tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60160457727068687622024-03-06T14:01:13.506-06:00The Texas DarlingsAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09116026852097580008noreply@blogger.comBlogger540125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016045772706868762.post-51429127723234927912013-07-17T01:09:00.000-05:002013-07-22T01:10:16.853-05:00Summer 2013 Day 47: Let's RESTExhausted…but there is still so much more to do!<br />
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Two full days at Disney wiped this family out. We were so tired, but there is still so much more to see. Let’s head to the beach.<br />
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We were invited to visit Newport Dunes in Newport Beach. It’s a great resort for camping, RVs, or even day use. It sits on the back bay of Newport Beach, so there is this fantastic cove to play in. <br />
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We enjoyed a nice lunch on the patio – Mom finally got her fish tacos – before heading over to play.<br />
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We got set up in our cabana before heading out onto our eco-kayaking tour. This hour-long tour took us through some channels in the back bay looking for some gorgeous California birds. It was an enjoyable, relaxing tour despite the fact that my son and I couldn’t get coordinated enough to steer our kayak. My daughter and husband spent the whole time laughing at us and the tour guide finally had to tie a rope to his kayak to help us. How embarrassing…..<br />
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After that fun (it really was), we headed to relax in our cabana while the big kids played. There was a huge water playland that they spent hours on and we were able to rent a board to try our hand at Stand Up Paddle Boarding. My daughter was a pro at it and paddled all around the bay.<br />
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Me? I was so unsteady and shook the whole time thinking I was going to fall it – so I didn’t relax and enjoy it. My husband – well, he took a swim and promptly brought the board back in. I don’t quite think we get the whole SUP-craze…..<br />
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That evening we headed to a wonderful dinner in Laguna Beach. Las Brisas has the most beautiful views of the Pacific. <br />
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It was just the meal we had hoped for while in California. Hubby and daughter had steaks (that’s the Texas in them) and I had this amazing plate of seafood – lobster, scallops, crab – YUM.<br />
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Afterwards, we headed to the famous Shake Shack in Crystal Cove. We had been told we “had” to try the famous date shakes. Now what comes to your mind when someone says “date shake”? Probably the same as me – eww, why would someone want to drink a date in a milkshake. But when I asked someone about them, they said “date” meant you took your date to get a shake at the Shake Shack. OHHHHHH.<br />
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They were wrong. Shake Shack is known for their famous “date shakes and million dollar views”. Like dates – mashed and mixed with steam milk. So, this adventurous traveling mom tried it. I was presented with the “Monkey Flip” – chocolate, bananas, peanut butter, and dates – and it wasn’t bad at all.<br />
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And they were right – it was a million dollar view of the sunset over the Pacific – perfect way to nd the day.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Morganne</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The next day we went to the “beach”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We went kayaking for 2 hours. Not my
cup of tea. After doing the boringest thing in the world, I went and did stand
up paddle boarding. I liked that. After resting for a while, I went with Jack to do the
obstacle course. It was hard! The lifeguard finally said it was almost closing
time so we had to get off.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After
freshening up. We went and ate dinner. It was a Mexican resurant but I got a
really good steak! We also got a milkshake from Ruby’s Shake Shack. It was so good to relax
for a day.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>Jack</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Mom and I were in a kayak together. We saw 3 crabs, 2 white birds and fish jumping out of the water. I saw an angel shark but no one else did. And mom and me were very terrible at steering the kayak. The person navigating us had to tie the stern of the boat to the back of his to keep us straight.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">When we got back to the beach, I went off along on to a blow-up obstacle course in the water. It was really fun because it had a slide, and upside down climbing part (but you might slide off), a sort of rock-wall thing, and a place to jump over a hole. It was actually pretty cool. </span></div>
<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09116026852097580008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016045772706868762.post-65410041198854102292013-07-16T01:04:00.000-05:002013-07-22T01:05:08.095-05:00Summer 2013 Day 46: Cars Land, Here We Come!<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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We were up EARLY today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After yesterday’s parking debacle, we were determined to be
at California Adventure early.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
had a mission today.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We HAD to
ride Radiator Springs Racers in Cars Land.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had heard the horror stories before coming – how the
lines are hours long and Fast Passes were gone by 10 am.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy-4kboI1DG1-ZjOlx-oTNlAjYrckS9wYtaFRRHiuseYh51SToWK-S3OisEgrFlhkqsIW6R5VHQU6q6swVdPCTPMyON7OVRsmIqg_R7uDhibnqXwLIOW4GShtgID_BS0WibRg9n09xToBi/s1600/IMG_3255.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhy-4kboI1DG1-ZjOlx-oTNlAjYrckS9wYtaFRRHiuseYh51SToWK-S3OisEgrFlhkqsIW6R5VHQU6q6swVdPCTPMyON7OVRsmIqg_R7uDhibnqXwLIOW4GShtgID_BS0WibRg9n09xToBi/s400/IMG_3255.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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So we had a plan – the gates opened at 7:30 am and we were
lead down the street to a “holding area” until the park opened at 8 am.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were escorted into Cars Land by both
Mater and Lightning McQueen right at 8.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>From the looks of it, Cars Land was amazing, but we were funneled
through the end of it to get on the ride, so we didn’t have a chance to really
enjoy walking down the street and seeing it all.</div>
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But. We made it onto the ride first thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We waited maybe 10 minutes and then
rode what was to become one of our favorite rides in the park.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Radiator Springs Racers takes you on a
leisurely drive, through town, and then you get to race another car.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Again, I can’t say it enough,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Disney does everything SO WELL.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We loved the ride so much, we were able
to get TWO more sets of Fast Passes and ride it again.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHjR4ZXuL2XC41WwJoUaMj0gZifp699wPqIBTCHKrpNSjtBwq_bABPyZLbWfHmWy6ONnfWvtanYaLTsFxyjkvJnGcQR37HR-ZvilCYsXA0JNd4zn4P4tRBMRiNiqkwtJcXveV7JHNYuGDH/s1600/IMG_3393.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHjR4ZXuL2XC41WwJoUaMj0gZifp699wPqIBTCHKrpNSjtBwq_bABPyZLbWfHmWy6ONnfWvtanYaLTsFxyjkvJnGcQR37HR-ZvilCYsXA0JNd4zn4P4tRBMRiNiqkwtJcXveV7JHNYuGDH/s400/IMG_3393.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Whew! That was down, now we felt we could relax and enjoy
the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We took a walk down Main
Street in Radiator Springs, checking out Flo’s V8 Café, Sarge’s Supply House,
Cozy Cone Motel, and more when we came across this guy:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCIOPK-bR7p2Io8UuBlC8ERvQrqvRlyWxDt6Ov4awSHtzlzINh5JEQlqpo4Ip_CBz-hzqsi4EdqEHG3BA9jXQQ0Vc5k71T2w6jtd7DAbeR1yC_rv1P2ngQykmPV2ZXyuVJ4YPAC12CdpuG/s1600/IMG_3290.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCIOPK-bR7p2Io8UuBlC8ERvQrqvRlyWxDt6Ov4awSHtzlzINh5JEQlqpo4Ip_CBz-hzqsi4EdqEHG3BA9jXQQ0Vc5k71T2w6jtd7DAbeR1yC_rv1P2ngQykmPV2ZXyuVJ4YPAC12CdpuG/s400/IMG_3290.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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“Hi Lightning!!!” – My son went NUTS!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was thrilled to meet him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I actually have a picture of him with
his arms around his hood, hugging him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Meet Lightning McQueen – Check!</div>
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California Adventure is divided up into regions of
California – and it is a great park.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The rides are different than Disney, and most are not available in the
Florida parks, so we felt like we were at a whole different park, unlike
yesterday.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the most part, we
all enjoyed the rides with little to no wait time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We utilized the Fast Passes when we needed them but most of
the time, we walked on.</div>
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We loved the themeing of the California Boardwalk and spent
most of the afternoon there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There
we lots of rides that my little on could enjoy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And he also was able to run into this guy.</div>
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Buzz Lightyear is another one of his favorites.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He had his pin on his lanyard and
showed it to him right when he walked up.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Buzz was “excited” and did a pose like the pin.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then my guy asked, “Where’s his
voice?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why is he not talking??” Um
– I let the handlers take that one.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>(Something about saving it for the parade?)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was one of those moments my guy talked about the rest of
the day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He also met Woody and
Jake from the Neverland Pirates.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He didn’t want to meet Mickey yesterday – these were his “guys”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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I had to try Red’s Apple Freeze – another sought-after snack
– from the Cozy Cone Motel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was
delicious – frozen apple cider with a marshmallow taste – but it didn’t top my
Dole Whip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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We also lucked out and rode both of the fiercest rides twice
– California Screamin’ and Tower of Terror.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For those of us who like thrill rides, these were both
excellent.</div>
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Lastly, we took all the advice we had received and gotten
Fast Passes for World of Color.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>These passes allow you into a reserved section to see this show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All I knew is that is was a water
show.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I half-heartedly wanted to
watch it – really, I wanted to shop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I am SO glad I did.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>World of Color is so much more than a “water show”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This half-hour show has to be one of
the best we have ever seen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Scenes
from Disney movies are projected onto the water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Water jets make the water spray in different shapes,
intervals, and heights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And there
is so much mood-envoking color.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This show alone was worth the price of admission in my book. All of us
enjoyed it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Except my 4 year
old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Two days at Disney and he was
out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Oh well, I guess that is
reason enough to come again, right?</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Morganne</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The next day was California Adventure! My favorite ride was
the California Screaming. Mom and I had a blast! Another palace you have to see
is Cars Land. We rode Radiator Springs Racers 3 times! Ian loved it! The last
thing we did was watch World of Color. If you do California Adventure, you must
see World of Color. That is the best show ever and they just started playing
it! </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Our time at Disneyland and California Adventure was amazing.
If you are going to California you must come here.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>Jack</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">My favorite part of California Adventure was California Screamin because of how fast it goes. When you go on the loop, you can barely feel it. We rode it 2 times but I could have ridden it 5 times! I also really liked Hollywood Tower of Terror. It drops you several times. I liked the pictures it took. On all the rides, I tried to do the Longhorns sign. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I liked Cars Land a lot. I liked how the Radiator Springs Racers speeds up and races other cars. Mater's Junkyard Jamboree was fun too, even if I had to ride with a girl on it. I also liked the look of all the lights at night. </span></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09116026852097580008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016045772706868762.post-9168646262062066092013-07-15T01:12:00.000-05:002013-07-22T01:12:48.075-05:00Summer 2013 Day 45: Disneyland!!!In the middle of freeways, hotels, restaurants, and busy streets, sits the famous Disneyland. You wouldn’t really know it is there unless you can identify some of the more famous structures peeking above the thick foliage they use to cover it. Without the signs, you wouldn’t know it existed. And that is probably how they want it. So when you enter, it is if you are walking into a different land.<br />
<br />
And I very stupidly thought we’d just drive right on up to the parking lot and walk in the park. Not so. After waiting in line to park in the multi-tiered parking garage, waiting in line to ride the tram to the entrance of the park, waiting in line to get our tickets, waiting in line to enter the park, we were finally there. That took about an hour. By then, we were all fully grumpy and not feeling the magic. In fact, when I made the children pose in front of Cinderella’s Castle, my 4 year old blurts out “I want to go HOME!”.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgllsy8LgOB0V9nXt-fwSzbnCk2vZYZuGhteS4yMvO8b27wx-DByoPQ_xiR8SbDV_AcGvowGHp1OGv0R23VAGFaF-Xaj6gzj-s3HTFXlUWMbdRT74ecsCVe4PZJoohAV3hssxGBE_8JLhSh/s1600/IMG_3136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgllsy8LgOB0V9nXt-fwSzbnCk2vZYZuGhteS4yMvO8b27wx-DByoPQ_xiR8SbDV_AcGvowGHp1OGv0R23VAGFaF-Xaj6gzj-s3HTFXlUWMbdRT74ecsCVe4PZJoohAV3hssxGBE_8JLhSh/s400/IMG_3136.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
Uh no. Let’s go to Fantasyland and show him what Disneyland is all about.<br />
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It was still fairly early, so ride times were small in Fantasyland. I think we waited 5 minutes to ride Dumbo. And this grumpy Gus became all smiles! That was AWESOME Mom! From there we rode my husband’s all-time favorite, Peter Pan, and the teacups, and Wild Toad’s Ride – our moods all improved right away. We were in Disneyland!!<br />
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Our goal for the day was to ride the rides that Disney World did not have – but for us (the big kids), that meant Matterhorn Bobsleds (kids rode 5 times!!) and Indiana Jones. We did notice there were subtle differences in rides between the two parks. We felt that Space Mountain was much smoother here. Star Tours was much more updated. Pirates of the Caribbean has a restaurant in the ride (so cool!). It’s a Small World starts outdoors. And let’s talk about the castle. <br />
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When we walked down Main Street USA, we were expecting a big castle at the end. In Disney World, Cinderella’s Castle is HUGE – very tall. This castle is puny (sorry, but it is). I walked around all day thinking that until I finally had a conversation with someone about it. It’s Sleeping Beauty’s castle, which is much different than Cindy’s. Oh. Ok. It’s still small.<br />
<br />
So what are my favorite moments of the day? I loved introducing my youngest to Space Mountain. He was terrified so he sat with his Dad. As we arrived at the end, they asked us if we wanted to go again. YES!! Twice in a row! We finished and he hops out of the car, looks at me and yells, “I AM NOT riding that again MOM!”<br />
<br />
Another time, my youngest and I were waiting on the big kids to ride Indiana Jones when a beautiful princess walked by. "Look Buddy, It's Belle!!!". It wasn't. It was Tiana - and she let me know about it. I thought all Disney Princesses were sweet?? Maybe not in California.....<br />
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Dole Whip. Need I say more? We waited in this line for our favorite theme park treat:<br />
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And yes, it was absolutely worth the wait:<br />
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We ran all over Disneyland, using our fast passes and making sure we rode the ones we wanted to. We completely wore out this little man.<br />
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And as we waited in the Hub for the Fireworks show, I took it all in. It was the Happiest Place on Earth. My children had smiles on their faces all day long. And everyone around us did too. Does Disney pump happy juice in everyone’s drinks? Fill the air with something that makes you giddy? Or does the laughter and happiness naturally spillover? Everyone was happy.<br />
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Before we came, I balked at the ticket price. I thought $100 was way too much to pay for one day (Single day ticket). But after seeing the amazing rides – they are so themed and long – and watching the reaction out of my children, it was absolutely worth it. The shows, the characters, the rides, and all the experiences Disneyland offers – there is no other place quite like it. <br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Morganne</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The next day was Disneyland. One of the best days EVER! It got even better when our friends showed up. After the first ride, Ian was so excited! He wanted to go on everything. After doing the Kiddy rides, we went on the Indiana Jones Ride. OMG that ride was awesome and scary at the same time! The snake scared me because I was ON THE SIDE IT WAS ON! After some more rides, we went and got Dole Whip. It is the best thing ever! We finally went on Space Mountain. We got to ride it 2 times for one fastpass! Ian afterward was furious. But the rest of us were freaking out because it was so cool! While watching the fireworks over Auras castle, Ian fell asleep! That night my feet felt like rocks!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>Jack</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Disneyland was awesome! First, after we got our tickets, we went on the Matterhorn. It was crazily fast and dark! And if you’re thinking the left one goes faster,you were wrong! We rode on both sides. After the Matterhorn we went on Indiana Jones and the Lost Temple of the Crystal Eye. I was so excited! When it started all the girls screamed as loud as they could. You got to go on a rickety old bridge over lava, you got to meet a giant snake, avoid the undeads swords and darts, and last of all, experience what Indiana Jones felt like by being chased by a giant rock ball that was about to crush you. I was so amazed by how real it looked. You should have seen it! The final ride we went on was Splash Mountain! Even though it seems like you get splashed, the trick to not getting wet is lightest in front and heavy in back. When I did that I barely got wet. The only part I really liked was the giant hill drop because I only got tiny drops of water on me. Last of all we saw the firework show- it was amazing! I saw some types of fireworks that I had never seen!</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09116026852097580008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016045772706868762.post-42807776352545038252013-07-14T00:53:00.000-05:002013-07-22T00:53:53.324-05:00Summer 2013 Day 44: Are We Going to Cars Land Today Mom?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
A day of rest before heading to Disney was on the plate today, so we spent the morning at a great museum that was recommended to us, the Discovery Science Center in Santa Ana, California.</div>
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Our family really loves science museums and this one was fantastic. We really enjoy a museum that has a ton of hands-on exhibits as it keeps us engaged and learning in a fun way. This museum had some cool things - like feeling the magnitude of an earthquake in the Shake Shack. We felt how big the Anchorage, AK earthquake in 1964 was - that was pretty cool as we actually had family members survive that one!<br />
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We really enjoyed the Science of Hockey exhibit where we learned that having a puck fly at your face as a goalie is a pretty frightening job. Neither of the big kids want to play hockey now....<br />
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One of our favorite exhibits was the Discovery Market. You grab an interactive shopping cart and take it around the market while learning how to shop eco-friendly.</div>
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After checking into our home for the next few nights, we relaxed for a few hours and did some laundry (glamorous, I know). I was thrilled to see this comfy bed, as I know first hand how tired and achy you are after a long day at a Disney Park.</div>
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Life of a road tripper - laundry in the hotel.<br />
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Lastly, we couldn't hold back any longer and had to pop over to Disney for dinner at Downtown Disney. We met the McGuires (our great friends and neighbors) for dinner and to plan our next 2 days in the parks!! The excitement is in the air - you can't help but have a big smile on your face as you see all the Disney shops and memorabilia!<br />
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Our little guy spotted this right away and asked, "Are we at Cars Land now? Is this it?" Don't quite know how we will get him to wait until Tuesday to go to California Adventure, where Cars Land is.....<br />
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And one last thing we did this evening while at Downtown Disney. Have y'all heard of <a href="http://ridemakerz.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ridemakerz</a> yet?? It was a really cool store to build your own remote control car - think Build A Bear but for boys! And of course we were lulled into making some new cars - but honestly, I haven't seen a bigger smile on my 10 year olds face. He thought it was the coolest thing. At that point, I didn't care about the price - it was such a fun experience to see him build his own car. Fun times at Downtown Disney!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09116026852097580008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016045772706868762.post-89477257197181532142013-07-13T00:50:00.000-05:002013-07-22T00:50:41.648-05:00Summer 2013 Day 43: Dad's Here!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkjw9xovjBxQHvibCmXhFnDS3tyczDap_vZpyfS0KO9x3t-73uwidZ-ard9d4a2OmT9M4KqNMPQ1d3_b76IJdnUdOea3TEAcQimrZTuO4ze5kbwyrPr-BQlTjAj-6knieZmtmWCLnmZdOY/s1600/IMG_2945.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkjw9xovjBxQHvibCmXhFnDS3tyczDap_vZpyfS0KO9x3t-73uwidZ-ard9d4a2OmT9M4KqNMPQ1d3_b76IJdnUdOea3TEAcQimrZTuO4ze5kbwyrPr-BQlTjAj-6knieZmtmWCLnmZdOY/s400/IMG_2945.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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One week in and look who joined us!! The kids were thrilled to see their Dad (as was I)! We are so happy he will be able to be apart of Week 2 in California. We made it to LA, now what?</div>
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Well, we came all this way....we most definitely need to see where California ends! At the beach! Lucky for us, we have family here, so we joined them for a day in San Clemente. </div>
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San Clemente is a beautiful beach town with adorable shops and restaurants and a great beach by the pier. The beach itself had picnic tables, permanent awnings, and palm tree umbrellas. And if you get there early enough, you can snag one of these prime spots for the day.</div>
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And man, these Texans were WAY un-prepared - we had our sunscreen and towels - wasn't that enough? The locals really know how to spend a day at the beach - with cookouts, tons of food, games, chairs, and boogie boards!</div>
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My kids grabbed the boogie boards and hit the ocean - I warned them......<i>It's COLD!!</i> They bounded right in, and stayed in for the next 4 hours.<br />
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Now, we are used to warm, calm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. The Pacific is quite different. A cool 70 degrees (which felt great after you sat int eh sun for awhile) and fierce! The waves were huge and the undertow was strong. Just as you'd regain your footing after fighting the pull, a giant wave would knock you down again. I'd like to say it was fun, but I honestly felt like a drowned rat flailing around in the water. I did not look graceful.<br />
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But my children loved it. The jumped waves and body-surfed til their tummies were red and scratched. They bounded up the shore for a quick handful of chips and then ran back in to catch the next wave. We just watched them have fun (except for the one crazy moment where I thought it would be fun to join them). <br />
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It was a GREAT day to relax and just play - the beach was fantastic and I'm thrilled that we have another day at a different beach later this week - we honestly can't get enough of it!<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b>Morganne</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We loved playing on the boogie boards at the beach today. The tide was really strong and it would pull you back in each time you stood up. So I gave up on the boogie board and just fell into the waves. We must have done that for hours because when I was done, I could feel the waves for a long time afterwards.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><b>Jack</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">I liked how the water was colder than all the other oceans I had been in before. It was refreshing but you got used to it. I liked how Morganne and me came up with ideas on how to play on the boogie boards all day.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09116026852097580008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016045772706868762.post-11065867946612669622013-07-12T00:44:00.000-05:002013-07-22T00:45:36.526-05:00Summer 2013 Day 42: A Long Drive Through the Desert<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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It was a gorgeous morning to wake up to in Flagstaff, AZ. The air was cool and the smell of pine was heavy. We didn't want to leave but we were facing a 7 hour drive to Anaheim and wanted to get there BEFORE the dreaded LA traffic started.</div>
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So off we were on Route 66 again.....but this time, it was a completely different drive.<br />
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And by that, I mean - there was absolutely nothing to see. No quirky stops like we had in New Mexico and Arizona. Just the road stretching in front of us.....<br />
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Crossing into California was uneventful. We precariously pulled over on the bridge that crossed the Colorado River to get the California sign - nothing special is it?<br />
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We crossed into California at noon, thinking we could stop in Needles for lunch. Um....McDonald's mom?? NO thanks! (I think my kids are sick of fast food by now). Not many choices here kids, maybe the next city will have something to eat. <br />
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Unfortunately, the next city with food (other than a Dairy Queen) was over 100 miles away. Now, we are not food snobs by any means, but we were wanting something a little different. In fact, we had our minds set on the famous In & Out Burger. So we hunkered down and trekked across the Mojave desert. <br />
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Spoiled as we are in our very nicely air-conditioned Honda Odyssey, you would have thought we were crawling on our bellies across the Mojave desperate for water the way were were complaining. Of course all I wanted was a diet coke - NOT any of the water we had. And though my kids were placated with the bag full of snacks, this momma couldn't bear the thought of eating another peanut butter cracker.<br />
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So we sang songs - Madonna's Immaculate Collection and Beatles LOVE album worked for awhile.<br />
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And we played games - One that got us laughing was "Would You Rather" - kids were cracking up at these questions:<br />
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<i>Would you rather wear a superman cape or footie pajamas to school?</i></div>
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<i>Would you rather live in a spaceship or a submarine for a year?</i></div>
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<i>Would you rather eat a bug for one meal per day or eat food that has been walked over by flies for an hour?</i></div>
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We told jokes.</div>
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We told each other what our dream vacations would be (my kids are super creative!).</div>
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And we survived the long trek - seriously, it was only 138 miles, but it felt like forever. And we finally found what we were looking for:</div>
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It was 2pm in Barsotw, CA and In & Out was packed. They have a fairly limited menu, so we ordered, found some seats and waited to get our burgers. Meanwhile, everyone around us has the amazing looking french fries covered in cheese and bits. Um, THAT wasn't on the menu! Come to find out, <a href="http://www.in-n-out.com/menu/not-so-secret-menu.aspx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">In & Out has a "secret menu"</a>!!??? Did you know? Thank goodness we have a whole week here to come back and try the "secret stuff!"<br />
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Onward we trekked. I can see the end!!<br />
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As the traffic got busier and the freeways got bigger, we knew we were getting closer to our destination - Anaheim, CA. Amazingly enough, Siri directed us perfectly to our hotel for the night, the Hyatt Regency Orange County. We weren't there 20 minutes and this is where I found my girl:<br />
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The perfect little California girl. We are enjoying our break - went swimming, enjoyed a nice Italian meal, and relaxed in our Family Suite:<br />
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Just want this traveling family needed to rest up for our big week in California.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09116026852097580008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016045772706868762.post-31569304112946498512013-07-11T20:00:00.000-05:002013-07-22T00:45:24.302-05:00Summer 2013 Day 41: The GRAND CANYON<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkM1FC9jZGBP9dcvC_jT2H6uXKvukrj_oN7ujiZ9ME4BhvbNf2myrgkrC-7xztnnXdChuTQSmyjYO1_s1TOlFK2FouKxmHhzz-xoVMp668g2t3L1OKTdPuqjdU8MUXfmUSiRRZy9_iSFcm/s1600/1001509_591824807506903_453350967_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkM1FC9jZGBP9dcvC_jT2H6uXKvukrj_oN7ujiZ9ME4BhvbNf2myrgkrC-7xztnnXdChuTQSmyjYO1_s1TOlFK2FouKxmHhzz-xoVMp668g2t3L1OKTdPuqjdU8MUXfmUSiRRZy9_iSFcm/s400/1001509_591824807506903_453350967_n.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="400" /></a></div>
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Flagstaff is an adorable town filled with cute restaurants and shops, crisp, chilly air, and "christmas trees every where Mom!" We were in love with our precious cabin at Ski Lift Lodge at Snow Bowl, just north of Flagstaff. It was the perfect setting to start our Grand adventure from.</div>
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To be honest, I was a little intimidated by the Grand Canyon. There just seemed to be SO much to do and the options were overwhelming to me. But as we got closer to the park (our cabin was an hour south), I became excited just to see it - to share this experience with my children.</div>
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We headed straight to the Visitors Center and spoke with a Park Ranger. Based on the ages of the kids and the limited time we had at the park (one day), he provided us with a full days worth of activities to get the most out of our stay. I think in another life, I want to be a Park Ranger - so full of knowledge, incredibly helpful, and they get to work in the coolest settings. </div>
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We set out for the closest point to see the canyon by foot - I wanted to see my kids' reaction to the sheer enormity of the canyon. WOW - they were amazed. Morganne kept saying that she didn't think it was this big - it really surprised her. </div>
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All I wanted to do was stare - the beauty is breathtaking. Even in the picture above, it looks unreal, right?</div>
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Jack was amazed - he wanted to see it all - like me, taking hundreds of pictures of the same thing - trying to capture it. But he and I both agreed - you can't capture the beauty in a picture. You have to see it yourself.</div>
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Everything is so very organized at the Grand Canyon, so I don't know why I felt intimidated. They have free buses that will take you to all the points, so you don't have to hike along the rim to see it all. We felt very relaxed to take our time with the buses. We walked between many of the points - it was such a gorgeous day, only in the 70s.</div>
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Now I feel the need to explain this picture. Many people were going out to this rock with their children. And as they were coming back, I asked how comfortable they felt out there - "No problem!!" said one dad. So we attempted it. My son bounded out there while I slipped down the first little hill and watched my lens cap to my camera go rolling down the hill. Luckily, it go caught in a bush or it would have been gone. That was enough for me. I retrieved my cap and sat at the top shaking as I watched my son out there. I could barely take a picture I was shaking so much - so surprised this one came out at all. I am getting ill just thinking about it. But it made for a really great picture. </div>
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During the summer, the Grand Canyon is in "monsoon season", getting rain each afternoon. We were at a Ranger Talk at Hopi Point when we watched the above storm move in. He sternly asked us all to step away form the edge and warned us all about lightening. And I couldn't for the life of me remember what I was supposed to do in case of lightning - is sitting under a tree bad? Cause that's what we did for 15 minutes while it rained......</div>
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It was an amazing day. Ian was a trooper - hiking right along with us - waiting patiently as we took pictures. Only asking to be carried once or twice. During the last part of the trail, Ian asked about my cross on my necklace - "Is it the same one Jesus died on mom?" We got on the topic of Jesus and Ian asked where he was - that started an awesome conversation about Heaven and death and God and our faith with all 3 of the kids. And it couldn't have been in a cooler setting. </div>
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At the end of the trail at Hermit's Rest, we had cookies and sodas and sat on a few rocks overlooking the canyon. We had a great conversation about nothing and laughed at each other. It was one of those moments I will never forget. </div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Morganne</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The fifth day of our incredible road trip, we went to the Grand Canyon. I thought it would be just a small canyon with the Colorado River running beneath it. Boy was I wrong. They had many different points, trails, and many scenic views. My visit was amazing. If you don’t want to walk so much you can ride the free shuttles. There are 4 different shuttle roads.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The purple route- to the Imax theater and back to the park</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The blue route- the lodges and food</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The orange route- many incredible points</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">•<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>The red route- many scenic points and some paved hiking trails</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">My favorite place was Powell Point on the Red route. It practically stuck out into the canyon! It took us all day to do mostly everything. So if you are planning to go to the Canyon, BRING LOTS OF SNACKS AND WATER SO YOU DON’T HAVE TO BUY THINGS! Also be prepared for weird weather. Did you know if your hair sticks up in a thunderstorm, you are about to be zapped by lightning? The MOST IMPORTANT THING is to bring memory storage for your camera that is empty. If you have kids and are doing the Junior Ranger Program, make sure you find a ranger before 5 o’clock so you don’t have to hunt one down at a Ranger talk after 5. The Grand Canyon is truly an amazing sight.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">P.S.- don’t forget to see the sunset. We sadly didn’t see it because of the cloudy day. It was nice to walk around in though.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><b>Jack</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Yesterday we went to the Grand Canyon National Park. When I got my first glimpse of it I was amazed. It was as far as the eye could see. Really! I loved all the different colors made by the sun. After I caught my first glimpse, I crawled onto an edge and looked down. Mom was so nervous that when she tried to switch her camera lenses she accidentally dropped one of them. Luckily it stopped just before the edge. Even when she tried to take a picture of me her hands were so shakey that she only got a few pictures of me! </span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09116026852097580008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016045772706868762.post-29147116162839745562013-07-10T00:33:00.000-05:002013-07-22T00:45:09.194-05:00Summer 2013 Day 40: The Petrified Forest<br />
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Up and at 'um kids! We have a long drive to Flagstaff and there is so many cool things to see along the way!</div>
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But before we hit the road, we need to get fortified with some incredibly rich & sweet donuts. Rebel Donuts in Albuquerque, NM had some of the coolest flavors - like the pancakes & bacon and chocolate covered pretzel!</div>
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Aren't they cute???? State Number 2!</div>
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Along the drive to Flagstaff, we stopped at the Petrified Forest National Park. I thought it would be a quick "drive-thru" park, but I was so wrong. You do drive through the park and there are lots of stops to get out and see things along the way. First sites you come to are of the Painted Desert. It was stunning. Simply jaw-dropping. It was amazing to me to see all that color in the middle of the desert. </div>
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Every stop you came to was even more amazing - we saw the Summer Solstice Rock - amazing to us how the Pueblo Indians understood this concept, petroglyphs, and tons of petrified wood. What I thought would take us an hour, took over 3. But that was great - I love that we have the freedom to do that.</div>
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Another fun thing we did today:</div>
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Morganne had absolutely no idea why I made her take this picture with me - but I bet your singing the song now!</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Morganne</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The next day we got up early and started the trip to Flagstaff. We got donuts for breakfast (YAY). After the horrible, boring drive, we went and saw the Petrified Forest. The place was amazing. My favorite part was the Painted Dessert. Did you know wind and water carved it? We also saw some more petroglyphs. There was one that was “written” all over it. This rock is called the Newspaper Rock. Jack even got a picture of it on his iTouch through a telescope! After becoming a Junior Ranger again, we were off to see Meteor Crater. 1 hour later, we were seeing the crater. Did you know that you could fit 20 football games with 200 million fans watching in the crater? If you watch the movies (they are 10-5 minutes long) they can teach you more about this amazing crater. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><b>Jack</b></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Today was awesome! First we went to go eat donuts for breakfast. I
thought the chocolate ones tasted delicious! So delicious that 1 donut made me
full!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">When we were done we hit the road, which was the start of an absolutely
boring and long trip to Petrified Forest National Park. When we got there the
first thing we saw was the painted desert. It was pretty cool. My favorite part was seeing this big rock covered in petroglyphs called Newspaper Rock. We didn't see much wood until the end and then there were tons.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">After that we went to Meteor Crater - that was awesome!!! It's this HUGE crater made from a meteor crashing down on Earth billions of years ago. Astronauts predict that other meteors can crash down on us again but they have the technology to stop them. Pretty cool!</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09116026852097580008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016045772706868762.post-2972196500123336702013-07-09T19:00:00.000-05:002013-07-13T00:34:16.349-05:00Summer 2013 Day 39: Albuquerque, NMWe had a fantastic day in Albuquerque, New Mexico - saw ancient writing, put my monkeys in a cage for awhile, had an Elvis milkshake, and took the world's longest skytram up to the Sandia Peak - where it was 46 degrees!!! It was amazing!!<br />
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It was an absolutely exhausting day but I wouldn't have changed a thing. Ian didn't want to climb the rocks to see the petroglyphs - "too scary mom!" But he handled it like a trooper. <br />
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We enjoyed a nice stroll around the zoo - the kids always really enjoy seeing the animals. This was just a little taste as they now can't wait to see the San Diego Zoo.<br />
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Lunch was probably the best meal we have had on the trip so far - hate to say it - burgers and milkshakes - can't go wrong with that. we - ok I - have wanted to NOT eat at chains while on vacation but we have not had good luck at choosing restaurants so far. But the decor and atmosphere of 66 Diner was great. And I had to laugh when Jack asked me what this was:<br />
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Our goal was to hit a few museums in the afternoon before heading up to the Sandia Peak, but once we got to Explora!, the children's museum, we slowed down - they were having so much fun - it was one of the best ones we had been to - and we have been to a lot. Cool ball contraptions, interactive water features, 2 story sky bicycle, and bubbles - oh how my kids love the bubbles.<br />
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We quickly hopped over to the International Rattlesnake Museum - I will let Jack tell you about that fun (yikes).<br />
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And made it up to the tram for the sunset - but there was no sun - it was all hidden by a rainstorm - but the ride was magnificent none the less. I wish the trails were open up top (closed since May due to forest fire danger). But the guides on the tram were very informative and fun. It was a great close to a spectacular day.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>Morganne</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">It was our 3rd day of the road trip. We were in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The morning we went to see some beautiful petroglyhs that were made many years ago, all the way to the B.C. time period! I became a junior ranger and promised to protect the environment.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After the long hot hike, we headed towards the ABQ Biopark. We wanted to go to the aquarium, but the train ride there was 30 MINUTES LONG! It was insane. Anyway we went and saw the reptiles (definitely not my favorite), cats (in one they were training a adult cat), and many more. Half way through the zoo we found this amazing playcape. It had slides, a zip line, a rope swing, and right outside a water pad. After playing on it for a while, we went and saw the giraffes. There were 2 females, 1 male, and a baby that was born in April 2013. Jack and I went up close to the male and saw him pee and then drink it! IT WAS DISGUSTING! When he was done he looked up and smiled at us!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We left the zoo and went to 66 Dinner for lunch. Their restaurant was adorable! It was like a 50’s restaurant. The countertop had a shelf above it had a whole collection of PEZ dispensers. We all had burgers except for Jack (as you know he is a picky eater). We also got shakes. Mom got Elvis (peanut butter & banana), Jack got vanilla with peanut butter, and I got mint chocolate chip.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After stuffing our selves, we went to the Explora! Museum. We made many different contraptions and taught kids how to make big bubbles in the bubble room. When we were about to leave, Jack and I made a marble track. When ever Jack tried sending a ball down it would never work. But when I did it, it ALWAYS worked. I have the magic touch!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The next museum we went to was The Rattlesnake Museum. It was the world’s largest rattlesnake collection ever! When were done, Mom and Jack interviewed the owner. Ian and I went to the bucket outside to see what was in it. We went so close Ian leaned over to see what it was. When he saw it, he screamed SOOOOOOOO loud! It was hilarious because all that was in there were some tortoises!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After calming him down, we went around the Old Town Plaza. We walked around for a little while, until it was time to go on the SKYTRAM! Because it rained with thunder and lighting, the tram was on standby for a bit. Finally we got on and were off! It took us 15 minutes to get up to the top. But the view was amazing! Because it hailed and rained at the top, it was freezing! We saw some ski lifts too. I think my family should go skiing there instead of Colorado! That night we were pooped! We got some pizza, watched some tv, got in to bed and was out.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><b>Jack</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Yesterday I had a lot of fun. First we went to the Petroglyph National Monument. I liked it because the petroglyph’s have lasted what seems like forever! I also like how they had signs that told you about the petroglyphs.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">After that we went to a Route 66 Diner. You could get shakes, sandwiches, and burgers. It was delicious!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">After lunch we went to the Old Town and saw the International Rattlesnake Museum. I was so happy when we got there because I love reptiles. We got to see a ton of snakes and more snakes. A snake had just shed its skin 15 minutes before we got there. It was a Diamondback Rattlesnake. There were also these cute turtles. At the end I got a really cool shirt that had $ 3 off because I wore it for the rest of the day.</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09116026852097580008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016045772706868762.post-2389109410407366452013-07-08T19:00:00.000-05:002013-07-13T00:34:31.958-05:00Summer 2013 Day 38: Carlsbad Caverns & Roswell, NM<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I was thrilled to take the children to Carlsbad Caverns. It was one of the places my parents had taken me during our big summer trip. I remember it being "cool" as a kid, but my goodness, as an adult, it's a whole different ball game. <br />
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You don't realize the magnitude of the size of these amazing caverns - we walked down to the bottom - a 750 foot ascent and a mile and a half long. That was neat to feel the temperature change and see the switchbacks going down. But the most impressive part of the caverns was the walk around The Big Room. The room itself is the length of 14 football fields - the trail that takes you around the perimeter is a mile and a quarter. And the cave structures are stunning. Words can not honestly describe how gorgeous it was. And my pictures certainly do it no justice. It is one of those things you have to see yourself - put it on your bucket list.<br />
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I was amazed at how well Ian did too - he walked most of the way - looked at things, asked questions - did remarkably well for a 4 year old. <br />
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We had a 5 1/2 hour drive up to Albuquerque and we stopped in Roswell to check out some aliens and get an ice cream from this McDonalds:<br />
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Too fun - this town really gets into the whole alien thing!<br />
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Here is what the kids thought about today:<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><b>Morganne</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">After that long brutal night, we woke and got ready for the coolest caverns EVER! You had 2 options on how to get down to the Big Room level. You could take the elevator (BORING) or you could take an amazing rapturous hike down. When you hike at least to where you can still see the natural light, you want to bring a jacket. I would have frozen to death. It would have been long and painful (but then I wouldn’t have to do this blog). Any way the hike down was beautiful! We saw stalactites and stalagmites, columns, popcorn, soda straws , and much more!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At one point in the Big Room you may see a rope. That rope has been there for a long time. Since there was no way to get up to that cave the rope leads to, explorers got many helium filed balloons and tied a sturdy rope to the end of the balloons. Then they let the balloons go right above the cave and they got stuck on a stalactite. The rope has been there since. The cave right above the Big Room is called The Spirit Room. They call it this because the stalactites and stalagmites have holes in them, so they look like ghosts. Now there are 2 ways to get back to the surface life. You can take the elevator or you can climb up the nature hike. I advise you to take the elevator you will be really tired after that hike. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Now before the trip I was really nervous. I didn’t expect every day we would be traveling, but now that we are on the official trip I am very relaxed and excited for what each day will hold in store for the Darling family! </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><b>Jack</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">On the second day we went to Carlsbad Caverns. I was amazed by the length of it. My favorite part was learning about the bottomless pit. The story of how it got its name is, the first people to explore the cave threw rocks down to see how deep the Bottomless pit is, but they never heard it touch the bottom because there is a very soft material down there so they ended up having to go see it for themselves. Turns out it wasn’t very deep.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Another cool thing I heard was the way they made the elevator shaft was blowing up</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">the way down with TNT for 5 months. Imagine that Cave being closed for 5 months.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">The next story is about the giant iceberg rock. Long ago, before the cave was discovered an 100,000 pound rock was coming loose from the ceiling it fell and left a giant hole in the ceiling. IT WAS ABSOLUTLY, AMAZINGLY, BEAUTIFUL!</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09116026852097580008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016045772706868762.post-3301462287245655572013-07-07T19:00:00.000-05:002013-07-09T08:19:04.175-05:00Summer 2013 Day 37: The Trip Begins<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiCGQ5SemecTl1mK2NGsSEy9pq-fxp4Q3RFeXaKDV0OOupzV2x9AhMB6TP0EM500FDjKBa0QXudwmcB2m1SykWuT6qcZRLPT2vBzG0w7APzB0-0TpyZSnJrrDusZ9C3l6P9365D_7f4Euc/s1600/IMG_2467.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiCGQ5SemecTl1mK2NGsSEy9pq-fxp4Q3RFeXaKDV0OOupzV2x9AhMB6TP0EM500FDjKBa0QXudwmcB2m1SykWuT6qcZRLPT2vBzG0w7APzB0-0TpyZSnJrrDusZ9C3l6P9365D_7f4Euc/s400/IMG_2467.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
Day One has arrived. We have officially started the Bigger Than Texas Road Trip. Our day was filled with a long (I mean LLLLOOOOONNNNNGGGGG) drive just to get out of Texas - almost 9 hours to get to Carlsbad, NM y'all. But that include multiple potty stops (my family couldn't seem to coordinate it) and a fun hour exploring Fort Stockton. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-tDee4dsnRbPI5ORF6VzYtY-ztNSURCezM8fMT6wQ6jdH9jbIJpaQMWZi9Lt1Pu1ifsjvYWfX2AOSaGjooo_mDMhGwRaFTvBbtIEisv51E2bYXI8VzsJPIsGgTFNwYw7gnrXjoZ3ZJiLj/s1600/IMG_2470.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-tDee4dsnRbPI5ORF6VzYtY-ztNSURCezM8fMT6wQ6jdH9jbIJpaQMWZi9Lt1Pu1ifsjvYWfX2AOSaGjooo_mDMhGwRaFTvBbtIEisv51E2bYXI8VzsJPIsGgTFNwYw7gnrXjoZ3ZJiLj/s400/IMG_2470.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
Had to make our first potty stop in my favorite Texas German town, Fredericksburg.<br />
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And then we enjoyed lunch at a great little rest stop outside of Junction.<br />
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It was a gorgeous drive. Some may look at the West Texas landscape and think blah - I think gorgeous. I didn't mind this view at all:<br />
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Here are the kid's POV for our first day:<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><b>Morganne</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our first day of the Bigger Than Texas Road Trip, we drove until we came upon Fort Stockton. We mainly hung around the old-timely part of town. We saw the once “Biggest Roadrunner in the World” and learned many interesting things about Fort Stockton like when the settlers’ moved into town, a group of Indians were forced out to look for a new home. After a couple of geocaches, where we learned where a famous sheriff was buried (A. J. Royal), we got back on the road.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Ian fell asleep and I was about to, until Mom made Jack and I get out of the car because we had to take a picture with the <i>“Welcome to New Mexico!”</i> Sign.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNk3k9TQvn3EF_xu0Lil6Wss-pYW9j0iibulwF2F_o0wpugQduv_95DD5jWGbCZFMBPQLpJEgCY3RTw25BOzLWNrzhcOYmMP7i787qESyb-IymARC4HJzQTQDjYs2-3zKM8_ew9SJVW3jK/s1600/IMG_2500.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNk3k9TQvn3EF_xu0Lil6Wss-pYW9j0iibulwF2F_o0wpugQduv_95DD5jWGbCZFMBPQLpJEgCY3RTw25BOzLWNrzhcOYmMP7i787qESyb-IymARC4HJzQTQDjYs2-3zKM8_ew9SJVW3jK/s400/IMG_2500.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Half an hour later we reached Carlsbad, New Mexico. We went to the hotel (Fairfield Inn and Suites Marriot), got our room, set our stuff down, and went to find dinner. We ended up eating at Danny’s Place. We ate here because ALL the non-chain resurants were closed. I mean what town has every good resurant closed on Sunday’s?! Danny’s wasn’t that good, but it was the only place that was not fast food. After doing some really fast and fun geocaches, we were pooped! We all took showers climbed in bed, and went out like lights. That night I learned a very valuable lesson. NEVER SLEEP WITH LITTLE BROTHERS OR SISTERS. Ian slept side-ways and used my head as a pillow!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace; font-size: large;"><b>Jack</b></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">Yesterday we started our 3 week road trip. The first thing
that we did was see the<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>worlds
2’nd<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>largest roadrunner. We also
did a Fort Stockton geocache. When we were done we hit the road again.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1LpFpqvCEvhgaPVLr_MogvRo2bRcwYHQSQl45y2p9oNYmcEyzzzMvM3CEpx3q8eT0-gsNwL8_ccoZsgryybeb8dBUfkhfs6WFTmCrIiXTz_Q2mPYVbukBNOf7wyEGNhg9gaAoU85w9yTV/s1600/IMG_2491.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1LpFpqvCEvhgaPVLr_MogvRo2bRcwYHQSQl45y2p9oNYmcEyzzzMvM3CEpx3q8eT0-gsNwL8_ccoZsgryybeb8dBUfkhfs6WFTmCrIiXTz_Q2mPYVbukBNOf7wyEGNhg9gaAoU85w9yTV/s400/IMG_2491.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Courier New', Courier, monospace;">When I caught
my first glimpse of the desert I was amazed. The hills curved upwards and had a flat top. They also had windmills with
blades that measured over the length of an 18 wheeler! We were in the middle of
nowhere!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09116026852097580008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016045772706868762.post-71676959700856136912013-07-06T09:01:00.001-05:002013-07-09T07:48:37.723-05:00Summer 2013: Day 36 - The Bigger Than Texas Road Trip!!It is really quiet in my house this morning - after 2 full days of Independence Day celebrating, my family is sleeping in and it is nice to have the peace & quiet this morning.<br />
<br />
We are leaving tomorrow for our big 3 week road trip. I am full of nervous energy, but totally excited to get on the road and start the experience.<br />
<br />
When I was 11, the summer before I started 6th grade, my family set out on a 3 month camping/road trip. We were in a Toyota 4-Runner pulling a pop-up tent trailer and we set out from Canyon Lake, Texas to Alaska. No real plan (at least I don't think we had one) - I was only 11 - full of sass, not wanting to be stuck in a car with my little brothers all summer. I had a Walkman with my Material Girl tape played over & over & over - it's a wonder it didn't wear out.<br />
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We saw some incredible sites - stayed at the Grand Canyon for a week, went to the San Diego Zoo, drove up the PCH, flew a kite on a beach in Oregon, hiked Mt. Ranier in Washington. And it turned out to be the most memorable trip I have ever taken. It was incredible.<br />
<br />
Three summers ago, as I was driving home from a long visit in Illinois, I started to dream of a trip like this for my children. I wanted to show them all the amazing places I had gone to and seen. I wanted to take my time and check out the kitschy roadside attractions. I wanted to create a memorable trip for my kids. <br />
<br />
Now I know it won't be the same. For one thing, I don't camp. So we will be staying in hotels. And we are not going to Alaska (side note - we made it to Washington, fell in love with the state and stayed). But we will be taking our time. <br />
<br />
Matt will not be able to be with us for the whole 3 weeks, he will fly out to Los Angeles on the 2nd week and spend time with us there (Disney! Woo HOO!!). And the Walkman will be replaced by satellite radio...and iPads.....and dvd players.....iPods.....you catch my drift.<br />
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There are some great apps we will be able to use while we are traveling - Roadside America for all the "must-see" craziness will be my favorite. And we do have somewhat of a plan:<br />
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<b>Sunday, July 7: Carlsbad, NM (to see the caverns)</b></div>
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<b>Monday, July 8: Carlsbad Cavern's & Roswell, NM</b></div>
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<b>Tuesday, July 9: Albuquerque, NM</b></div>
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<b>Wednesday, July 10: Flagstaff, AZ (and the Petrified Forest & Meteor Crater)</b></div>
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<b>Thursday, July 11: The Grand Canyon</b></div>
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<b>Friday, July 12: Los Angeles, CA</b></div>
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<b>Saturday, July 13: Huntington Beach, CA</b></div>
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<b>Sunday, July 14 - Tuesday, July 16: Anaheim, CA (Disneyland & California Adventure)</b></div>
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<b>Wednesday, July 17 - Friday, July 19: Carlsbad, CA (LEGOland & San Diego Zoo)</b></div>
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<b>Saturday, July 20: Los Angeles, CA</b></div>
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<b>Sunday, July 21: Death Valley & Las Vegas, NV</b></div>
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<b>Monday, July 22: Zion National Park</b></div>
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<b>Tuesday, July 23: Bryce Canyon National Park</b></div>
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<b>Wednesday, July 24: Monument Valley & Four Corners</b></div>
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<b>Thursday, July 25-Friday, July 26: Durango, CO (white water rafting!!)</b></div>
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<b>Saturday, July 27: Clovis, NM</b></div>
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<b>Sunday, July 28: HOME!!</b></div>
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We will be on all the fun Social Media channels if you want to follow along - </div>
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<a href="http://www.facebook.com/rwethereyetmom" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">R We There Yet Mom on Facebook</a></div>
</div>
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<a href="http://www.instagram.com/rwethereyetmom" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">R We There Yet Mom on Instagram</a></div>
</div>
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<a href="http://www.twitter.com/rwethereyetmom" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">R We There Yet Mom on Twitter</a></div>
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And my kids and I will be blogging daily here to record the trip. </div>
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As for today, I have a ton of packing to do - so I'm going to sign off and get to it. See you on the road.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09116026852097580008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016045772706868762.post-72740165784428397512013-07-05T11:06:00.000-05:002013-07-06T11:06:08.418-05:00Summer 2013: Day 35<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiH6NWU3FTi64jQoRqTvzbu9yp-7mSyZJ1sMnF73FK-2lZN1642Gbl2jTaYVQMARUVWasspqfQkhM7C56ea5z560_qpd94ZtDrDOMJjk7AJxmB2uDhk7nGtv8Tss6qGv9jwMt-A_H91_l_/s1600/IMG_2439.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiH6NWU3FTi64jQoRqTvzbu9yp-7mSyZJ1sMnF73FK-2lZN1642Gbl2jTaYVQMARUVWasspqfQkhM7C56ea5z560_qpd94ZtDrDOMJjk7AJxmB2uDhk7nGtv8Tss6qGv9jwMt-A_H91_l_/s400/IMG_2439.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Oh, you know, just your typical day filming a segment for the news. Just a last minute thing - no big deal. #gettingfamousistoughyall</div>
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Actually, I filmed a segment for YNN's Growing Up Texas about road trip boredom busters, featuring these cute binders I made for my kids for the upcoming trip:</div>
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They are supposed to be a surprise for them, but I think the cat's out of the bag.....</div>
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2 more days til we are on vacation!!!!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09116026852097580008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016045772706868762.post-31594279300469808032013-07-04T11:00:00.000-05:002013-07-06T11:00:51.506-05:00Summer 2013: Day 34 ~ Independence Day<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Happy Birthday America!!</div>
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It was an awesome, hometown, community day for us - started with a parade downtown.<br />
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I got chill bumps seeing the community honor our fallen heroes.<br />
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Morganne and I were on a float handing out bags for the Shop the Rock campaign. Waldo was with us and kept hiding in the crowds - can you spot him?</div>
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That afternoon, we headed out to Old Settlers Park for the annual Frontier Days - where we saw the Sam Bass Shootout. They re-enact the famous gunfight that killed the outlaw Sam Bass. <br />
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And one of our sweet friends was a Saloon Girl for the Shootout!<br />
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Afterwards, we played a bit - because nothing says 4th of July like a romp in a hamster ball, right?<br />
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There's that cute Saloon Girl!<br />
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We put down chairs & blankets and played football, ladderball, cornhole and ate buckets of fried chicken and ice cold watermelon- it was so American.</div>
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That evening, we watched the skydiving show - even our mayor skydived in!<br />
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Hi Five Mayor McGraw!<br />
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And later listened to the Austin Symphonic Band play some great patriotic songs.<br />
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And enjoyed some fro-yo waiting for the fireworks.<br />
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The guys had set our chairs up perfectly - the fireworks went off right over us.<br />
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It was a pretty fun day - all of us enjoyed it - All-American Style.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09116026852097580008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016045772706868762.post-76405918352081754312013-07-03T10:24:00.000-05:002013-07-06T10:31:30.494-05:00Summer 2013: Day 33<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Um6Ao3f5QgnD-5Zlb-myh04oVcz5VfXTbvHzdwWnpZBUp25QQv3yhhi1tBfCZD2MoBsdrWYLmZdYD1-Wm5z2HGzBMTuese3iQfIo_5jqdtHFYlOK4QrAgqOnGVBqtfbB7mEC6-eznYeC/s1600/IMG_2296.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7Um6Ao3f5QgnD-5Zlb-myh04oVcz5VfXTbvHzdwWnpZBUp25QQv3yhhi1tBfCZD2MoBsdrWYLmZdYD1-Wm5z2HGzBMTuese3iQfIo_5jqdtHFYlOK4QrAgqOnGVBqtfbB7mEC6-eznYeC/s400/IMG_2296.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Woo Hoo!! Look who finished the 500 piece puzzle! Just in time for our trip!</div>
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Can you guess the inspiration behind Morganne's pedicure??? The countdown has begun!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09116026852097580008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016045772706868762.post-59433820462470762212013-07-02T10:21:00.000-05:002013-07-06T10:22:07.940-05:00Summer 2013: Day 32<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A fun day out of the house and in the sun was on tap for today. We went with friends to the Veterans Memorial Pool today. The water was cold but my kids needed to get out and play.<br />
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And this little guy - at one point he told me his sunblock "wore off" - he needed more. I swear if I offered to feed him grapes, he'd let me....... #sospoiledAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09116026852097580008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016045772706868762.post-11923568592243149642013-07-01T10:18:00.000-05:002013-07-06T10:19:00.573-05:00Summer 2013: Day 31<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Didn't do much today - unless prepping for our trip can be counted. As much as I wanted to be finished writing on the blogs and have the week to pack and prepare, there was still a lot to do. So, I had my head down and wrote while the kids played. Almost to vacation.....Just a few more days.......</div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09116026852097580008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016045772706868762.post-51979342780852830962013-06-30T10:16:00.000-05:002013-07-06T10:16:41.902-05:00Summer 2013: Day 30<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZUABGt1Vg_uJYO8kDw4BKVghT2TDSZ5rb5CE_Rmr0LQZxmA26EA4AKzYLFrtqDuKyGt2IgwkaxfQZFnrLAT_H5c8LV6cQkOc5OiWQVWx4LjCj9B-OeW2prcKr3AOYOUpJVuhx7gVCr4ak/s1600/IMG_2276.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZUABGt1Vg_uJYO8kDw4BKVghT2TDSZ5rb5CE_Rmr0LQZxmA26EA4AKzYLFrtqDuKyGt2IgwkaxfQZFnrLAT_H5c8LV6cQkOc5OiWQVWx4LjCj9B-OeW2prcKr3AOYOUpJVuhx7gVCr4ak/s400/IMG_2276.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
Today was a special day in our family. Morganne decided at Boot Camp earlier this month, that she wanted to get baptized. So in church this morning, her youth pastor, Jacob, baptized her.<br />
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She told her story to everyone, saying that she felt happy to accept Christ into her heart when she was younger and felt like she understood things better. But once we moved to the Round Rock area, as a family, we didn't find a church home, and fell away from regular worship - she was not connected. As we started attending church at Hill Country Bible, she felt more and more connected and after Boot Camp wanted to make that public declaration.<br />
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Words can not express how proud of a moment this was for Matt and me. Of course you are proud of your children's accomplishments - I LOVE watching her play soccer - but this was different. She is making a mature decision that will effect her whole life. I am so incredibly proud of her and admire her for doing this. She is turning out to be a remarkable young lady.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09116026852097580008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016045772706868762.post-12545051297933448482013-06-29T10:10:00.000-05:002013-07-06T10:10:39.679-05:00Summer 2013: Day 29<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-UrGu2LPCvFHLpilk5zLeN1_Z9KOMwE-I2ydbIMoCw_agJr-WWqGw-51WAG-6MWpZPStqu11w0CqPFPi4_wH42MeTjYpuLlsghrKHxSfRDBAi8o2Ufbe9knLSfaKbfNDsbyLFLWhylKaO/s1600/IMG_2266.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-UrGu2LPCvFHLpilk5zLeN1_Z9KOMwE-I2ydbIMoCw_agJr-WWqGw-51WAG-6MWpZPStqu11w0CqPFPi4_wH42MeTjYpuLlsghrKHxSfRDBAi8o2Ufbe9knLSfaKbfNDsbyLFLWhylKaO/s400/IMG_2266.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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A nice & quiet day was what we all needed on this Saturday. Did a little shopping for a new vacuum cleaner (exciting!) and a little dinner at our favorite pizza place. Just a great day as a family - these kiddos are going to miss their Dad!</div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09116026852097580008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016045772706868762.post-22425547904999185752013-06-28T10:07:00.000-05:002013-07-06T10:07:28.628-05:00Summer 2013: Day 28<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMSVixPJ0rBg3j2cLKZuatCTsSgNerH6Jr9tkODGC9rdL4dXXD6jEPJ4kVwDPmEoJq0_SYo9w6F7PsTi4-RGznCkdIh_kIXrSDr2VvKpfmejh4C7BhiNUhCDI95_GFXyuS5cvlsagJyVY0/s1600/IMG_2251.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMSVixPJ0rBg3j2cLKZuatCTsSgNerH6Jr9tkODGC9rdL4dXXD6jEPJ4kVwDPmEoJq0_SYo9w6F7PsTi4-RGznCkdIh_kIXrSDr2VvKpfmejh4C7BhiNUhCDI95_GFXyuS5cvlsagJyVY0/s400/IMG_2251.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
And this is what I woke up to this morning........<br />
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It's coming along!!!!<br />
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Hope to be swimming soon. Goodness it is a LONG process......Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09116026852097580008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016045772706868762.post-90320990870777712632013-06-27T10:03:00.000-05:002013-07-06T10:04:07.128-05:00Summer 2013: Day 27<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihL8RWLumin6acFmfEtcUEqsjD0D0CBk-Lo3JB3H3K28OBVwhj1mZdJV11tAfK1iMw1tuN7dUevkqCbWH2wmNrq35aLBzK5eVYy8Y8xuHYnhEyplcrXJwrl1YJKZhOd2HPG0ZALjvxvdyY/s1600/IMG_2235.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihL8RWLumin6acFmfEtcUEqsjD0D0CBk-Lo3JB3H3K28OBVwhj1mZdJV11tAfK1iMw1tuN7dUevkqCbWH2wmNrq35aLBzK5eVYy8Y8xuHYnhEyplcrXJwrl1YJKZhOd2HPG0ZALjvxvdyY/s400/IMG_2235.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
Picture day at The Creek Rock the Rock. Can you find Jack?? Ian is on my hip as I took the picture - wanted nothing to do with the picture.<br />
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But he did want to be a part of the gospel message - can't get across all that chalk without the cross.....<br />
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And he loved playing shark & minnows! He was the giant shark that day.</div>
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That afternoon, we checked out a new park and discovered an old German cemetery. Pretty cool!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09116026852097580008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016045772706868762.post-27093627396712156812013-06-26T09:56:00.000-05:002013-07-06T09:57:03.252-05:00Summer 2013: Day 26<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbahFF3TIA5TKKiusuaXHwqOx8CrLUT5avKXCPaM2Eyfers0GkmlN6stLo8KM1lN2M7Jk3VEhh54wu8BLNM2PBLvBUOBnqGAH2aAEdVkDDOHDzKxRLKzmmXkHbushVQapTaxdDn887huNA/s1600/IMG_2207.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbahFF3TIA5TKKiusuaXHwqOx8CrLUT5avKXCPaM2Eyfers0GkmlN6stLo8KM1lN2M7Jk3VEhh54wu8BLNM2PBLvBUOBnqGAH2aAEdVkDDOHDzKxRLKzmmXkHbushVQapTaxdDn887huNA/s400/IMG_2207.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
More Rock the Rock fun - today was Water Wednesday - And they played a fun game of Drip Drip Drop!<br />
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And we had a little bit of brother bonding this afternoon. Ian just adores it when Jack plays with him - I love how much he idolizes his big brother. Until the big brother gets annoyed because the little brother wants to play with him so much. Sigh. I'll take these sweet moments when I can get them.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09116026852097580008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016045772706868762.post-15093585628099810492013-06-25T09:51:00.000-05:002013-07-06T09:51:49.930-05:00Summer 2013: Day 25<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Today Rock the Rock began in our city. Our church puts together kids camps around the city for anyone to come to and learn about Jesus. It's pretty incredible, as it is run mainly by the youth in our church. This was Morganne's first year and she loved it.</div>
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The boys & I volunteered at a different camp then Sis was at and we all had a good time.<br />
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My favorite part was seeing all these kids worship and tell the message each day. It was great for Jack to see the boys especially proclaiming their love for Christ. It was a really defining week for Jack as he didn't complain, he was ready each day to go and told me how much fun he had.<br />
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And we have had such great weather, that we have spent most evenings on the patio. Ian has such a love of swings but it is SO HARD to teach him how to swing himself. We are working on it though!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09116026852097580008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016045772706868762.post-47850821370777391832013-06-24T09:38:00.000-05:002013-07-06T09:38:30.553-05:00Summer 2013: Day 24<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Monday - week 4 of summer break - heading to the local water park - and this is the only picture I took. Too busy chasing Ian around the place. He has gotten braver and braver around water, but that frightens me, as I want to make sure he doesn't wander out too deep. I try to work with him with swimming skills, but he won't listen to his mommy!!!<br />
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My favorite yogurt shop made this yogurt pie for us - called Candybar Madness - so rich and so good!</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwqNpV7Uc4N2sYi8XxxKCWLl24ndq3rEMWuXR5MQU84KNQB8mEh8hV9Bm9rNTDo-LGyo3L6y6TKF-Q0gAyzr11so0aEgHRLVsPXI1r5tSAB8AWAKYFtCGzPKRYhbg69u2LNzql0DgCn2Hr/s1600/IMG_2181.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwqNpV7Uc4N2sYi8XxxKCWLl24ndq3rEMWuXR5MQU84KNQB8mEh8hV9Bm9rNTDo-LGyo3L6y6TKF-Q0gAyzr11so0aEgHRLVsPXI1r5tSAB8AWAKYFtCGzPKRYhbg69u2LNzql0DgCn2Hr/s400/IMG_2181.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
And I had to pop this cute picture in as well. Ian slung his lovey over his shoulder and said, "Look mom, I'm just like Sissy." The image is lost without the backstory - Morganne has had her lovey since she was a baby and walks around with it on her shoulder, so now Ian does the same. Precious to a momma.<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09116026852097580008noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6016045772706868762.post-28893020541541612552013-06-23T09:32:00.000-05:002013-07-06T09:32:23.301-05:00Summer 2013: Day 23<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO2GOrbuSTwZfRrI3yVOCY6cKYJxQ5o_L31tJdQGjJ8-TDdcwx_0HVRlGzp2_CGEl_c_fcOuaWfMhF_f2ZgdZIIW8XkPFE2wOgnhdkyhC9kfxPQUO6wHJzUh5Kvy16cq30ulCIpz9V4dHR/s1600/IMG_2162.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO2GOrbuSTwZfRrI3yVOCY6cKYJxQ5o_L31tJdQGjJ8-TDdcwx_0HVRlGzp2_CGEl_c_fcOuaWfMhF_f2ZgdZIIW8XkPFE2wOgnhdkyhC9kfxPQUO6wHJzUh5Kvy16cq30ulCIpz9V4dHR/s400/IMG_2162.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Quiet day today after the busy day yesterday. Church - lunch - and a movie! Monsters U!!</div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09116026852097580008noreply@blogger.com0