Halloween

We had a fun Halloween this year.  It just gets more and more fun as the kids get older. We started out the almost week long celebration with the ward party and trunk-or-treat.  It was fun, but also crazy with Mark busy helping run the thing and me chasing this darling little elephant and smiley pumpkin around the place.

The next morning Brian had his preschool Halloween party and program, so Timmy and I headed over to participate.  Brian was a bit shy for the program and just sat down and hid after the first song.  Luckily I got one picture of him preforming.

On Halloween we went trick-or-treating to Alice's work where all the ladies she works with oohed and aahed over how cute the kids were.

Then we went straight to get more candy at Mark's work.  By this time we were almost all trick-or-treated out and we hadn't even started the real thing yet.

Throughout the week before Halloween Brian begged and begged to carve pumpkins.  I waited and waited hoping to get a chance to do it with Mark around to help, but that never happened.  So Halloween morning I just decided to go ahead and get our pumpkin carved.  The kids loved it, but I felt like I needed four more hands to keep Timmy's busy grabby hands off the carving knife and to keep pumpkin guts from traveling throughout the entire house. 

 Brian would not allow us to carve anything but a happy pumpkin face.  He's a bit nervous around all the scary faces at Halloween.  The final product is in the next picture.

That evening Dave brought Jordie and Caitie over, while Alli put baby Will to bed, for some super fun trick-or-treating.  Brian especially had fun with his cousins there, and Jordie and Caitie were so brave at all the scary houses that it kept him from hightailing it home.  

San Diego: The Beach

The beach.  We LOVE it.  Maybe it seems so special because there is nothing like it in Utah.  I love the sound of the waves.  I love the smell.  I love the expanse of the ocean.  I love that my boys (including Mark) are so at home there.  This trip the beach was extra special because Timmy was finally old enough to really enjoy it and not fill his mouth with sand and Mark was there to play with the kids like a kid while I watched.  Even though it was pretty chilly we still had two wonderful afternoons at Mission Beach and Ocean Beach.

San Diego: Sea World

After almost two years of visiting and revisiting Sea World, I can still say that it is one of my favorite places to take little kids.  Not to mention that it seriously takes 5 minutes to get there from my parent's house.  Brian and Timmy love everything there and this time it was like we had the place to ourselves compared to Christmas time last year.  Here are a few favorites from Sea World this time.
-feeding the dolphins
-playing at the Sesame Street playground
-walking straight on to all the kid rides and riding them over and over again
-the new sea turtle exhibit.  I loved it!
-getting soaked at the Shamu Show.  Brian laughed harder at me screaming under the poncho than he did at anything else the whole trip.
-touching the sea stars

San Diego: The Mormon Battalion Historic Site

 Every time I visit this Historic Site I am in awe of the beauty of the building, the amazing technology, the attention to every detail, the missionaries, my parents who run it all, and of course the story of the Mormon Battalion itself.

 It is too hard to try to explain how amazing this place is and the incredible story it tells.  I am inspired by the sacrifices the Battalion members and their families made and the faith they had through it all.

 Timmy was very happy to go through the tour with Mark and me in Mandarin Chinese.  It was so fun to watch the new version in Chinese, and to hear about all of the Chinese visitors the Center is getting.  Brian refused to go through the tour in Chinese or in English.  He got scared when we went through last winter and has refused ever since to step foot in a tour group.  I'm not surprised by this at all.  There are some really cool parts in the tour where we hear thunder and rain and another part where the ground even shakes when a stamped of wild bulls comes charging through our "camp."  My mom took him to the "fun" parts while Mark, Timmy and I enjoyed the tour.

 Brian was really interested in the new binoculars Grandpa had for the lookout tower at the Center.

 My parent's mission will end in January.  I am happy that they will be coming home, but sad that our San Diego visits are over.  They have put so much time, thought and effort into this Historic Site and they are working harder than ever to make improvements and to get the word out to everyone about this amazing place.

Seriously if you get the chance you should visit.  You can see more photos of the building on the Church website here, or watch a video about the opening here, or read a great article about it here.

I will miss the "Battalion" or the "Center."  It is a special building with a special story in a special place.

Tea cups ride at sea world

This has to be one of the more evil inventions. I got all dizzy just watching jenny and brian.