MARCH 2015

BONSALL'S DADDY DAUGHTER DANCE:

LENA & I AT THE JAPANESE TEA GARDEN:  We got to San Francisco's Golden Gate Park early so we could get in for free.

GOLDEN GATE BRIDGE:

MUIR WOODS:  

Elaina standing in a redwood tree.  Muir Woods is one of the few old growth redwood forrest in California.  It is only a few minutes outside of San Francisco.

ST. PATRICK'S DAY PARADE:  We went to down town San Francisco.  Lena and I were greeted by a naked bike rider convection, while down town.  I just keep flinching, when I think how uncomfortable it would be to ride a bike naked, ouch!!

SUNSET CARMEL BEACH:

I believe it is one of the prettiest beaches in the world.  The sunset is beautiful, the sand has the consistency of white sugar, and the cypress trees are stunning.

POINT LOBOS STATE PARK:

This is also one of the prettiest places I've been to.  It was a nice 1 mile hike through a lot of poison oak, but the kids did great.  We will make hikers out of them yet.

THE FLOWER FIELDS, CARLSBAD:

Aubrey loved looking at the renunculus flowers in Carlsbad.  Now whenever we pass by a plant nursery, she yells, "look the flower fields."

THE YELLOW DELLI:

On one of Neil's rare Thursday nights off, we went to the Yellow Delli, but Aubrey was in a bad mood. She kind of ruined the unique Disneyland atmosphere experience.  I thought she was sick, but maybe she just didn't want to get out of the car.  My kids love riding in the car, it must be the DVD player.  Aubrey is one stubborn girl, and refused to take IBprofin.

BALBOA PARK ON A SUNDAY:

It was a fabulous day.  We got to watch street performers, and walk around the old architecture.

SUNSET CLIFFS:

They remind me of a beach scene in a Barbie movie.  Lena and the kids had fun climbing cliffs and watching people jump off the cliffs into the ocean.

FEBRUARY 2015

HIKING IN ARROWHEAD:

Aubrey kept up on the hike, by pretending we were in Unicornio's enchanted forest.  Watching Dora has its uses as a motivator when we are trying to get somewhere.  Just set up 3 destination points and repeat them over and over again.

ARROWHEAD LAKE:

PLAYING IN WHAT LITTLE SNOW WE COULD FIND:  There wasn't a lot of snow on Bear Mountain for February.  It was 60 degrees out and  it didn't require a jacket.  No wonder we are in a drought.

VALENTINES DAY AT PALA MESA:  We went to the Aqua Terra restaurant at the golf corse.

LOOKING AT SAN DIEGO FROM CORONADO:  We wanted to show Lena around.  She just moved into our family.  She switched from another family where it wasn't working out.

SETH AT THE ANTIQUE GAS AND STEAM ENGINE MUSEUM:  Seth got to go on another father son outing.  He really liked this place.  We pass by it on the way to church.

JANUARY 2015

NEW YEARS DAY AT THE COOKS:

We visited Pattie, my old room mate, near Lagoon.

LAS VEGAS, THE WYN:

We finally visited the Wyn, I still think the BeLlagio is best.

HIKING TO THE TOP OF SLEEPING INDIAN:  Seth got to go on a daddy son outing, where they hiked the difficult path to the top of sleeping Indian, an old volcano.

I SPRANG MY ANKLE:

After a $1000 visit to the emergency room.  (Never go to an emergency room)  I found out I had a severe sprang.  6 months have passed and it isn't much better.

MY BIRTHDAY:

The best thing about a January Birthday is restaurant week.  We are at 333, a restaurant next to the pier in Oceanside.

GETTING OUR PASSPORTS RENEWED:

If you need to get your passports renewed, do it in January, not in April.  It went fairly quickly at the Fallbrook post office.

THE SAN DIEGO TEMPLE:

TAKING THE TRAIN:

We took the train to Old Town for the Mormon battalion reenactment.  The Coaster has some great views of the coast.

THE MORMON BATTALION PARADE:

AUBREY AND SETH CLIBM A TREE IN OLD TOWN:

DECEMBER 2014

RANDY NELSON COMES TO VISIT:

Neil's old friend came to visit us and we went to visit him at the Lawrence Welch resort.

DECEMBER NIGHTS AT BALBOA PARK:

Aubrey and I are standing in front of my favorite building, the Museum of Man.

THE WARD CHRISTMAS PARTY:

After last years Christmas party for only the adults, it was nice to have one with the kids. Santa Clause came in the morning.

FINALY WE WATCHED THE ENTIRE FALLBROOK CHRISTMAS PARADE

ELAINA'S SCHOOL CHRISTMAS PERFORMANCE AND FAIR:  Seth and Elaina are playing in the bounce house.

LISA HOSTS A DUCK DYNASTY CHRISTMAS PARTY:  I don't know if I like Neil with a beard.

LOOKING AT LIGHTS ON GARRISON STREET IN POINT LOMA:  It was fun to visit a new light display.

ELAINA AND SETH PRESENT A PLAY:

They came up with the nativity play all by themselves.  They performed sitting on Elaina's bed.

CHRISTMAS EVE:

This wig was a big hit as everyone tried it on at Grand Pa's house, Rachel found it hilarious. 

CHRISTMAS DAY:

Elaina got new cloths and secret door Barbies, Aubrey got cloths and Strawberry short cake toys.

PLANES FIRE & RESCUE:

A Dusty DVD and a Thomas Electric train for Christmas.

VISITING TERRY:

We visited Terry, (my foster sister when I was 5). These are her 2 youngest children Molly, and Jared at their house in Las Vegas.

AT AUNT LESLIE'S HOUSE WITH ICICLES: The kids loved the snow and the icicle which they kept eating.

D.U.P. AT CHRISTMAS VILLAGE: 

 In Ogden many different organizations decorate miniature houses.  Since I am a member of Daughters of the Utah pioneers I had to take a picture of this house.  I swear I recognize those photos.  They might be relatives or something.

VISITING ELISHA AND FAMILY:  Elaina, Chloe, Aubrey, Kenny, Ethan, and Geneviev.  eating breakfast.

SLEDDING IN LOGAN:

I learned a little more about wind chill sledding down this hill in Logan.  It was fun going up and down.

SECOND CHRISTMAS:

Aubrey enjoys pink, pink, pink as she wears her pink pj's, her pink hat, and rides her pink unicorn.  She wont wear an article of clothing unless it's pink.

PAUL, MADDIE, AND LISA CARTER

CITY CREEK MALL:

Aubrey looks at the decorations in the Macys window, after going to the Hotel Utah, and Temple Square.  It was a fun way to spend New Years  Eve.  I especially enjoyed the 1940's singers at the hotel Utah.

NOVEMBER 2014

 GEEK DAY AT BONSALL ELEMENTARY:

 ATTENDING THE GILBERT, AZ TEMPLE:

 THE BILTMORE HOTEL:  Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright it is a famous art deco hotel in AZ

 DOWN TOWN SCOTTSDALE:  We were visiting the art gallery quarter.

 WENDY'S MAN:  We went down to Tucson to visit Wendy and her boyfriend who she later married.  I am so happy for her.

 PAPA GALLO PARK:  I learned about it by reading the Iron Druid chronicles.  It is a nature preserve in the middle of Pheonix.  Elaina is looking through the hole in the rock.

 AUBREY AT PAPA GALLO PARK ON A TURTLE:

 ELAINA & NATALIE AT THE MALL:

 AUBREY'S DORA BIRTH DAY CAKE:

 AUBREY GETS SOPHIA PJs AND A DORA BOOK FOR HER BIRTH DAY:

 SETH'S THANKS GIVING PERFORMANCE AT ZION LUTHERAN PRE-SCHOOL:

 THE GRAND TRADITION TURKEY TROT:

 AUBREY AND ELAINA AT GRAND TRADITION:

 THANKS GIVING AT AUNT MARILEE'S

CHRISTMAS AT THE AMERICANA: