The week before last was busy getting Jeff ready for his high adventure trip to Catalina



While Jeff took his boys to Catalina I decided to let the kids each bring a friend and go Knotts Berry Farm. Jacob brought his friend Ryan Orr and Ashley brought Maia (whose mom ended up having a baby that night)



We started out in camp Snoopy but didn't stay their long because there was too many kid's camps...so we came back later.



Ashley complains that she can only go on the baby rides...but I see a smile anyway :)




Give Maia a map and she'll be busy alll day...(and she'll try and direct you all kinds of ways even onto train tracks ;)



Just the girls.




The girls and I went to see Snoopy on ice. It was a nice break from the heat and a
fun little show with some great ice skaters.



Meeting the boys at the wild west stunt show...



Taking a cotton candy break. Maia's cotton candy was bigger than her head!



Here's the boys dessert that they insisted that they had to eat right after dinner.



The girls insisted on ice-cream...even with all 3 of us eating it it was more than we could handle.



Crazy kids with a second wind after dinner and too much sugar!




Maia started getting brave and wanting to go on the rides with the boys. This was a crazy favorite of theirs.



While the other kiAshley and I enjoying Camp Snoopy...



We had a great day except the part when we lost Maia! The boys took her on a ride and when they met up with me at our meeting spot she wasn't with them. They told me that she had gone ahead of them...later I learned they had gone ahead of her when there was an open spot on the ride and instead of waiting for her at the exit they decided to go on the ride again!!!

Luckily a nice grandma saw her alone at the exit and took her to kids lost and found where she was as soon as we started looking for her.

The boys got a lecture and mine was on restriction the next day.

Here's us after after being reunited. The kids lasted all the way until the park closed down at 10:00. I don't know how the parents felt about them getting home so late but it was a very fun day.



While we were doing our own thing at home Jeff was enjoying Catalina with his teacher's quorum.




After they got to the island they checked in and right away rented Kayaks.



I think one of Taylor's favorite activities was the Kayaking.



Taking a break...



Conquering the island!



Hiking up to the Wrigley house and gardens.



Jeff took the boys Miniature Golfing on night and watched a movie in the famous "Casino" movie theater that had gold and platinum overlay. I guess it was gorgeous inside but the pictures didn't turn out well.

The only down side was the only movie that was playing there was Eclipse...so all the boys got to enjoy a chick flick. (Taylor said they were joking around asking everyone if they were "Team Jacob" or "Team Edward" all night ;)



Getting ready for Snuba. Snuba just came to island recently but Jeff and Taylor got to do it 2 years ago on Hawaii.



You get to dive down under the water but you are tethered to a raft that is holding your air tank. So you don't have to carry all the bulky equiptment and you don't have to be scuba certified to be able to enjoy it.



The only problem was the water was so cold that some of the boys couldn't stay under the whole time and after a few minutes of swimming they sat holding onto the raft shivering.




Brock trying to take home a hermit crab.



The boys also got to go on a glass bottom boat ride and snorkle...



and hang out in downtown Avalon.



Jeff and Taylor were exhausted when they got back...a sure sign they had a great trip.


After the weekend Jeff had a convention down in Laguna beach that me and the kids got to attend with him.



So while he was in meetings...

We were at the pool....



and out on the beach...and back to the pool and the beach...the kids couldn't make up their mind. We were very lucky that it was the start of our heat wave and we weren't engulfed in clouds like we were the week before.



Ashley holding one of the "decorations" in our room.



Here's the view from our room.




Taylor spent the whole first day reading his book.




Ashley was the only one of us that didn't get totally burned on some part of her body...maybe it had something to do with her burying herself in the sand. (Later on Taylor burried everything but her head in the sand...great sunblock I guess.




We were outside after the kids were in bed watching the waves and we started seeing light reflect off of what looked like fish.

We thought we would go down closer to get a look at them. Jeff said they reminded him of grunion. I always heard of grunion runs but never took the time to go down to the beach on the specific time, at the specific moon cycle to go and look for them.



When we got closer sure enough they were grunions burrying themselves in the sand to lay their eggs.



I would only touch them but Jeff actually caught some! You could feel them swim past your legs as the waves would go out! (Little too crazy to me) Such a cool experience!



We told the kids about it the next day and they were very mad we hadn't woken them up!


Oh I forgot to mention the little present that was left for us over the weekend while Taylor was at the dance.



It came complete with our very own toilet...



So funny I forgot to laugh...



At least we know who it was meant for...



"Taylor will you be my pianoman??" We've offically entered teenagerhood!

We found out the culprit later...he's already plotting revenge...




We're also getting ready for high school...with a physical complete with blood test so that he can get ready for...



Cross Country. These came with a trip to Redlands to the shoe store that was recommended by the coach...they were accompanied with a $100.00 price tag...I told him they are only for running.



A good thing about being a teenager is the fact that Taylor's actually had a lot of fun with his friends this summer...either texting them or going to swim parties...or inviting them over for a look at the chichilla babies before it's time to give them away...



Angela and Robert are coming today to come and pick them up!



A bad thing about being a teenager is the stinky prizes you get for the summer reading program...10 books for a newspaper circular of Farmer Boys coupons that expired last year. Too bad he missed out on getting a fish dinner for only $6.99...what a prize.




Oh this was the goodbye dinner for Sharla.



Wishing her good luck on her new life in Oregon



And for another celebration dinner. Jeff's 40th birthday!!



We decided last minute to skip the stake Pioneer day, the wedding reception and actually celebrate his birthday since we knew his real birthday (on Sunday) would be filled with meetings.



We went to a fun Japanese place that was like a Benny Hana's.



Happy Birthday Jeff!!