DISNEYLAND -- JULY 2009

We had a great time at Disneyland last week. It was too crowded and very hot, but I can't help but have fun with Christine and my two cute grandsons!

Carter is finally tall enough to go on the big rides now. He went on Big Thunder and Splash Mountain for the very first time. He also was able to go on Soaring Over California and when he got off he exclaimed "that was AWESOME"!

Easton went on the Matterhorn for the first time. I don't think he liked it that much. He was happy to stick with the Haunted Mansion (which is his favorite) and Pirates. He also LOVES Monster's Inc.. Carter's favorite ride is Pirates.

We always enjoy having breakfast with the characters. It is the best way to meet the characters up close without waiting in lines and waiting in the heat! Easton loves Minnie. He wasn't too sure how to react to Captain Hook, he got a little concerned.

One morning we went to Newport Beach at Balboa Pier. Carter loved the water and laughed and giggled the whole time he was in it. He would go out on the sand and lay down on his stomach and ride with the wave in. A few times he got pulled under and he would come up gasping and giggle and then head out for more. Easton was content to stay close to shore. One time Carter laid down in the sand and pulled the sand up around his face. When he got up he looked like he had sideburns and a goatee. It is one of my favorite things to see kids playing in the surf. I love being at the ocean!

We had such a great time visiting with the Sorenson's on our way out of town. They are always so gracious and kind. We love catching up with what the family is doing and getting luscious grape fruits just picked off the tree when they are in season. They are so sweet you don't even need to put sugar on them! They also give us lemons that are so huge that one of them would be equivalent to two that you buy in the store.

It's always with mixed emotions that I come home.

SUMMER CABIN TIME

We had the best time going out to our cabin last week. We left on Thursday and didn't come home until Monday and it still wasn't long enough!

We had our adopted son Cole come out for the last time before he left on his mission to Paraguay. We have always had Cole come out with us and he is so much like our family. I was blessing the food and had prayed for Daniel, Jason (who had gone home) and Brad when Carter chimed in "and Cole". Without Daniel and now Cole the cabin will seem even more empty.



Scott inherited a fishing boat and he finally got it going this year. We took it out on the lake and did some fishing. Carter was the first one to catch a fish and he was so excited! When Scott reeled it in the boat and it started to flop around Carter couldn't get to the back of the boat fast enough. Then he and Easton got more curious about it and got to the point where they were intrigued by the whole thing. Carter's was a Carp and so we just discarded it which made him a little sad. He wanted to take it home and keep it in his fish bowl.

The next day Christine joined us and she barely had her line in the water when she caught a 16" Rainbow Trout. She was really excited and has decided that she kind of likes to fish. I caught the next one and then Scott. Christine's was the biggest of the three that we caught.

We have an unwelcome visitor in the cabin area this year, its a brown bear. We had heard that one had been sited close to the cabin area and so we were already taking some precautions but one day the kids and the dogs where out playing and the neighbor from two cabins down came walking up. He told us that we might want to keep a closer eye on the kids and dogs because they just had a bear in their driveway. He said it was a small one, probably about two years old and just weened from it's mother. He said it was pretty scared and would probably high tail it out of that area, but we were a little rattled to say the least.

As always we eat until we are sick, watch movies, play games, and just enjoy talking and being together. Best of all Jason doesn't get cell phone service and so we see his face the whole time! We love going to the cabin and are looking forward to going again real soon!