Cory's Birthday
Cory had a birthday on Thursday August 28th. We celebrated his birthday this Sunday. Cory and his family came over after church and we had a nice dinner. Jimmy made an Angel Food Cake...Cory's favorite and a regular cake. So after a big dinner we then stuffed ourselves with ice cream and cake! If that wasn't enough we ate popcorn while playing Cranium!
The Birthday boy!
Cory with his post-its stuck to his shirt! We have a running joke in our family. No one can seem to get birthday presents on time. Everyone is always giving the birthday person a post-it note saying that the birthday gift will be coming. It's not like everyone doesn't have a year to be prepared with a gift! I have made it easy on myself and give cards and $. It works out the best!
After the giving of the post-it notes and the eating of the cake and ice-cream we break out the games.
Cory...being the birthday boy got to pick the game. After our usual hour getting ready to play we finally started the game. We didn't get to far into the game when we had to quit. It was after 1:00a.m before we got to bed!
Playing Cranium
Adam and Ethan chillin and watching Monsters Inc.
I had to add this picture. The kids were laughing when they saw it and saying that it looked like I was getting ready to behead cory. Actually I had the lighter in my hand after lighting the candles and I was reaching for the light switch to turn off the lights so we could sing Happy Birthday!
After my mom died in February I wanted to do something that would create a wonderful family memory with some of the inheritance. What we decided to do was to rent a house near the ocean in Carlsbad Ca. near San Diego. We found a home that was big enough to house us all and was just across the street from a beautiful beach. We flew Stacy and Jason and their 3 children, Ben, Sam and Cailin from New Jersey. We flew Kim and Shawn from Utah. Christy flew in from Fremont and her friend Paul flew in a few days into the vacation. Cory and Kristal and their children, Megan, Jonathan, Ethan and Adam drove down as did Mike and Jimmy and me. We got their Saturday night just before Cory and Kristal did. We made a hurried trip to the grocery store to get supplies for the week...which lasted only a couple of days before we had to restock! Stacy and Jason and family, Shawn and Kim and Christy all arrived at the San Diego airport at about the same time...(good planning) they rented a couple of cars and headed to the house. The house was perfect for us, it had 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms a roomy living room, dining room and kitchen. There was a patio that wrapped around the house and had a table and chairs outside. We all found a place to sleep...we were cozy but everyone had a bed except for the children who found a place to sleep on air mattresses in their parents bedrooms. Ethan especially liked his bed! He had a nice little bed tucked into the closet in the bedroom. It had a sliding door so he wasn't closed in! He had his only little niche! It was wonderful to have all of our children and all of our grandchildren together for the week! The week went way to fast! On Sunday we had a restful day having a BBQ that Stacy and Jason planned (each couple was in charge of a dinner during the week...it was great I bought the groceries but didn't do any of the meal planning or cooking! We spent Tuesday, Thursday and Friday on the beach, in the water and boogie boarding! We spent the evenings playing games and eating! On Monday and Wednesday we we got up at the crack of dawn...or it seemed, to be at Disneyland when it opened. We stayed til they kicked us out at midnight ( I think we were close to the last leaving the parking lot on one of the nights!). We had a blast and wished it could have lasted longer. It was a time we will never forget!
The little kids table! 
The big peoples table! We did a lot of eating! Sunday a BBQ,Tuesday Taco Salad, Thursday Enchiladas, Friday another BBQ and Round Table Pizza in the evening. Monday and Wednesday we spent a fortune on Disneyland food...yuck!
Megan And Ben enjoying a little DS game playing.
On Sunday we walked on the beach and played in the sand. We didn't swim since it was the sabbath but we couldn't keep the kids from getting a little wet! 
We ran out of clean cereal bowls so Sam used what he could! We had to make a trip to Walmart to stock up on more bowls and kids cups!
Cailin and Adam loved climbing on the gate and playing on the patio together.
Our first day to hit the beach. Jonny is ready to go!
Ethan really took a liking to Kim. Whenever Kim was around Ethan was right there! Sorry Ethan Kim is taken!
Jimmy enjoying a break from boogie boarding...he had a blast and was able to catch a lot of waves...way to go Jimmy!!
Christy and Paul enjoying the sun during a break from boogie boarding.
I had to put this picture in to prove that I boogie boarded and actually caught a few waves! The last day at the beach Stacy and I were out with the boogie boards when Stacy decided to catch the wave and I was right in her way! I couldn't move! The next thing I know I am sitting on Stacy's board going on the wave and then crashing down and bouncing my way across the ocean floor in waiste deep water on my bum! I ended up with a huge bruise (bigger than I have ever seen before!) and a very sore tailbone that still hurts! I guess that is why grandma's don't boogie board!
This is Mike and me catching a wave!
Everyone having fun in the water and on the sand! In the water are
Jason, Jimmy, Pam and Stacy....I think. On the sand is Jonathan, Ben, Ethan, Cory, Kristal and Megan.
Jonny and Ben playing together. The cousins had a great time at the beach together.
Sam, Megan, Jonathan and Ben having fun!
Ben, Cailing and Sam
Stacy and Jason enjoying the water
Fun and games!
Everyone congregating in the kitchen while Kim works on the enchiladas.
Cailin helping Adam with grandpa's shoes!
Cory, Jimmy, Christy, Paul, Kim and Shawn catching a wave. On Friday Cory, Christy, Paul, Jimmy, Kim and Shawn went back to boogie board in the late afternoon and stayed until after dark catching waves and having a great time!
Those specks in the water are them!
Getting everyone strapped in their strollers,and sun screen on their faces!
Christy, Jimmy, Shawn and Kim...notice Shawn and Kim's I am engaged buttons...it got them a lot of "congratulations" from people.
Grandma and Grandpa in line to have some fun with the grandchildren!
The castle at night. We got to see some of the fireworks on Monday night and Wednesday night and saw Fantasmic on Monday night.
Shawn and Kim
The Jungle ride...Cory, Adam, Jason, Ben, Sam, Mike, Stacy.
Thunder mountain...Ben was brave enough to ride it but decided he didn't like it very much!
Christy, Stacy,Cailin, Jimmy, Ethan and Megan.
The fireworks!
This is Cory and Megan in the front and Jimmy and Kim in the back seats on the screamer in California Adventure. Megan was so funny she loved the screamer even throwing her arms up as she rode. Shawn tried riding the screamer but he got motion sickness so had to sit this ride out.
Paul was able to fly in Tuesday night and join with us on our vacation.
In line at the Indiana Jones ride. I made sure that my purse was stuffed into the compartment this time. Last time we went to Disneyland my purse flew out of the Indiana Jones ride. It had my camera, wallet and everything in it. Luckily it landed where it could be retrieved but we had to wait til almost the end of the day to get it. At first they said I couldn't get it unless the ride broke down and they could take the time to get it. But the ride never had a problem so they finally shut the ride down and retrieved my purse. It was kind of awkward standing there while all the people were scowling and upset because they stopped the ride!
Jimmy and Christy.
Cailin on the Merry go Round with Grandpa.
Grandpa having fun with Cailin, Ben and Sam at Toon Town.
Grandma taking a break to take care of the sleeping kids while mom and dad ran off with the others to get a few rides in before the closing of the park. 
The Tower of Terror!!! One of our favorite rides. Front row...Mike, Jimmy, Shawn and Kim. 2nd row...Pam, Megan (who loved it) Christy and Paul.
Space Mountain! Another one of our favorite rides. Jonny wanted to ride with Grandpa and they got the first seat. When we got off and asked Jonny how he liked it he said he closed his eyes the whole way. If you look closely at the picture you can see his eyes squeesed shut tight as well as his mouth squinched ( is that a word?). He decided he didn't want to go on that ride again!
Front row...Mike and Jonathan
Waiting in another line!
Getting to get in the "special line" with Kristal in the wheel chair! It was nice that they do this because Kristal could never have stood in these long lines in the sun. 
Ben was a crazy driver! but Grandma survived!
Stacy and Cailin and Kristal and Adam.
OK this is the best we can do!
Here we are with our five children...or should I say with our five adults...
Cory with his family.
Stacy with her family.
Shawn with his soon to be family.
Christy and Paul. 
Jimmy
And so ended one of the best if not the best vacation ever! We waved good-bye to Stacy and Jason and the kids and Shawn and Kim as they drove off to the airport to fly home. Cory and his family packed their car up as we did to start the long drive home. Exhausted and happy!
