A Family Vacation to Remember!!!

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!

I had so many pictures to go through and it is really hard to organize them on this blog so I thought I would just put them up in random order and label them....If you would like to see a more organized view of our vacation go to Stacy's blog...she did a wonderful job...I tried to put different pictures here than she did on hers but I do have a few repeats! So here goes...

Celebrating Dad's birthday on Sunday!

The little kids table!

Ethan,Cailin and Adam

The medium sized kids at the bar!

Jonny, Ben, Megan and Sam.

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!

Shawn, Cailin and Megan looking for creatures in the water.

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! Monday and Wednesday at Disneyland

On Monday and Wednesday (Mikes Birthday) we celebrated at Disneyland! We got there at opening and didn't leave until closing! We all got celebrating Disney buttons, and family reunion buttons to wear at Disneyland. Shawn and Kim also got an " I am engaged" buttons to wear and on Wednesday Mike got a "It's my birthday" button to wear! They give them out for free so we got them all!

Getting everyone strapped in their strollers,and sun screen on their faces!

Rushing to our first ride...Pirates of course!

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.

Christy and Paul

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.

I was sitting on a bench near to where all the people who ride on space mountain walk by. People would walk by and look at me with the three sleeping children and say "Oh how cute" and other such things or just smile at me....but when Ben woke up and had to go to the bathroom and was kinda disoriented and began to scream and cry and jump around people walked by with a different look on their faces....like woman what are you doing?!!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.

Shawn, Kim, Pam, Jimmy, Christy, Cory, Paul, Jonny and Megan.

We found that poor Kristal who is expecting a baby was getting to tired walking around so much so Cory rented a wheel chair for her which made it much easier. We were about to get another wheel chair and take turns pushing each other around!

Oh the Tea Cups...have to go on the Tea Cups.

Cory, Ethan and Jonny having fun.

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

middle row... Cory

third row...Megan and Pam

Standing in one of the many lines!

Cory, Jonny, Megan and Pam

Waiting in another line!

Stacy and Cailin, Jonny, Ethan, Ben and Megan. 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.

More Tea Cup fun!

Megan, Jimmy and Christy.

Before leaving we wanted to get family pictures. Kristal had to leave on Friday for her sisters wedding in Utah so we had to hurry and take the pictures. It was getting dark so they didn't turn out great but we did take them!

It's not easy to get a good picture with this bunch!

OK this is the best we can do! Here we are with our five children...or should I say with our five adults...

Cory, Stacy, Mike, Pam, Jimmy, Christy and Shawn.

Cory with his family.

Cory and Ethan, Kristal and Adam, Megan and Jonny.

Stacy with her family.

Stacy and Cailin, Jason, Sam and Ben.

Shawn with his soon to be family.

Shawn and his fiance Kim. Christy and Paul. Jimmy

By the time we got around to taking a picture of Grandma and Grandpa with all the Grandchildren they had had enough!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!

Thankful for our Eternal Family!