Knott's

We have gone to Knott's Berry Farm every Spring Break for about 5 years.... we LOVE it!!! The Christensen's have joined us for the past at least 3 years, and it has become a much anticipated tradition...

This year's adventure was a blast... the weather was perfect, the lines were 0-15 minutes for most rides, and the kids are getting older and they can actually go on crazy rides with us!! We got Noah and Mclane on the Xcelerator this year and they LIVED for it.... it's a humdinger!! I sat down next to Noah and said, "Son, this ride is going to rock your world.. You might pee in your pants." He looked at me, thought about it, and responded, "What if I do?"... He was SO cute...he loved it and went 5 more times!!

Austen is much more wary, but did try a new rollercoaster and went on the log ride twice!! (Trust me, this is progress!) Ellie went on everything she could, and Aidan begged to go on the things he couldn't. They spent LOTS of time in "Camp Snoopy", which is just for them, and rode EVERYTHING to their heart's content. Lynn joined us as well, which was such a treat! She has been going here for years and it was fun to hear the stories of how things used to be. Baby Mia was adorable and did so well on her first vacation, including sleeping through the night (twice!!)

The next day, we stopped by Knotts' replica of "Independence Hall". We have never done this before, and it was interesting. We watched a presentation of the signing of the Declaration of Independence and we all learned something new. A perfect trip and another fun memory. Until next year!

Hangin' Loose...

We are in Hawaii!!! It is our first trip and it has been SO fun! We are having a blast with John and Camille! They have both been here before and it has been so nice to be "along for the ride". They know where to go and what to do and it's perfect!

We started out at the Polynesian Cultural Center and loved it! It was super interesting. The evening show was amazing. The next day we went to a flea market in the morning and bought fun treats for the kids. In the afternoon, we went to the USS Arizona Memorial. It was very moving to be there and learn more about this. My grandfather was nearby at the time and watching the video of the attack was fascinating. We finished up there and hiked to the top of Diamond Head before heading to the Hard Rock cafe for dinner. The next day we went and saw a Buddhist temple. The temple and the setting were gorgeous!! We also did a little snorkeling.. well, everyone but me. The weather has been a little colder than we imagined it would be... I don't get in water to swim if it's under 100 degrees out!! It actually rained on us quite a bit today, so I watched from the shore. Corey, Camille, and John had a great time out looking for fish and turtles and saw a ton of cool marine life. (I read a good book and was in heaven)... The last day we rode bikes a few miles down the North Shore and watched the ocean... I saw some of the biggest waves I've EVER seen! It was GORGEOUS!! We spent the rest of the day on the beach...every time we'd get all set up, it would rain on us! It got to be a joke... but, still SO fun and SO beautiful...

It has been WONDERFUL to just relax and not have to worry about anything... JUST what I needed! I talked with the kids tonight on the phone and they were having a great time first with Nana and Papa, and now with Grandma. (MAHALO!) Definitely a win-win for everyone!! I highly recommend a trip to paradise...