St. George Vacation

Our annual family vacation to St. George this year was one of the best family vacations we've ever had. We're familiar enough with St. George now that we know what we like to do and what routine works best for the girls.

Day 1

On Monday, we started our drive and stopped at Cove Fort since the girls and I hadn't ever been there.

Then we finished our drive to St. George, settled in at the condo, and went out to eat. Afterward, the girls were begging to go swimming so we spent the first evening enjoying the pool.

Day 2

Tuesday we woke up and went swimming again. It was probably my favorite day swimming because I pulled out some squirt guns that Josh and the older girls played with. They turned out to be a big hit. Meanwhile Ashlyn played with her swimming princess Barbies and Emma and I hung out together.

 After eating lunch and waiting for the two youngest to wake up from their naps, we headed off to Jump N Jacks. It's funny because I thought the two oldest would enjoy it the most, but it turned out the exact opposite. Ashlyn couldn't get enough of the slides and Emma was mad every time I took her out of the kiddie area because she loved it so much while Kali and Sadie complained the majority of the time about getting hurt or being bored.

We also went out to eat and stopped by the Jacob Hamblin home for a tour.

Day 3

Wednesday we decided to go hiking in the morning before it got insanely hot. We went on the same hike in Leeds that we did two years ago. We really enjoyed it back then but enjoyed it even more this time around. The water level was low enough that we got to follow the stream farther up to some pretty cool waterfalls. One part was a little nerve-racking because we had to use a rope and foot-holes in the rock to get to the next level. It wasn't very easy with the little ones, but we made it and loved every second of it. It seemed to be everyone's favorite part of the trip.

Then we ate a picnic lunch and headed to Grandpa Smith's house to go swimming. After spending time with him, we got cleaned up and went out to eat. About an hour before bed, Josh and Kali went on a bike ride while Sadie, Ashlyn, Emma and I played at the condo's playground and in the sand.

Day 4

On Thursday, we woke up and went swimming again. The pool was pretty full that day since the condos were filling up for the weekend. After lunch and naps we went to Johnson Farm which has dinosaur fossils.

Then we went to Fiesta Fun and out to eat. That evening we ate popcorn and watched a movie back at the condo.

Day 5

Friday we packed up, took a quick stroll around the St. George Temple and did some shopping at the outlets before heading home. It was a packed vacation, yet very relaxing at the same time.

Bear Lake

Uncle Kurt and Stephanie decided to get married at Bear Lake so we got to take a family trip up north. I have to say that that was probably the most beautiful drive I have ever been on. The leaves had already changed and the colors were so vibrant. We tried to stop and take pictures but weren't in the most ideal place to get a good photo. Both Sardine Canyon and Logan Canyon were beautiful. Sadie kept saying how she wanted us to buy a tree like one of those we were seeing. I couldn't have agreed more.

Not only did we get to drive to Bear Lake, we got to stay in a cabin on the beach with all the family. It was so much fun and the view was gorgeous. The wedding was beautiful too with the lake as a backdrop. And best of all, it was fun to simply spend time with family and relax a little.

The Mormon Miracle Pageant

Our main reason for taking a trip down to Fairview was so that we could watch the Manti Pageant and not have to make the long drive home the same night. Our girls hadn't ever seen it and we thought it would be a fun experience.

We even got to see some of the cast members up close, including a young Joseph Smith. But I think my girls were more interested in the Lamanites.

By the end of the show, we only had one child awake. I had even dozed off a few times. But it was still fun. Thankfully we had Brady and Jordan to help us back to the car with the sleepy girls.

Fairview

Our family decided to have a quick weekend getaway this weekend. We went to Fairview and stayed at Grandma and Grandpa's Brown's place. Thanks to Gary and Lisa, Josh and the girls got to enjoy some four wheeling.

Brady and Jordan came too and thanks to Brady, Emma got to join in the fun.

The resort has a pool and the girls got to enjoy their first swim for the summer. For some reason, my kids are fearless in the water. There's a big slide there and Sadie went running up the steps to go down by herself. The only problem is that it ends in the deep end of the pool and Sadie can't swim yet. Thankfully Jordan and I spotted her and Jordan got in the water to catch her at the bottom. The girls were jumping off the diving board and everything. I can tell they're a little rusty on the skills they learned in swim. Time for another round of lessons. Ashlyn couldn't enter the pool since she's not completely potty trained, but they had a little plastic pool that she got to play in and that was just as good to her.

C*A*L*I*F*O*R*N*I*A

DAY 1

Disneyland

Our girls have been wanting to go to Disneyland for some time now. Little did they know that we have too and finally saved up enough to make it possible. We surprised them the beginning of April with the news and made them countdown chains for the big day. Let's just say Disneyland didn't disappoint at all. We had so much fun.

We started out our first day in Fantasy Land riding rides like the Tea Cups and Peter Pan. Our next stop was the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boo Boutique where, thanks to Grandpa and Grandma, the girls were dressed up as princesses, had their nails painted, makeup done, and hair styled.

Not only did we love Ashlyn's extensions and the overall experience in the boutique, but the girls ended up with an experience of a lifetime when they stepped out.

Cinderella just happened to be outside the door.

And instead of posing for pictures, she took the girls hands and led them across the entire park.

She twirled with them.

And even helped them make wishes at the wishing well.

It was an unforgettable experience!

After more rides and fun, we were able to finish off the day with a showing of Aladdin in the theater at California Adventure. We were all exhausted by the end of the day.

DAY 2

Disneyland

On day two, we attempted to visit the remaining attractions of Disneyland.

The girls chose face painting rather than a souvenir.

And we introduced them to the fast rides. Josh's stomach didn't hold up well, but I went on several rides with them.

We finished up the evening watching World of Color at California Adventure. What a beautiful spectacle!!!

And then just before we left the park, I realized that I couldn't find our tickets. I was quite distressed. We looked everywhere that I thought I could have possibly placed them with no luck. We even checked the ground where I thought they could have fallen out. I was in tears, but Josh remained calmed and said a personal prayer (my father-in-law also did at the same time while in a different location) and within minutes, the tickets had been found. They were in one of our backpacks in a place that I hadn't ever put them before.  Although it seems like such a silly thing, I'm grateful they thought of such a simple solution and that Heavenly Father cared enough to help us find them.

DAY 3

The Aquarium of the Pacific & The Beach

We heard about the Aquarium of the Pacific from my sister and headed to Long Beach to check it out. Not only did they have sea lions, otters, sharks, and every kind of fish imaginable, the girls got to touch baby sharks, stingrays, and jellyfish. 

Then they got to go into this fenced-off area and feed Lorikeets nectar out of little cups. They were allowed to let the birds climb on them, but they weren't allowed to pet them. That didn't stop Kali from trying and she got nipped.

After that, we headed to Huntington Beach. And while the cooler temperatures made Disneyland quite enjoyable, it made the beach freezing cold.

But the girls weren't about to miss out on going in the water. So they suited up and headed in. I could hardly stand to put my feet in the water it was so cold. Kali and Sadie spent quite a long time in the water with Josh trying to ride the waves and really seemed to enjoy themselves until they got out and realized how cold they were. 

Ashlyn didn't spend too much time in the water, but she did get her legs wet a few times. She enjoyed playing in the sand and cuddling up with Grandma and Grandpa in towels while eating sandy food.

DAY 4

Disneyland

Our last day at Disneyland got off to a great start. We got to eat breakfast with the princesses. The first princess they got to see was none other than Ariel, Sadie's favorite. She even got to tell her so.

Next in line was Belle.

Then Snow White.

Then Cinderella, Ashlyn's favorite.

And last but not least, Sleeping Beauty, Kali's favorite. She was kind of fun because she spent a lot of time at our table talking with the girls and even dancing with Ashlyn.

Then it was off to Mickey's Toontown. But in order to get there we took the train which had to be Ashlyn's favorite part of the whole experience (that and the bus that shuttled us to and from our hotel).

In Toontown, Ashlyn gave Mickey Mouse the longest hug ever.

Then we got to watch Mickey's Sounsational Parade which was so much fun. They had all the classic Disney characters and music.

The girls got to wave to them all and Sadie couldn't help but dance to the music.

Ashy loved it too.

And Emma slept through it all like a good little baby.

Our trip was amazing and we have memories to last us a lifetime.