Why do I live in Utah?

**Updated, these are now my pictures, not stolen ones from the internet!**

Whenever I saw pictures of sunny California while I was young, my dad always told me, "You can't live there...it's going to fall into the ocean someday." And then there is always the news from California...earthquakes, fires, mudslides, etc. While watching the news, you see the $6.5 million houses on the cliffs of the ocean destroyed. You think to yourself, "Why would these insane people live there?"

And then...you visit California. There is something about this place that always has made me want to live here. I remember my first trip driving to California with my high school show choir. We sang at Disneyland, Sea World and the Wild Animal Park. I distinctly remember the bus ride in. I remember seeing those bright purple/blue flowers covering the hillside. (Still to this day I try to plant those flowers in my garden...as hard as I try, they never look quite the same.) The flowers are one of my favorite things here! Rick and I have taken the kids here many times, and I always marvel at the citrus trees in every one's yards. "Honey, could you go pick some oranges so that I can juice them this morning?"

I think this particular trip that I am on is the one that has finally convinced me that I have chosen the wrong place to live. I was telling Rick last night (at dinner next to the ocean with waves crashing up on the windows of the restaurant) that I think the reason I have finally come to that conclusion is because of our horrible Utah winter. Man, it has been the worst (see the previous post).

I have been doing a little work here in San Diego and checking my email once in a while. Andrew's lacrosse coaches emailed us yesterday with the latest news from home: "The weather is turning worse and it looks like rain/snow/hail/sleet or something on the way. Let's cancel practice today." And the other coach, just minutes later: "Due to this strange white stuff that is coming down, we are NOT going to have practice today."

I am sitting here on Mission Beach just watching the waves come in and out & getting a little sun-burned (and not complaining). Andrew & Janessa have been boogie boarding the entire trip, for 4-5 hours each day! Harrison & Nathan have been making sand castles and running from the waves. We have all gone on amazing bike rides along the beach and bay. We are staying right by the beach, you just walk on a little pathway past about three houses that are filled with birds of paradise flowers (see picture above) and beautiful flowered trees.

We have invited a couple of families from our ward over for a hot dog roast out on the beach tonight...that should be fun. We are going to have a big fire and roast hot dogs & marshmallows...you can't get much healthier than that.

Why do I live in Utah? It is question I think that I will always ask myself whenever I look at the pictures from this trip (which I will have to post when I get home because I forgot the cord). This is a truly magical place. I even told my dad yesterday that I wanted to move here. I told him even if I fall into the ocean, it sure would be worth it! I guess that is what all of these people living on the edge of the cliffs think too.


All our best from sunny San Diego!

Sea World...

Our condo was about 2 minutes away from Sea World, it was so close! Sea World had a deal during the month of April...you got a pass that was good for the rest of 2008 for the price of a one-day admission. It was a great deal. We spent one whole day there, a half-day, and an hour or two on other days. It was a relaxing way to see the park...low stress.

Monday was our first day to go to Sea World and we met up with Daxon & Tayson. Nathan was thrilled to see his best friend! The fist thing they did was go to the sting ray pool (they were a different kind of rays though, I can't remember their names, I will ask the kids tomorrow...they will know).

They got to pet them and feed them. I actually succumbed to the pressure to be a good mom and I bought 5 very expensive, little tiny fish for the kids to feed the rays. They stayed there forever!



Then the kids ran over to the sea turtles...they were naming all of them "Crush".

Hands down, our very favorite thing at Sea World was the Sea Lion exhibit. They were so much fun to watch, we kept going back. Harrison especially loved them. They all had such interesting, unique personalities.

We went one eveing when the sun was starting to go down. They would all raise their heads up as high as they could, hoping to bask in that last light. Then they they would lay down, get comfortable and sleep. They would pile on top of each other and whenever one would move, it would wake everyone up and they would yell and bark at each other. It was hilarious to watch!

This was the only smart one in the entire bunch...it was sound asleep on a rock over on the other side of the pool...all by himself.

We went and visited them the next day and it was feeding time. They would all bark and scream at people to give them fish. They were very territorial about their spot and would bite at any sea lion that tried to get inbetween them and the fish.

Again, we were completely convinced by our children that they would just die if they didn't get to feed them...so here is the tray of fish that cost as much as our dinner would! The worst part was that Harrison was the most excited to feed them and somehow he didn't get one of the expensive 5 fish. He was very sad and we had to actually go and buy another tray of them! "Tickets to Sea World...$50. Two trays of Fish to feed the Sea Lions...$10. The look on your son's face...Priceless."

I liked this one who was enjoying the waterfall while everyone was fighting over the food. I wondered if it was the same smart one that was sleeping all by himself.

The flamingos were beautiful. Now I understand why those old ladies like the plastic ones in their yard. I'm going to look for those this summer...I think they would look awesome on our front yard! Why don't I just do it now in the snow? It would at least add some color to the snowy, dreary spring we are having!


Waiting for one of the shows to start...

The kids really enjoyed the Shamu show, as did I. I have seen it a couple of times, but I am always amazed at the beauty and grace of these whales! We also enjoyed the dolphin show.



Nathan & Harrison loved the show, "Pets Rule!" They were the first to run down and pet the animals afterwards.

The Clyde & Seymore show was a favorite of the kids as well. Before the show started, the mime was entertaining the crowd. He chose Harrison from the audience and started telling him what to do. It was funny. He would motion for him to come forward, then go back, then come forward, then go back, and then he would make both actions...

He would motion to wave to all of the sections of the crowd...

Then to the water...

Then he wanted to have Harrison put his foot in his hands and acted like he was going to help him into the pool. It was so cute to watch Harrison laugh so hard!




In the Arctic area, the kids got to see a really funny walrus underground. It was dinner time. The walrus did the funniest thing...he would eat all of these little fish up, and then spit them all out and eat them again! He did it over and over again. The kids thought this was hilarious! We thought it was gross.


Everyone in the family liked the Atlantis ride. It is a fun roller coaster that has a drop into the water (similar to splash mountain). This was Nathan's favorite ride...it was a very good thing that there weren't any lines. Rick took him on one last ride one day before leaving the park. They came back to us completely drenched! They had a new rule "NEVER sit in the back!"

Waiting for the Sesame Street 4-D movie...with the new penguins they all "won" at the arcade...

First day in California...

We got into California late Saturday night. There was just enough time to explore our totally awesome beach house (3 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, 2 kitchens & 2 family rooms) and walk over to see the ocean (or hear it because it was so dark). Our place was right on Mission Blvd. & Brighton Street, on Mission Beach. You went down a little path-way to the ocean. You pass a couple of darling beach houses on the way with beautiful flowers in their yards. It takes about 30 seconds to get to the beach (10 for Nathan & Harrison).
Nathan woke up the next morning bright and early (which Rick & I didn't enjoy very much!). He wanted to eat his cereal out on our balcony.
When Harrison finally woke up, they ran down to the beach in their pajammas. Then had their first dip in the ocean.


Nathan found a lady bug and named him "Buggy".



Then it was off to get ready for church. Sytske & Aaron wanted to meet us there. We found the address of the meeting house, it was about 15 minutes away. They had a family ward that met at 9:00 a.m., but we were worried it was too early. We decided to go to the Young Adult ward at 11:00 a.m. (if we had known that Nathan would be up at the crack of dawn, we could have made the 9:00!). We got all ready early and headed for the church. We got there about 10:45 and there were only a couple of people wandering around. One sister was playing on the organ. But, nobody was really sitting down. We decided to go and explore the building. When we got back to the chapel, Sytske's family was there. But still, nobody in the chapel. I asked a couple of people in the hallway if they knew about the 11:00 ward. They said that it just recently moved to the Stake Center. There wasn't another ward in that building until 1:00! They preceded to give us extremely complicated directions to the building (each talking over the other). We left and found it (pretty much on our own).

We arrived just after the Sacrament had been passed, but sat down anyway. We did learn a lot that day...and that was that Young Adult wards have very interesting Testimony meetings. And, you feel really awkward as a family sitting in a chapel of Young Adults. We really tried, so we hope we got credit for at least going to church on our first day of vacation, when it was 90 degrees outside!

Where is Spring? (Part 2)

I know, I know..I have already posted about this topic before. On March 21st, as a matter of fact. However, it is now April 7th and I am still wondering where Spring is.

For all of my friends in warm places (and you know who you are), I just want you to see what I have seen every time I looked out my window today...

Alright, enough complaining. Just as I am finally posting this tonight, it has turned into a beautiful evening. It stopped snowing and I actually peeked out to see the beautiful sunset and those pretty Hyacinths popping out of the snow. I just wish it would warm up so we can enjoy those evening walks and start working in our gardens (my poor flowers coming up amongst the weeds and twigs).

Thomas the Tank Engine Baby Jesus James...

That is the name that Elizabeth called her baby brother, Thomas, when he was born. Quite the name. Bruce (Rick's brother) and Carolyn added Thomas to their little family in February. He is a cutie and we are so glad that they live close so that we can see him often (and hopefully babysit once in a while). Janessa has even figured out what bus route takes her home after school to Carolyn's house! She goes over there to get out of working at our house! It is always more fun to help at someone else's house instead of your own!
(This is a stolen picture from Carolyn's blog...I just wanted to show a picture of Elizabeth & Thomas together...she is such a darling big sister!)


This is Thomas when they dropped by the other night, I decided to grab my camera and take a couple pictures. This is the quilt that I made for him with my sister Elaine. It turned out so cute I want to make a big one sometime.