Vacation 2012 - Part Five

San Diego & The Ocean

 

I love the beach on Coronado Island. 

Love, love, love.

Beautiful white sandy beaches for miles and miles and almost zero people. 

Perfection!

The kids saw the ocean for the first time.  After Isabelle was convinced a shark wouldn't eat her she had a blast.  William has no fear and thought I was unreasonable for not letting him swim out into the ocean.  Never mind the fact that he doesn't know how to swim.

William is president of the Grandpa fan club.  It's because Grandpa teaches him all kinds of things that little boys think are funny that mommys do not.

Going to the little lighthouse was so fun. 
I can't imagine living in one of these.

 Even I felt hugely tall inside!

 And lets hear it for modern day indoor plumbing. 

I don't really think this counts!

This was on the way to the lighthouse.  The graves went on for miles on both sides of the road.

I feel so blessed.  Like nothing has really ever been asked of me! 

I am so thankful to these heroes!

We took the ferry across the bay.  Very cool!

We got crazy wet and had sand all over.  Fabulous!

William was very sad to leave.

Isabelle is my timid girl.  She would stick one toe in and then run away screaming with joy.

 

We had an incredible trip with not 1 minute left empty.

We are counting down the days until our next adventure!

Vacation 2012 - Part Four

The USS Midway

 

In San Diego Bay you can go and see the USS Midway, a retired aircraft carrier.

I wasn't really sure if the kids would like it - but it was a huge hit. 

Just imagine a ginormous ship with about a hundred plans you can get inside and around a trillion knobs you can turn - although that's 16 times less than our national debt, so maybe its' not really that many!

Isabelle was really playing the part of pilot!

 

Every plane I looked at was my new favorite.

I think I had a few dirty looks because I kept calling the aircraft carrier a boat. 

That's a no no FYI.

 

I am just astounded at the people who invent these, fly these, etc.

I could never live on one of these and do what we ask of our service men.

I am so grateful for their willing hearts and sacrifices!

 

I was having horrible visions of my baby wanting to grow up and be in the military. 

How do the mothers of armed service men do it???

The only time I will ever be in a parachute thingy  - plane, hanger, cargo ship...whatever I don't need to know the appropriate term if I'll never be in one again.

It's all fun and games when you are safely on the land!

Why yes - people were looking at us like we were nuts...

and possibly insane...

 

 and then just unfit parents. 

Go ahead baby it's cute that "shooter" is pointing right at your head.

In our defense the almost 7 year old started it. 

Eventually William got it perfect. 

He thought it was hilarious that the guy was grabbing his own bum!

 

 And here we have Isabelle in the place she felt most comfortable..The Captains' chair!

 Steering the boat...ahem...aircraft carrier wasn't bad either.

 Oh the buttons were never ending.  In fact there was one room with buttons and knobs from floor to ceiling.  I don't even think they were for anything.  It's just so the men could go play with something when they got bored.  Yep I'm 90% sure that's what they were for.

 

Other than the fact that it was a little expensive, this was a great diversion.

I also loved that I can call this part of our school for the week!  I love home schooling or away schooling as luck would have it!

Vacation 2012 - Part Three

Sea World

 

We had the most beautiful day at Sea World.  The weather was perfect

(a big shock for San Diego I know) and there were hardly any people there.

Isabelle was so sad that she didn't get soaked in either one of the shows!

 

I have to accompany the kids on all of the spinney rides because Soungsik gets motion sickness.  Fortunately for the kids I have the mentality of a 5 year old so I enjoy them too.  Although I did notice my age a little more this time. *sigh*

 

 Isabelle has been obsessed with sharks lately. 

 It was the one thing we absolutely had to see there. 

Sure the polar bear is cute and fuzzy, but this picture is here because I love the strangle hold Isabelle is doing on her brother to get him to hold still for a picture!

Isabelle begged to go on this ride.  You can't see her because she is behind her dad.  I hate this kind of roller coaster.  You know the kind with a slow crawl up up up to a horribly straight drop off - oh and lets throw in a ton of water because that would make it super ooper dooper fun.

Anyways Isabelle started freaking out about 10 seconds into the ride and instead of being able to freak out with her (like I desperately wanted to) I had to play the calm and collected adult.  She was screaming things at me such as "I am never doing this ride again! You can't make me!  I hate this!!!"

Right...because I begged you to come on it! 

 

Oh but they do have a giant blue roller coaster that I went on with my mom. 

It was AWESOME.  'Nuff said.

 

Sea World was great - I think once every 10 years or so would be just about right!

Vacation 2012 - Part Two

St. George and Las Vegas

 

We went to Bass Pro Shops in Las Vegas.  Unlike most things in Vegas this place is free, and the kids really like it.  It's kind of like Cabelas on steroids.

 

 They have a pretty great aquarium at the back of the store.

And huge waterfalls and pools inside.

 They have thousands of animals and figures of animals. 

William favorite were the hammer head sharks.

Oh they just wish, but I've seen how Isabelle drives her toy car and how William rides his bike!

 

 

 Now they are really dreaming big!

 

Beautiful full moon.

 We stayed the first night in St. George with Nathaniel and Jenny's family.

The cousins have missed each other so much.  Isabelle and Natalie stayed up until at least 1 a.m. talking and giggling.  It may have been later, but that's when I fell asleep so I really wouldn't know!

 

We went to a park and celebrated my nephew's 2nd birthday.

William is afraid of anything and that makes me afraid...very afraid!

 

I want to move to St. George.

I might just pack up my bags one day and head down there for good!

Probably in February...