sea world, la jolla sea lions, & the end

Our last day in California we spent in Sea World. We finally had some warm weather and had a great time enjoying the animals, shows, and rides. We were sad that Amy and Lee headed back to LA and missed the fun!

We then stopped in La Jolla to see the sea lions in their 'natural' environment. There was also an amazing tide pool with lots of little crabs. And fortunately we were there at dusk and I got my beach sunset to fill my soul.

The next day we left and drove to Las Vegas. We were able to play in Vegas, shop at the outlets in Primm and stretch out our vacation just a little bit longer.

...and its nice to be home :-D

tide pools...and of course shopping

We got up this morning and went to check out a tide pool. I love the beach. I love the ocean. And more importantly, I love the sun. Josh had so much fun looking for crabs, anemones, star fish. Another tide pool looker actually found a star fish and shared it with us.

Next it was off to shop. Hansen's was a must as were the Carlsbad Outlets.

Josh and I wanted to go back to to the beach even though it was chilly. Amy and Lee were up for brisk weather. They bundled up for a nap while Josh and I built a house in the sand. He used his boogie board as the door. It was a very relaxing afternoon.

wild animal park

My favorite place in San Diego so far...The Wild Animal Park

Josh and I posed for pictures on my favorite animal, an elephant.

We explored, played, fed animals, and had a great time!

balboa park

We were ready to visit some San Diego sites and started with Balboa Park. Because not all of us could agree where we wanted to be, we split up and enjoyed different things. My parents, Heidi, Dylan, Josh, and me went to the San Diego Zoo. The boys, Amy, Lee, and Knox decided to check out the museums.

Josh unfortunately was a bit grumpy so when we met back at the hotel for lunch, we stayed at the hotel for down time, while the rest of my family headed back to Balboa Park.

Before dinner, the siblings headed over to Seaport Village to shop, sight see, and enjoy time without the kids or my parents. It is so fun to hang out with my sibs now that we are all grown up!
Josh helped Amy with Knox's bath and then the kids went to bed...

...and the grown ups played!

the beach

Amy and Lee drove down from LA last night and are now with us for the week.

I love my nephew Knox!

We decided to take a lazy dazy morning and then head to the beach. It was a bit cold, but we braved it and enjoyed a lazy dazy afternoon.

After the beach, we went back to the hotel and since the ocean was freezing, jumped in the heated pool. I was the camera woman.

Finally, the day ended with dinner from my favorite Mexican restaurant El Torito. I was so excited to see it was 10 steps outside the door from the hotel. YUM!

easter my way

I was not going to let the ER visit stand in the way of my vacation...or our Easter celebration. We started the morning with the visit from the Easter bunny and a small Easter egg hunt. Dylan had a great time finding the eggs and Josh knew what was coming next...

DISNEYLAND!

My brothers decided to stay back, so it was my sis, my parents, and the grand kids. We were lucky enough to start our day with a hello from Mickey right on Main Street.Dylan was so excited to spend the day with his cousin Josh, following him all around the park.

We took full advantage of the park, beautiful weather, and relatively small crowds. There was very little wait on any of the rides.

The first time in my Disneyland history, we actually left around 7:30 pm. We had seen, rode, eaten, played, and enjoyed all that we could, and there was an hour and a half drive back to the hotel. Note to self, there is no line for pictures at the entrance at 7:30 at night!

The boys crashed on the drive home. What a perfect way to celebrate Easter!