Summer San Diego Trip

We went to San Diego in July this summer & had so much fun!  It was relaxing and we had some great visiting time.

Of course our trip started in the airport.  This time Kevin dropped us off with all the luggage at the curb & he went to park the car and had us check all the bags.  We met him at the gate & the girls immediately found the small TV stations they added in the last remodel and settled in.

We bought some granola bars for the flight & they made an announcement as we took off that there was someone on board with a severe peanut allergy so to avoid opening or eating anything with nuts.  We hadn't heard that before!  We asked the flight attendant if we could eat our almond granola bars & he asked & found out that it was okay - but poor Kevin got a different granola bar from the rest of the family & his had peanuts in it so he went hungry (didn't find that out until after we ate ours!).  So after we landed we knew we had to stop for lunch (at 1:30) on the way to Jackie's house.  We stopped at In-N-Out & it was delicious!  Splurged on shakes for everyone too.  Hey - it's vacation!

We stopped by Jackie's house on our way to Ramona & met my parents there.  We had a nice visit with Jackie & actually remembered to get a picture before we left (I am so bad about that!).  Lana gave us a mini concert on the piano, with her big hit being Alma Mater Blues which she had just mastered before leaving on the trip.  She played that song anytime she saw a piano so lots of people heard that song.  Everyone was thoroughly impressed!  

On the way to Ramona we were stopped by a brush fire on the side of the road.  I pulled out my camera & took a few pictures of the firemen.  It was smoking when we got there but after just a couple minutes, they had it out.  That was one of three fires we saw while we were visiting!

The first full day of our trip was a Saturday & we make the 1 hour & 45 minute trip up to Brooke & Andy's house to visit with my friends from high school & their families.  Our first tour stop was the chicken coop.

Holly showed us how to collect the eggs.

There were three waiting for us.  Two brown ones & a white one.  

Here we have Foghorn (white), Little Red Hen (Red), Chicken Holly (brown)

All the kids! From left to right:
Back row: Lana, Mady (Lori)
Front: Charlie (Brooke), Nathaniel (Brooke), Dean (Brooke), Holly (Brooke), Janae, Niaomi (Lori), Jennica (Lani)

The whole crew

We figured we'd take advantage of the ride home & told the girls to take a nap.  Lana swore she wasn't sleepy & a few minutes later I took this picture.

We played volleyball after dinner at Gateway on Saturday and the girls picked up feathers they found along with learning the rules of the game & helping us retrieve the stray ball.  My mom had been collecting feathers for a project & when we got back she let the girls add their found feathers to hers - Janae lined them up for us to see.

Nonnie gave the kids fun maze & activity books to play with.  Here is Lana hard at work on hers.

On Sunday we went to Balboa park to the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center.  Our family has season passes to the science center in KC (Union Station) and so it allowed us to get our family of 4 in free to the Fleet.

Touching a tornado!

Even the grown-ups enjoy playing at the Science Center!

This is a machine that moved pool balls around & around with different gears & sporting equipment when you turned the steering wheel.

 "Hello!"

"Hi Nonnie!"

This thing was tough to hold onto while it was spinning, especially when you tilted it back & forth.

Papa explaining how the waves & patterns keep changing.

Papa & Nonnie treated the girls to a few minutes in the Hurricase Simulator.

Wind is currently at 45.7 mph!  Woah!

Lana & Nonnie worked together to get the lights to light up!  They got them all!

 We never could get that thing to stick together!  It kept collapsing...

We also went and saw the Butterfly movie in the IMAX theater.  It talked about the migration of Monarch Butterflies & how it was discovered.  A pretty amazing story.

After the Science Center - we played in the Balboa Park fountain.

 Then it was time for a picnic (after hunting down Dad's glasses that had fallen out of his pocket during the butterfly movie!)

Then we went on a walk around the park.  Loved the fun roots on this tree!

 Lana & Janae with "manhole #366"

 We stopped by a museum and Nonnie & the girls played dress-up while...

 Kevin, Dad & I visited the Bottled & Kegged exhibit - all about the history of Craft Brewing in San Diego.

 There was a bird rescue group there & Lana got to "hold" a parrot on her shoulder and her head.  Glad he didn't decide to poop!

 After the park - a visit to the Corvette Diner!

Milkshakes were our appetizer!

Nonnie took the girls one morning & they had so much fun.  Here they are all glammed out in their stylish jewelry.

She took the girls to pick lemons & grapefruit and then they all worked to make fresh lemonade!

 Then they worked on their dream catchers.  They had so much fun making them - Nonnie always has the best craft ideas!

 One of Lana's dream catchers. Note the feathers - I think we maybe used 12-16 of the 50 feathers that were collected!

 We were able to celebrate Gretchen's birthday with her.  The girls gave her each one of their dream catches they made.

Happy Birthday cheese-cake!  Yum!

 One of Lana & Janae's favorite activities when we visit is to go on hikes with Nonnie.

 I joined them one evening & think I got to see almost all of Gateway!  ;)

 Bob did a great job on these.  They mark all the trails so you know where to go & can't get lost.

 These stones on this steep walking path were actually set into the dirt already.  They looked like perfect little stairs!

 Lana & Janae each took turns on different mornings taking the Gator to run the dogs.

 On Tuesday we hit the beach.  While the boys parked the cars - I took the girls out for some boogie boarding.

 After a couple of tips - Lana picked it up right away.

 This is one of two tries Janae gave it with me & she tipped her board's "nose" down a bit & got sandy water up in her face.

 Kevin took Janae out to try to teach her...

 But Janae decided she'd rather play in the sand & Nonnie was only too happy to join her.

So Kevin went out with Lana & that's pretty much what the two of them did the entire time we were at the beach!

This is what Papa did most of the time.  It was a beautiful day & we all really enjoyed the nice breeze & wonderful calmness of the ocean sounds.

 Lana catching a wave.

 Kevin catching a wave.

Sand angels

Lana laid down on the sand & so that's why she's so sandy.  My beautiful girls!  Nonnie also took the kids up to the playground & Lana organized a game of tag with the kids she met there.  That girl knows no stranger!

My mom planned a sewing project for the girls while we were there.  She had them make bean bags.  She was impressed that they knew some of the basics since they've sewed a little bit with Elaine.

Filling up her bag with beans!

Lana got a turn.

Cutting out the pattern for bag #2.

Ruth had Janae make some rice crispy treats that were doctored up to be extra yummy.   I guess she pretty much got to do everything except melt the chocolate - she was pretty proud of her dessert!

Lana gave a concert of all of her songs.  It was going to be for just Papa & Nonnie...

 But mom told people that they didn't need to stay & I think almost everyone opted to sit & listen.  I think she was in heaven!

 The last day of our trip we headed down to San Diego Harbor & decided to go to the Maritime Museum.  The pirate ship was the first on our tour.

 This ship was used in Pirates of the Caribbean 4.

Lana "sleeping" next to the hammocks in the ship.

 The girls playing sick in the Sick bay.

Check out those Cannons!

 The second maritime vessel we boarded was a Russian submarine.  You had to crawl through this tunnel to make sure you could make it through all the holes on the sub.

Papa made it!

 Sick again!

 Check out all those wheels!

 Take 'er down Captain Janae!

 This is the last ship (of 6?) we boarded.  It is an American sub that is older than the Russian sub but seemed newer.  Guess us Americans liked better accommodations!

 Down periscope!

After the museum, we went to Anthony's where we really enjoyed the view.  A nice ending to a great trip.  We came home rested & fulfilled!