Knottsberry Farm

We decided to get together with Dave and Janna again and go to Knottsberry Farm. Jack and Ashley were able to join us too. It was definately off-season for them. The park was empty. We didn't have to wait for anything. I went on my first roller coaster where you hang from the track instead of ride on top of it. It was fun. I love coasters, and the faster the better. I'm not the biggest fan of those towers that lift you up and then drop you though. I'll do them, and they are fun, but not my favorite. The kiddie area had some awesome rides. Emma had so much fun with Ethan all day. They were so cute sitting on the rides together, almost always the only ones on them. One of the scariest shows I've ever seen was in Camp Snoopy (the kiddie area). They had Charlie Brown, Lucy, and some other girl singing songs and "dancing" on stage. Most of the kids in the audience were terrified of them instead of excited to see them. I know I was scared. There were other fun things for the adults though. Besides just hanging out (which was nice and relaxing), there were the coasters, water rides (which I didn't go on - it was kind of cold), and the boys just being boys together. David and Eric had fun together, and David even forcibly dunked Eric's head into a fountain. It was so much fun being with them for a couple days and doing so many fun things together.

The Beach and WICKED

On Wednesday we didn't go into a theme park, so it was kind of our day off. Eric's brother and family came into town so we met up with them. We went to the beach in Seal Park. It was a nice beach, and not very crowded. Of course it's February, so I'm sure that helped the crowds. It was a very warm day, and the sun was beating us to death so we didn't stay very long. Emma and I don't do too well in the sun for a long time. Our skin is too fair. It doesn't help that we weren't incredibly prepared either. Emma was being so weird - she didn't want to stand in the water herself, but she wanted us to hold her while we stood in the water. She loved the water, but it was too cold or she didn't like the waves or something. Hopefully when she gets older she'll be more like her cousin. Ethan was running and jumping and getting all wet within seconds of being there. We found starfish and shells on the beach, and Emma thought they were cool. There was a playground next to the beach and the kids played there for a little while after we left the beach, even though it wasn't a very good escape from the sun. We went to lunch, and then we had to run back to our hotel to change clothes. Thank goodness for family!! Janna's brother and his wife were able to watch the kids for us so we could all go to L.A. and see Wicked. It was fabulous. If you haven't heard the music or seen it, do. The music is great and it is so fun. It's the kind of show that would never come here. It was fun walking around and seeing some of the stars on Hollywood Blvd, but it wasn't the greatest neighborhood. It made for a late night, but it was awesome!!

Sea World

I've never been to Sea World before, and neither has Eric. So we were both excited to go. Emma loves fish and all animals, so we knew she would enjoy herself. First thing we did was to see the dolphin show. Emma loved it. She liked the dolphins, penguins, and sharks best. We saw the Shamu show, and the whales were cool, but the trainers were so cheesy. The show itself wasn't the greatest. It was literally almost too cheesy for me to handle. Apparently during peak season they have more than one show, and the evening ones are really good. Emma liked seeing the whales, but she became distracted by peeing through her diaper on her daddy's lap. Kids are so much fun. On our way home we stopped by the San Diego Temple. It's just magnificent. The day was perfect too. Someday we want to go back with someone else so we can go do a session and leave Emma outside. It was a long day, but really fun.

Disneyland

Yeah!! We are home from our trip. It was fabulous, long, and so much fun. Emma loved it. We did so much while we were in California. The next several posts will be about the different things we did. This first one will be about Disneyland (which we did over several non-consecutive days).

Last time she was at Disneyland Emma was too little to notice or remember anything. This time she went already loving Mickey and his pals, and very excited to meet them. She met tons of them, and the lines weren't even that bad. She met Mickey, Minnie, Donald, Goofy, Pluto, Captain Hook, Captain Jack Sparrow, Mary Poppins, Sully, Winnie the Pooh, Eyeore, Tigger, Chip & Dale, Baloo, & Merlin. She met and saw tons more (just about all of them), but these are the only ones we actually stopped to take pictures with. She loved the rides, and the only crying or complaining on her part was when we had to get off a ride, never because of the ride. She's a tough kid. She even liked the Matterhorn, which we were very excited to find out she's tall enough for. Her favorite rides were the Astro Orbiter, Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters, Pirates of the Carribean, and the Haunted Mansion. She loved all the rides she went on though. Eric andhad fun too. Who doesn't like Disneyland?!! Here are a bunch of Disneyland pictures.