.  

Alex saying his "O" sound. 

Bela and her sweet smile. 

Patrick in motion zooming down the slide.

  

Ephraim has that cute smile getting ready to go down the slide.  

Patrick was convinced by someone to play in the sprinklers, so he took off his shirt but pulled up his shorts like an old man.  It was so funny!  

Sweet Baby Luciana.  

My sweetie with his dad's grave at the funeral.  

We had the opportunity this fall to attend a family reunion, which doesn't often happen with the Blackburn family.  We traveled to Las Vegas to see everyone, and it was awesome!  I loved seeing everyone and getting the family together after so long.  Here is a picture of the original children of my grandparents, Easton and LaVon Blackburn.  

Here are some pictures of the Barnum bunch throughout the fall and winter seasons.  

Baby Ben at our place, mildly entertained based upon his smirk.

  

Matt and Lego Hulk. I think Matter's is doing the robot.

  

Drew impersonating Lego Hulk. 

Here are pictures of the Kurt n Shel and their clan at the beach.  

Kurt, Jason and the boys climbed clear out to this rock.  I am glad the boys trusted Kurt and Jason enough to carry them out this far.  

Some pictures of parents at the beach just after eating at their favorite place, the Beachcomber.  

During the Thanksgiving break Jason went out sailing with my dad and Paul.  

At the beginning of December the Barnum bunch came down again for some Disney fun.  Here are some pictures from that trip.  

December came way too fast and the next thing we knew it was Christmas time.  We usually have a ton of time off during the break, but we were only able to make a weekend trip up to St. George because I worked the day after Christmas.  Here are some pictures from Christmas time.  

We then made it over to their place for Christmas morning and the unwrapping of presents.  Here is Shel, Matt, and Drew.  

Karen and Paul let us give Jeb some presents early, which he seemed to like, even though he played with the paper more than the presents.  Here is a sweet picture of him!  

Ben the little drummer boy.  

  

Baby Jeb and I cuddled up and he enjoyed snacking on his toys.

Matters and I colored during the Christmas break.