San Diego Family Trip!!!!

I have to start by saying .............. this was 4 of the best days I've ever had!!! I LOVE my little family so much. The kids were GREAT!! Probably because we were so busy and having so much fun their was no time for teasing or fighting =)   Well a few weeks before the trip I thought "this would be a great time to teach them about capitalism and paying tithing".  So we thought of a way the kids could make some money for their trip. We came up with selling sugar free Strawberry freezer jam.

 The kids did help make it and we sold it to our family and friends. Thanks to everyone who supported us. It was a great time and the kids made $30 bucks each, after paying for supplies and tithing of course.

Now on to the trip. We seriously had been looking forward to this week all summer long! We left Monday morning around 10am or so and headed straight for the Ocean. =) We got there around 4:00pm and wanted to put our feet in the sand. Then find some dinner, we were hungry.

After we got dinner and unpacked we wanted to get some shut eye because the next day was Sea World.  They kids got to pick where we  went and Ryker convinced Millie that Sea World would be so much fun. He really wanted to see the sharks.  Here is the kids getting ready to go into a new exhibit, the Turtle Reef. It was really neat! Tons of sea turtles big and small.  

Classic Ryker always planning the next route on the map.

Sky buckets are like my favorite things ever!!

One of my favorite pictures of Rigdon. He was the BEST baby EVER!!! The other 2 were not this easy to travel with. The kid didn't cry once. He was happy doing whatever we were doing. He even fell asleep in the stroller. My other 2 NEVER did that!!! He is just so stinkin cute!

We were there from 9am till 10pm and the kids were amazing!! We watched the Samu Rocks night show and it was really fun.  Seriously Rigdon sat on our laps during every show and didn't try to wiggle away. 

We got back to the hotel and the kids crashed.

Day Two we got up and headed to the beach. A ward friend told us to go to Coronado's beach so I thought we would give it a try and I'm so glad we did. Such a nice beach and not crowded at all. Once again Rigdon was perfect and loved just sitting on the huge towel and would crawl to the edge to run his fingers in the sand but he never left the towel.

Ryker didn't waste anytime, he ran right out there and dived right in =)

Amelia was having fun filling up the buckets with water than playing with the wet sand.

Once again, I NEVER have had a kid do this but I gave him a bottle and he fell asleep on the towel and took like an hour or 2 nap. I enjoyed lying on the towel with him and watched Ryker, Millie and Shaun build sand castles. It was relaxing and perfect.

We left the beach around 3 in the afternoon, got some lunch, then to the hotel for baths and then drove over to Seaport Village. One of my favorite places to go because I grew up going here. My grandma use to live in San Diego so I have some very fond memories of this place.  And yes if you haven't notice my kids always match. Well the boys have identical shirts and Millie has a matching outfit to go along with their color scheme. Yes call me weird but matching and planning outfits it like one of my favorite things to do!!

They were hoping to go on a tour of this Battleship but the tours closed at 4 and we were to late. Next time boys.

But I did get some fudge from the fudge shop I ALWAYS go to here and the kids rode the very old and sort of creepy carousel.

I told you something funny happened on this trip.  If they are touching each other it is usually hitting or kicking. So I had to capture this rare moment =)

After Seaport Village, we headed back to the hotel to drop off me, Millie and Rigdon. A few weeks before our trip Shaun realized that the Diamond backs were going to be in SD playing the Padres while we were in SD, so of course he wanted to go to the game. He and Ryker had the best time and they said it was so weird cheering when everyone else was Booing. I'm so glad it worked out for them to go.

Our last day in Cali, we went to Sea World to finish seeing and doing the stuff we didn't get to do on Tuesday.  The weather was perfect the whole time we were there.

Cute kids, poor Riggy got sun screen in his eye so he had a red eye for awhile =(

We left the park at 4pm to get on the road to head back to hot Arizona. It really was a great trip and many wonderful memories were made. Vacations with the family are the best thing in the world. They are worth ever penny!

July

 Ryker had the opportunity to be in an awesome little performance group where he learned songs and dances to fun and informative song about our country, liberty and founding fathers. We were so proud of him because he has never does this sort of thing before!! Our whole family could sing all the songs because we listened to this CD in our car the whole summer. "Take your Hat Off, When the Flag Goes By"

We didn't get many great pictures during the performance but Shaun took video of the whole thing!!!

We swam just about EVERY day this summer. I mean what else is there to do in AZ.

Rigdon was 10 months July 29th and pulling himself up and walking along the furniture. He is the best baby. He is happy, content and a great eater.  He army crawls all over and always has a smile on his face. He take 2 good naps for me still and goes to bed at 7:00pm. He is an early riser, usually around 6:00am, I wish he slept a little longer. Oh well, I can't complain to much.

 

With it being Pioneer day on July 24th, I wanted to have a little party and celebrate our pioneers. The kids dressed up and the girls made rag dolls. 

 Then we all made some homemade fresh butter to spread over our homemade bread.

We told pioneer stories and danced.

Then made a covered wagon.

The next day our stake had a big Pioneer celebration as well. We woke up early to make it to the parade, breakfast and games. Amelia was a grump and didn't want to do any of it.

4th of July

We woke up extra early to beat the heat and had a quick parade with a few friends. Sad, my kids don't have bikes!

We had a fabulous 4th of July this year. Same old, same old.....swimming, BBQ and fireworks. We invited some friends to join us. The Olsons and Liddells. 

Shaun had no shame and wore his dads goofy  hat while doing the grillin. Also sad to say but this is Shauns FIRST time at the grill. If we are at his parents his dad usually grills and at our home I do the grilling. To his defense, I actually like doing it....I'm a little manly that way.

Sparklers!!

  All the kids

Love my little firecrackers. I also L.O.V.E.D the shirts I made them this year. They turned out great =)

A few other events happening in June and July....swim team and swim lessons. Every morning the kids had practice or lessons. Riggy and I sat and ate ice.

Ok I can't get enough of his cuteness!! I hold, kiss, hug, squeeze, dance with and cherish my little man!!