Day #2 - The Aquarium

Bryan and I have a problem. We wake up at 5 a.m. every morning so when we go on vacation we still wake up at 5 a.m. in the morning. NOTHING IS OPEN that early. On Friday, we had tickets to the Monterey Aquarium. It didn't open until 10 a.m. So took our time getting ready, walked around the hotel and took photos, went to the cafe downstairs of the hotel for some breakfast (again, a coffee place makes TERRIBLE hot chocolate) and then went walking.

Bryan took his tennis shoes which were about 10 years old. They had holes and he was hating life as we were walking around. So we sat on a bench and watched the seals and the waves until a shoe store opened at 10 a.m. Then I got some new shoes (hey, they were on sale!) and Bryan got some new tennis shoes. We ran back to the hotel (we didn't have a car because everything was close) to drop off the shoes and then went to the Aquarium.

It was really neat. They had a lot of huge tanks full of animals. We saw sharks and all kinds of fish, sea stars, I got to pet a sting ray, we saw sea horses and all kinds of things. It was great. We went to lectures on sharks and the ocean. I kept thinking how cool Ethan would think this was.

We spent a few hours at the Aquarium before buying some gifts for the kids and leaving to get lunch. We ate a little cafe near the Aquarium and I had the best clam chowder in a huge bread bowl! That's the life.

We went back to the hotel and took a nap (Bryan watched football and napped) and then we went to a movie (Harry Potter with the first 15 minutes in 3D). We were pretty hungry after the movie and didn't want anything near the hotel, so we hiked for a while until we found a pizza place. We got a small pizza and a drink and then walked back to the hotel to eat.

It was a fun day!

Anniversary Trip...Day 1

We are on a trip for our 11th anniversary!! I thought I would take a quick minute each morning to post what we are doing so the kids can see what we're up to. ;)

Last Wednesday, we flew Grandma Pack in to Las Vegas and then she took a shuttle to St. George where a very excited family picked her up at the shuttle station. The kids wouldn't go to bed until she got there so we all went to pick her up. So they stayed out really late.

Thursday morning we got up early, got things ready and then Bryan and I took the shuttle from St. George to Las Vegas to catch a flight to Monterey, California (via LAX). We had a while after the shuttle let us off until our flight so we booted up the computer and used their free wi-fi to play around on the internet. We also got some hot chocolate from Starbucks and didn't like it at all!! We had to add a bunch of sugar to it and it was still really bitter. But it was warm.

The flight from Vegas to LAX was short (about 45 minutes) but then we had a 2 hour layover. We ate lunch, looked around and then tried to find our gate so we would be ready when the plane came. But we only found a sign with our gate number on it next to a bunch of stairs. After walking around for a while, we decided to ask someone for help. The woman asked us to wait a minute and then we went outside and loaded onto a little shuttle bus that took us to a satellite station where our little 48 passenger plane would be loading. Bryan loved the shuttle ride because we were out on the runway at LAX with all these planes going by us that were huge. He wanted to ask the driver to stop so he could get out, but didn't.

It took a while but we finally got loaded onto the small plane. Originally in Las Vegas they didn't give us seat assignments for the small plane. When Bryan asked about it at LAX they said they would call our names. We were kind of antsy when they loaded up and we still were sitting there waiting for our names to be called. Finally they called us and let us on the plane but our seats weren't near each other. After they shut the doors, Bryan switched to the empty seat by me. There was another couple who had been waiting to get on the plane also but they had a carry on bag. It turns out that the little plane didn't have any carry on room left so we were allowed on the plane and they weren't (we didn't have a carry on). I would not have been happy had I been them.

It was fun to ride on a smaller plane. It was a bit creaky but we got drinks on that plane, which we didn't on the larger one. After another 45 minute plane trip, we landed at the Monterey airport. It was pretty small but we got to climb off the plane and walk on the tarmac, which made Bryan's day!

The hotel had sent a car to pick us up and the driver was a young kid who spent two years playing for the St. George Roadrunners baseball team. So we had a lot to talk about on the way to the hotel, which wasn't far from the Monterey airport.

We then explored the hotel and walked all around Cannery Row. We ate dinner at Bubba Gump's (the restaurant that Forest and Bubba start in the movie Forest Gump). We shared shrimp and it was really good! Then we walked back to the hotel.

It was a long trip out but we're happy to be here. Here are some plane photos Bryan took at LAX and then a photo of us at the hotel.

Halloween Night

We had our awesome neighborhood Halloween Party last night! I love our neighborhood. They shut down a street and we all bring over food assignments and have soups, hot dogs, chips, cupcakes, drinks and the adults sit around talking while the kids play in 2 bounce houses set up in a neighbors driveway. It's so much fun and everyone looks forward to it all year long. Our street usually brings the apple juice and cups but this year I switched with a friend who wanted a break. So I made a soup (clam chowder) to share with everyone. There were about 8 crockpots full of soup and they were all empty at the end! We have fun families who all dress up as a theme and some families who don't dress up. It's a great time to see everyone and meet new neighbors and just have fun.

It was a crazy Saturday. We carved, or painted in Courtney's case, pumpkins in the morning and then we had soccer games in the late morning and early afternoon. Courtney's game was first and it went well. While she napped in the afternoon, Bryan and Ethan went to his game. Then Bryan took our soup over to the party set up while I got the kids in their costumes. Grandma and Grandpa Oman brought them over candy and took photos and then we were off to our party!

The kids don't go for the food until the bounce houses have filled up with people, so they were bouncing for quite a while. When they were tired of that, they ate a hotdog and then wrestled on a lawn with their friends. At this point we lost Courtney's socks and hair bow, but she didn't seem to care.

When things were winding down at about 6:30 or so, groups got together to take kids around the neighborhood trick-or-treating. Courtney's best friend, Hayley, sought her out and so they went together with Hayley's older sister and her best friend. Their moms were great to take them around! Ethan hooked up with a bunch of friends and they went around with another parent. Bryan stayed behind to help clean up and I went home to greet the trick-or-treaters.

I had bought 6 bags of candy (yeah, I know, last year we gave out pencils but I had a coupon and the candy was WAY cheaper than the pencils, so I decided to cave in) and it was almost gone by the time Ethan and Courtney returned home. They then took over the handing out candy duties and when we ran out Ethan had me give him candy from his bag to hand out!

We then turned off the outside light and began sorting through the kid's candy. They got to eat one piece and keep 5 pieces for later, then the rest was put back in their sacks to wait for the Halloween Fairy to take it away at night. (The Halloween Fairy takes the candy and leaves a toy in its place.)

Bedtime was late and they slept great! They loved their Halloween Fairy toys too! Great Halloween Night!!

Ethan's Halloween Party

We had Ethan's Halloween party today at school. He is in the same class with two other boys from our neighborhood and they are good friends. It just so happens that they sit next to each other too and are on a "table team." They were so cute.

I am one of the room moms so I got a craft ready, a game and made some cookies for the kids to bake. Some other moms brought frosting stuff, more games and some books. They first had a parade to show off all their costumes. The classes took turns parading through the classrooms and then they did a loop outside. When all the classes had finished the loop, they ended up at the basketball court outside and the entire school danced the "Chicken Dance," "Stomp," and the "Monster Mash." It was hilarious!

Ethan was a bit nervous about the dancing so we practiced the "Chicken Dance" before school but the "Stomp" song was a bit un-nerving for him. The song gives you instructions like "Slide to the right," or "Left foot three times." He had to concentrate at first so hard that it didn't look like he was having any fun, but by the end he was smiling and enjoying himself. On the "Monster Mash" they let the kids dance "freestyle" and Ethan didn't really know what to do. The school librarian went over and danced with him and then he loosened up and had fun.

After the dance we went back in the school (it was really cold outside, by the way) and had their party. There was a straw game, Bingo, Memory and a craft. They rotated around and then while they decorated and ate their cookies, a mom told a story. Ethan was hilarious when he decorated his cookie. They had M&Ms and candy corn to decorate their cookie with. Ethan decorated with "one on the cookie, one in my mouth, one on the cookie, one in my mouth." He also didn't want any frosting to go to waste and used his knife to get every bit of frosting from his cup and eat it. I laughed so hard! It was a fun and easy party!

Here are some photos:

Ghost Tours

Last night we went on the Santa Clara Ghost Tour. Ethan had heard about it and wanted to go. Bryan wasn't so excited and we thought, last week, about just Ethan and I going but Courtney got wind of the idea and objected. So...we loaded into the car last night and went on the Ghost Tour.

First off, it was LATE for our kids. Bedtime for the kids is 7:30 and that's when the tour began. Secondly, it was EXPENSIVE. I couldn't believe what they charged and we decided that this is a once-in-a-lifetime trip because it's too much money. Thirdly, it's COLD! We had the kids all bundled up but I am too used to southern Utah apparently because I didn't realize I was in flip flops until we got there. I froze my little toes off. Lastly, it was LONG!! We didn't get back home until around 9:30 and we were all ready for it to be over when we were only half-way done.

But...we had fun. We met 6 ghosts. I didn't know what to expect but they advertised it as "family friendly" so I wasn't too worried until but there were some parts that were scary. The ghosts were pretty good and Ethan and I were asked to help one ghost do a magic act for everyone. We saw a magician, a gypsy, an old prospector that was blown up by the fumes from an "ol' two holer" (he was funny), Sitting Bull and Wild Bill. It was way too long and so by the time we got to Jacob Hamblins home for the last two ghosts, we were freezing and ready to be done, but it was fun. There were some creepy indian ghost kids that I didn't appreciate but all in all it was fun and the kids liked it. I would shorten it a bit, if it were me.

Courtney told my mom this morning that the ghosts weren't real because real ghosts say "ooohhhhh, aaaahhhhh" and stuff like that. The ghosts we saw were fake because they talked. ;)

Mommy Date Photos

I forgot to post photos of Ethan's mommy date last week. Here's a cute one. He loved bowling. A couple days after we went, Ethan was invited to go with a friend back to the bowling alley to play. He had a great time!!

Courtney's Preschool Party

On Wednesday Courtney had her preschool Halloween party. I volunteered to help so I drove carpool that day. Ever since last Halloween Courtney has wanted to be a BYU cheerleader. Her best friend Hayley had the costume last year and Courtney loved it. So Courtney asked Hayley if she could borrow it and Hayley said she could. I bought a turtleneck to go under it and we were set. (So easy!!)

The party was fun. They had a bunch of little games to play like "Pin the Tail on the Cat," beanbag toss, guessing games, etc. The kids loved it and they won a little prize from each game. They sang songs, danced around, did puzzles, decorated and at cookies. I got to read them a story toward the end and that was a lot of fun.

Courtney really loved preschool and I can tell why. Her teacher has things under control and is so much fun. Now she can't wait until it's really Halloween. I'm dreading the day we have to give the cheerleading costume back to Hayley. That's going to be interesting! ;)