To celebrate we decided to take a long trip. We were pretty much gone the entire month of June. We started in San Diego for 1 week. We stayed at the Lawrence Welk Resort in Escondido. I know it sounds like a retirement home but was actually a really great place. There were tons of families and lots of fun stuff for the kids. We had a barbecue pad right outside our back door and a hot tub. It was a community barbecue and hot tub but nobody was ever out there when we were there so we had it all to ourselves. The pool was great and they had a splash pad where Riley could just run around and play.
While we stayed in Escondido we went to a Dodger game in LA.
We went to another Dodger game at Petco Park. (Andre Ethier)
After the baseball game we went to Ocean Beach and then to Sunset Cliffs. While we were in San Diego it was pretty cold, apparently it's called "June Gloom," it was overcast and the high was maybe 68. So we didn't really play in the ocean because it was freezing, but we had a good time building sand castles and just hanging out.
After our week in Escondido we went to Anaheim for a couple of days. I'm sure you can guess what we did there. The first night we were there we went to Medieval Times. Riley absolutely loved it. When you get to Medieval Times, everyone gets a crown with a specific color on it. You cheer for whatever knight matches your crown and you sit in that Knight's section. We got to cheer for the blue knight. While you're there they feed you soup, a roasted chicken, a rib, bread, potatoes, and for dessert an apple turnover. The whole time you're eating you watch the knights compete in different tournaments. Our knight was pretty good but in the end when they did the jousting he lost. It was a lot of fun to watch, Riley especially loved the horses.
The next day we spent all day at DISNEYLAND and California Adventure!! This was Riley's first time at Disneyland and my first time since I was 18 months old. We had a blast, we were having so much fun that we just kept right on going for 13 hours!! I can't believe Riley lasted that long, Cody and I were wasted. Riley had some pretty cool things happen to him. When we went on the Monster's Inc. ride, at the very end, the Monster Roz is standing there talking as everyone's leaving. It's not someone in a costume but someone is obviously watching from somewhere and can make her mouth move and they speak for her. She said as we were leaving, "Young man in the front row, what big ears you have." (Riley was wearing his Mickey Mouse ears.) Then she said, "Are those your real ears?" Riley was dumbfounded he just stared at her and didn't know what to say, he just shook his head. After the Monster's Inc. ride I went to save us seats for the electrical parade. While I did that, Cody and Riley went to the Talking with Crush interactive video. Crush was on a movie screen but he could move around and talk personally with the audience, asking and answering questions. At the beginning Crush moved over towards Riley and talked to him. He asked him his name, when Riley told him Crush said, "Rocking Riley." Then he asked him where he was from, Riley said Utah but it sound like Utalk and Crush said, "Yeah, I talk." Then he asked Riley who he was with and Riley looked at Cody and Cody said, "Who am I?" Riley looked at Crush and said, "Who am I?" Of course everyone laughed, then Riley finally said that he was with his Dad. Crush asked him if he could talk with his Dad and he said yes. Crush asked Cody's name and then he called him, "Cowabunga Cody." Crush asked him how many kids he had and Cody said one, Crush said, "You're just starting, I have 65." Cody and Riley had a great time talking with Crush, I'm sorry I missed it. :(
After Disneyland we went and visited my sister Robyn and her family in Hemet. We spent a few days there just hanging out at the pool and playing SingStar and RockBand.
Left to Right: Christian, Ben, Robyn, and Matt
We traveled home and spent one night at home and then we were off to Idaho. We spent a few days in Idaho. While we were there we went boating, and to the zoo and had a nice time relaxing. I spent most of my time reading the Twilight series. I just couldn't put it down.
While we were at the zoo I found out that my sister Hope had her baby boy, Nathan. So on our way home from Idaho we stopped at the hospital to see the baby.
We then came home for a few days to finish out work and then we went to Farmington to visit my parents, my Grandparents, my Aunt Polly, my Uncle Steve and Aunt Linda, and my sister Michelle.
(Left to Right: My Mom (Sheila), Uncle Steve, Aunt Polly, Front Row: Grandma and Granddad)
It was a nice little family reunion. Now we're finally back home for a few weeks before Cody goes back to work! It's amazing how fast the summer can fly by!
