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!