Day 4- 7/16/10

If you were to ask my kids what was the most fun thing they did on their trip they would say going swimming at the Scera Park Pool. It was awesome! Aunt Jennie went swimming with the kids and they thought it was the greatest. I should have done what I had originally planned and got over to my in laws earlier so that we got to the pool earlier as my kids LOVE to swim They got to swim two and a half hours and were not happy when it was time to leave. Nicholas kept running away from us back to the pool. I have always loved our pool here in Porterville and have never found one that compared. I just did and it also superseded it. That pool was awesome. It would have been nicer with about 100 fewer people, but none the less it was nice and my kids had a blast!




After the pool we went back to my mother in laws for a BBQ. Eliza just loved her little cousin Zoey. Luckily Zoey was very patient with her (on the most part) as Eliza kept wanting to hold her and "mother" her and Zoey just like Eliza at that age, wanted to be LEFT ALONE. They did enjoy playing the piano together.

Day 3-7/15/10

The Morning started with a trip to Mount Timp. Temple. Was so nice to go as a family and with my mom to the temple.

Then it was out to lunch at the Pizza Factory.
After lunch we went and picked up the kids and went back to our motel to relax for a little while and then get them ready to go to the park for family pictures.

Day 2- 7/14/10 PART 2

On the second day of our trip we went the rest of the way up to the Provo/Orem area stopping at the Saint George Temple. When we pulled up front the kids were at awe at how big the Temple was. John told them that, that was the temple we had been married in and Eliza said, "I want to get married in the Big George" John told her when she got older if that was where she wanted to get married that was just fine with him. She told her dad no she wanted to get married right then. When he told her no she was too little she was crushed and cried and cried. When we got in the visitors center the missionary sisters came up and asked if she was okay and when I told them why she was crying they broke out in smiles and had to hold back the laughter. We walked around the visitors center and then the temple grounds. Eliza was very proud of the Big George and for the rest of the trip every temple we saw was the Big George.

Day 2- 7/14/10 PART 1

9 Years & 11 months later

John & I are coming up on our 10th Anniversary August 17th. We were married in the Saint George Temple that very hot Thursday morning. Since we were heading to Provo/Orem and Saint George was on the way I wanted to stop there and get this picture taken to go along with the one that we already have hanging in our room that was taken the day we were married to show ten years later.

Eliza's Hair Cut

So I know this is out of order from what I have been posting of our family vacation, but needed to do this post tonight so Eliza's grandma could see the end result.

So Eliza was wearing cute piggy tails today and tonight while getting ready to get in the bath I was taking her hair down and the elastic in her hair got caught. Not all to uncommon, I usually just get some scissors and cut them out. While going to get the scissors I got a phone call and so Eliza decided to hurry things along and do it herself and got some scissors and tried to cut the elastic out of her hair. Unfortunately she cut half of her pig tail out too. :-(! ARGHHHH! I have been waiting so long for her hair to grow out long and I have recently been able to french braid it and such I wanted to cry. This was the result of her trying to cut out the elastic.

I called a friend of mine who is a hairdresser and runs a beauty shop out of her converted garage. She is the one who cuts Eliza's and my hair, and asked her if she had time tomorrow for Eliza to come over and get it fixed. She told me to come on over tonight. As always she did a wonderful job. Eliza now has a layered bob. Wish it wasn't so short, but glad it still looks cute despite what she did to her own hair.
Doesn't her new end of summer cut look so cute?

Day 1- 7/12/10

We got up early and loaded the kids into the car and headed out on our Family Adventure.












Our first stop was Barstow, California for breakfast. We have stopped here before. We eat in the McDonalds that was built in an old train coach. Kind of neat, but unfortunately very expensive!

Then we were off to Vegas to spend the rest of the day. We stayed once again at Circus Circus. A very kid friendly hotel that we have stayed at a hand full of times since we have been married. Unfortunately this time it wasn't a pleasant experience. The rooms were dirty, smelled bad, and the air conditioners didn't work right. We still went down to the circus tent and played the kids arcade where Nicholas hit the jack pot on one of the games. We watched a circus act and then we got in the car and headed down the strip to the M&M Factory. We went there two years ago and had a blast. It is a 4 story store filled full of M&M's and a museum and 3D movie. Our kids had a blast. You have to park in the MGM GRAND parking lot and walk a long distance out to the street. It was hot but we made it out to the street to find that the M&M Factory is under renovation construction so there was no movie or walk through museum. DANGIT! Another Las Vegas disappointment. Grandma bought the kids each a bag of colored M&M's and we made the trek back to the car in the heat with whining kids and a frustrated mom!



When we got back to the hotel the kids were complaining they were hungry so we headed back to the circus tent for some dinner. There was a new restaurant in the tent and they were passing out coupons that said "Kids free meal with a purchase of an Adult Entree" We decided that would be a good deal since we had three adults, three of the kids would be free. We got to the restaurant got seated and they brought us the menu. We handed our server our coupons and began to order to be told that the coupons were only good if the adult plates were ordered off their signature section. $27.00+ a plate. YIKES! My mom and I both pointed out that the coupon said "adult entree" not "signature meal" He told us that was how their coupon worked. We got up and left! By then the kids were really hungry and tired and this mommy was fumming! We went for pizza and finally got dinner ordered and sat down. While waiting for our pizza my kids were being a little loud but I would not say they were acting bad. We had the woman sitting at the table across from us with her two teenage kids and husband say loudly to them, "That is why you only have two kids. That way one parent can take care of one, while the other parent takes care of the other." Hmmmm I think our day in Vegas needed to end!

Night Before Wilder Vacation

My mom came over the night before as she travelled with us on this vacation. We packed up our things and loaded the car so in the morning we could just hit the road. From a children's book we got the idea of taking my dad along for the trip in the form of pictures hooked to paint sticks. The kids thought it was great. They had their own grandpa that they carried around. They made sure he ate well the night before and also that he got a good night sleep and packed securely in the bags.