San Diego

We arrived in San Diego in time for lunch on Friday. We headed straight for Ocean Beach and Hodad's. Hodad's has been featured on Diners, Drive-ins, and Dives and Dan has been wanting to eat there ever since.

We got there shortly after opening and did not have to wait in line. The atmosphere is awesome and the food was very good. The interior walls are covered with license plates from all over the world. The owner told me that if you bring in a license plate you receive a free meal. Depending on where you live that could be a pretty expensive free meal! But it sure makes for a colorful decor. There's also the front end of a VW bus that serves as a table. It's covered with bumper stickers and just looks fun!

Our next stop was Petco Park for the San Diego Padres vs Colorado Rockies game. Thanks to Gabe's friend, we were able to go on the field for batting practice. We saw our favorite players up close and even managed to get Wil Myers autograph. It was so much fun for Dan. He's been a Padres fan from the beginning. 

Down on the field

Wil Myers - what a thrill!

Sunny and Grammy

Thunder

On Saturday the kids went to Sea World and Dan and I hung out at Ocean Beach. The beach was filled with little baby lobsters that had washed up on shore. Several people were trying to get them back into the surf, but there were hundreds of them that had died. 

Dan discovered that you can't read a Nook at the beach 

We headed to Seaport Village for dinner and saw this guy walking around with his pig. It was just so unusual I had to take a picture!

Verse For the Week: John 16:33

Official Four Month Photo

Yes, Snow is four months old. She "talks" constantly and is chewing on everything, leading us to wonder if she'll start teething soon. She has the sweetest smile (except in this picture) and enjoys playing on the floor under her gym. Storm is a super big brother and plays with her several times a day. Her big cousins adore her and are constantly running to help me with her.

All in all, she's a sweetie pie!

Big brother Storm comforts Snow while Grammy fixes her bottle - what an awesome helper!

Thunder loves to tickle her tummy, apparently she likes it too - see her smiling up at him!

Two!

Storm turned two years old this month! He is an adventurous little guy - always on the move looking for new challenges to conquer. He loves his cousins! Whenever he sees them his face lights up and he's ready to play big kid style. He has a sharp mind and is very good at figuring things out from how to unlock doors to how to work the dishwasher to how to put together puzzles.

His party theme was Mickey Mouse Clubhouse and Jessica did an awesome job with the decorations.

Happy Birthday, Storm! We love you, little man.

Sunny, Skye, Grammy

The Birthday Boy

Getting into opening the gifts

I just loved the decor!

Aren't the food cards cute?!

"You want me to do what?"

There's always a cousin willing to help out

Skye singing to Snow as she fell asleep

California Dreamin'

Last year we were sitting around talking about my upcoming 60th birthday in August 2016. We tossed around ideas of ways to celebrate, and then I told Dan that what I really wanted was to take the entire family to Disneyland. In January 2016 we went to AAA and booked our trip for all 15 of us visit Disneyland this summer.

As plans for the trip jelled, Katie and Gabe asked us if we'd go over early with them to San Diego. Then JD and Janel asked us to stay after Disneyland to travel to Santa Barbara and Solvang with them.

As the trip approached Zach, Ashley and Skye had to bow out due to work. We were bummed, but as you know life happens.

On June 3rd Dan and I hit the road at 5 am for our California adventure. I really enjoy the drive from Phoenix to San Diego. Two of my favorite parts of the journey occur just past Yuma Arizona.

Just west of Yuma the road drops below sea level. I tried to capture the lowest point, but missed it by about 7 ft. Still, I was impressed with -40ft.

As we're traveling through that area we can also see the Border Fence to the south. It's amazing to me that there is a completely different country on the other side of the fence!

There is now also a huge solar farm outside of Yuma. Solar panels stretch as far as the eye can see.

As you can see from the photo above we are now in the mountains to the east of San Diego. Again, I tried to capture the highest point, but I missed it by a few feet. Still, you can see the highs and lows of the road on this route.

Next stop: San Diego!

Verse For the Week: Proverbs 10:9

Verse For the Week: 1 Peter 5:7

Guess Where We're Going???

Sunny and Snow - Disney pedicures

(Katie painted Snow's toes - can you believe it?)

Sunny and Thunder receiving the Disney goodie bags we got them for the trip

Katie's Disney themed fingers/toes

Me and Sunny - our toes are ready to go!

Seven

My oldest grandchild is turning seven next week.

You think time goes by swiftly with your own kids? Just wait until you have grandkids. It moves into warp speed.

This year Sunny had a birthday party for her friends from school, soccer, her neighborhood and her cousins. She had a bounce house with a water slide. Her theme was Hello Kitty and she had balloons, plates, tattoos; all adorned with Hello Kitty.

Oh Sunny, we're so proud of you and love you so much. You are the joy of our lives (along with your cousins!)

The Birthday Girl

With Great-Grandma (Gigi)

With Great-Grandpa (Papa)

Grammy, Sunny, Gramps

She liked Thunder's gift enough to give him a hug!

Gabe, Papa, Sunny, Gigi, Katie

Gabe's Mom Roberta and me

Memorial Day

This year was not blazing hot on Memorial Day. The pool water was way too cold for Dan and I, but the grandkids happily jumped in. And out. And in. And out.

Adam and Jessica with Storm and Snow

Look at Storm kick! 

Love Snow's hat!

Watching a woman wearing a Chewbacca mask on Katie's phone.

I think I'm the only person in the USA that hadn't seen it yet.