Sunday, February 21, 2010

February 21, 2010

We spent part of President's Day weekend at Zion National Park.
We got a little muddy.
I accidentally loaded these pictures in reverse order. So we are starting with the end and ending with the beginning. Day two is first and day one is last.
Standing behind the waterfall at the lower pool on the Emerald trail.
Our final destination on the Emerald trail.
Notice Kolby and Addie behind me.
Landry started having a little attitude about taking pictures.
Somewhere in the middle.
Coming back down from the upper Emerald pool.
There was a big temperature drop once we got to the upper Emerald pool.Addie was freezing.
Landry was such a trooper. He hiked and hiked but needed a little help getting across the stream.
Kolby loved playing on and climbing all the rocks.
I was so impressed with the kids hiking skills. The only complaints came when the trail was too easy. They preferred steep and rocky terrain.
Another pool somewhere in the middle.
It was a beautiful day.
We all loved Zion National Park.
As we were walking we were hushed by some hikers ahead of us. When we got to them there were four deer right next to us. Our fellow hikers were quite impressed. Less impressive to us since we see deer several times a week in our neighborhood. I come close to hitting them with my van each time I go somewhere at night. The snow melted last week and my backyard is full of deer poo. Plus, we have been instructed by Grandpa to take extreme measures to keep them away from his house.This is Grandpa Tom coming face to face with his nemesis. It is probably my favorite picture ever taken of my father-in-law. He spent last winter doing everything possible trying to keep the deer away from his house. After a long battle, Spring came and all he got was a very fearless friend. The moral of the story: deer a couple of feet from us are nice but not thrilling.
Back to our trip.
We relaxed in the hot tub after our first day of exploring. Addie may have overheated a bit.
It is nice that my kids find big rocks so entertaining.
There were plenty of big rocks.
Day One was not quite as warm as Day Two. It was still really nice and it felt great to be outside.
We loved all the breathtaking views.
On the hike to the Canyon Overlook.
Addie found this rainbow in the rock.
Addie has an adventurous spirit.It was neat to see snow in the park.
A walk down to the stream at Weeping Rock.
The kids had fun getting sprinkled on at Weeping Rock.
They did not want to leave.
On our way!

Friday, February 12, 2010

February 12, 2010

After arriving in California last October, our first stop was Huntington Beach to see the Madsens.
We took a little jaunt down to the beach before dinner.
We all enjoyed wading in the water.
It was a great start to our vacation.
You can't beat the feel and smell of ocean air.
Campbell and Addie had fun playing in the water.
All the kids came home quite wet. That was not our intention.
Oh well... it was worth it.

Thursday, February 4, 2010

February 4, 2010

This post is LONG overdue. We were able to go to Disneyland last October. It was wonderful! The Merry Go Round in California Adventure is Landry's safe haven. This is what he does (over and over) while the rest of us take turns going on California Screaming. He was tall enough to go on most of the rides. Landry is tall for his age so his emotional maturity for the rides does not equal his physical maturity. He was traumatized by the end of day one after having been on Tower of Terror, Splash Mountain, etc. Landry went on all the rides willingly the first time. He would not go near the scary rides the second day.
Small World was closed when we went to Disneyland last year. Addie and Landry could not wait to go on it this year.
Landry's very favorite ride is the Winnie the Pooh ride. He loves Winnie the Pooh. Lucky for him he gets to go on this ride over and over as we rotate going on Splash Mountain.
He gets SO EXCITED about the Winnie the Pooh ride. Everyone else tires of it quickly. The last two years we have been able to walk on Splash Mountain. We all go on it three or four times in a row. This allows ample time for Landry to repeat his favorite ride several times.
Hot chocolate at the hotel.
It was so fun to go to Disneyland at Halloween time.
The Haunted Mansion/Nightmare Before Christmas ride was fun. Landry was not thrilled about visiting the ghosts.
Addie enjoyed dancing with Chip and Dale.
I loved the candy corn gardens at California Adventure.
Addie and Landry visited with Snow White.
This is the only thing Landry would eat for lunch.
They love their hats.

It is so fun to watch the kids on the rides.
You can't go to Disneyland without taking this picture.
This is after Landry's first (and only) ride on Splash Mountain. I took this right after we went down the waterfall. Landry was a little bit in shock.
Kolby got a little wet.
It is too bad you can't see Addie's face or Landry in this picture. Otherwise, the picture would be perfect.
Don't we all feel this way after a day at Disneyland?