Katie's Krazy Korner

Hi, this is Katie and I'm going to tell you about me. I get to go to Kindergarten this year. My teacher is Mrs. Scott and she is nice. She lets us have treats when we come in from recess. I have lots of friends in my class! Some I knew from preschool, some are my neighbors, and some are new. I get to ride my bike to school now cause I'm a five year old, and I know how to do that.

Sometimes I get really sick. I can't breathe, so I have to take my medicine from the machine. I also had an ingrown toenail. I went to the doctors and had to get a shot in my toe, then he took the ingrown stuff out, and put a big bandaid on my toe. My toe hurt for really long. But, it's better now.

For Halloween I'm going to be a lion, because I want to be something scary.

Kenzie's Korner

Hi, this Kenzie, and I'm going to tell you a little about the last few months. In August I planned a late over. That's when you invite friends over and stay up late. Friday night is the best time to do this. You play lots of games, watch movies, and pop popcorn. I invited 6 friends -- I had lots of fun. I'm all ready planning another dress up party.

I started playing soccer this season. And I liked it. I got a trophy and we won almost every game. You get lots of exercise and you eat healthy snacks after so you can be very healthy.

I'm now in the 2nd grade, and school is COOL!! When you do work it exercises your brain and tests it. I am very smart now. All my friends are asking me for help cause they think I know everything. We have fun days at school, too. Crazy hair day was my favorite -- I think I looked pretty funny!

The Homefront

Minutes after we got home I got a call from my neighbor who was taking care of our rabbits. She said we had kittens -- which immediately confused me, because both our rabbits are male! Apparantly a ferrel cat had brought her three week old kittens into our shed and made a home -- my neighbor cared for them while we were away, so they may stick around. The kids were overwhelmed by the cute kittens and are begging us to let them keep them. And yes, they've all ready named them.

A Few More

Just a shot of the discovery zone and the elephant exhibit!

The Wild Animal Park

The Wild Animal Park was a place I've always wanted to go -- and I loved it! The kids loved the first part of it, then the walking became too much for them. At one point Kenzie laid down in the middle of the path -- spread eagle on her back -- and sobbed because she could not take another step. We convinced her to cool down in the discovery zone, where she quickly forgot her misery and became absorbed in animal toys, coloring activities, puppets, and books. It was a fun day -- and it was nice to see animals in an environment where you don't feel sorry for them!

USS Midway

Kelly's favorite part of the trip BY FAR was the USS Midway tour. This massive aircraft carrier is now a museum and a sobering reminder of what Navy officers and recruits endure on their tours of duty. Honestly, though, I think Kelly imagined he was acting out a role in the Top Gun movie -- I know I was!

Sea World

Sea World was a blast! The kids loved the shows and the rides. Mom loved the discount tickets she found on accident at McDonalds! The favorite ride was Journey to Atlantis, and all the animals were a hit. We didn't see everything -- we ran out of steam, but we'll catch it all the next time around, when we have longer legs!

Imberial Beach

This is, by far, the coolest beach in Southern Cal. We had a beautiful condo, a clean, uncrowded beach, fun shops, a playground, pools, and pier just a few steps away. We are definitely going to plan a return trip! For more info, check out sandiegovacation.com

Josh + cold water + NaCl = misery²

Josh was very good the entire trip. He loved going on the rides, watching the animals, and exploring the beach; all with one exception -- getting wet. Getting plastered by the ocean waves rendered him absolutely immobile. He became a statue. Getting wet by the dolphins at Sea World made him furious. But swimming in the pool -- especially the hot tub, was sheer heaven!

Beach Day

We planned for at least 3 days of just hanging out on the beach. We were lucky enough to have eight days of pure sunshine and warm weather -- which was perfect for playing in the surf, beach combing, exploring, and sun bathing. It was magical!

The Lines

Waiting in line was not bad at all. The park was crowded, but we subscribed to Ridemax, which shortened our line time and made it possible to hit all the rides we wanted. Lots of rides like Splash Mountain, Space Mountain, Indiana Jones, and Thunder Mountain Railroad we got to go on twice in a row because of the rider switch policy! It was awesome!

The Dumbo Ride, although not everyone's favorite, was exciting!

California Surprise

Early Memorial Day morning we woke the kids and told them to get in the car . . . we were going somewhere fun! They cooperated very well, and surprisingly asked very few questions. Outside of St. George, Kelly and I were dying to tell the kids, so we told them to make a few guesses about where we were going. Kenzie guessed Lake Powell, Katie guessed the North Pole, and Courtney guessed St. George. We then decided to give them "a clue" by passing out some Disney coloring books. Courtney immediately piped up, "Ooo! I think I know! Disneyland?!" When we answered yes, Kenzie started screaming -- which triggered gleeful yells from Josh, and many giggles from Katie and Courtney. Anyway, it was a fantastic week filled with miracles and unbelievably wonderful moments. Here are a few highlights!

Easter Fun!

As early as Easter was, we were very fortunate to have nice weather for the day.

The kids loved hanging out with their cousins -- and what would Easter be without a fun little egg hung at Grandy's house?

Spring is Just Messing with US!

After a long, icky cold spell, we finally got some "go outside" weather. Somehow, through all that frost and snow a few croci were able to make it to a bloom -- Josh was very excited about this discovery. He's also excited about the bunnies, ants, spiders, and every other stick and rock he can find. We hope this warm spell lasts!

Farm Frolic

We had a brief spell of fantastic weather, so we decided to visit the farm -- Wheeler Farm. It was amazing! All the animals were out basking in the sun and eager to thrill the kids. They climbed trees, explored all nooks and crannies, threw rocks in the river and enjoyed the 50+ degree weather!