There’s really just too much to write about.  *sigh*  That’s what happens when you go around doing too many fun things!  Last week we took the whole family and went to California!

Before we left, Cheyenne and Calianne had their last soccer games for the year.  Calianne plowed in front of people and held her arms out to keep people back while she got her chances to kick at the ball.  So cute!   Cheyenne dutifully ran after the pack as it went up and down the field.  If the ball happened to land in front of her, she would 1) look at it very carefully, 2) put her hair behind her ears, 3) bring her leg back to kick, and WHOOSH the rest of the pack would catch up to the ball and kick it away.  Then she’d laugh and run after everybody again.  They both had a great time and wore huge smiles throughout each game.  I have no idea why since neither one of them ever got many chances to kick the ball, but hey, whatever makes them happy!

Sarah also had her last tennis match.  She did really well, I thought.  They lost but they kept really close.  She has improved a lot in six weeks time!

On Saturday morning, we left for our big adventure.  We realized on the way down to Las Vegas, that our DVD player was broken.  Gasp!  We hadn’t planned any other activities for the kids during the drive.  Kevin, however, just bought a new techno-wow phone and it came with a free movie.  It inspired some real family closeness . . . These three did pretty well eating and playing Barbies.  They were excited to go to Grandma’s!

We stopped in Las Vegas Saturday afternoon to visit my family.  On Sunday, we went to church at my brother’s ward and had a nice meal with my mom and dad before we finished the drive and drove the rest of the way to the beach!

We own a time share week and this was the second time we have used it at Capistrano Beach at The Surfside Inn.  It is connected to the beach by a pedestrian bridge over the highway.  We love being so close to our favorite reason to be in California – the ocean!  On Monday, we played there all day.

 

 

On Tuesday, it was off to Disneyland!!  Here we are at “The happiest place on Earth.”

I have been working all summer on recalibrating my child awareness to eight instead of seven.  (It’s actually much more complicated than that, but I won’t go into an analysis of my psyche at this time . . .)  I have to say that at Disneyland, I finally perfected it – I could glance at the kids and know they were all there!  That felt really good.  Especially, since I had to do it alot!

We had a great time and went on almost 20 rides! The crowds were really small especially in the morning.

   

Disneyland is an amazing place and lots of fun, but it is physically exhausting, too.  We got to the happiest place on Earth at opening and by about 4 pm, there wasn’t a happy person to be found!!  Here are my “not-so-jollys” on the Jolly Trolley.

Heh, heh. (At least I can laugh about it.  What I wanted to say was, “What do you mean you want to go home??  Do you know how much money I paid to get us in here??  You are going to stay until the very last minute and YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE A GOOD TIME!!”)  Fortunately, Dad marched us all straight back to the Golden Horseshoe for chairs, food, and comedy and he saved the day!  Then we still had time for a couple more rides before heading back to the hotel.

On Wednesday, we relaxed at the hotel pool and back at the beach.

Ben came with us this time.  On Monday he had been asleep and stayed with Dad back at the hotel while Dad got some work done.  The first thing Ben did when I set his chair down was reach for the sand.  No, Ben!!  Don’t do it!!

  Oh, gross.  Doesn’t taste very good, does it bud?

Whatever!  He’s still happy!  You gotta smile for the traditional “Baby-eating-sand picture!” This was our sunniest day at the beach and we enjoyed it.  Like Monday, there was much wave jumping, sand building, and rock collecting.  I even got the kite out and flew with the seagulls.  Then we had a picnic.  :)

  

On Thursday we drove into Los Angeles to visit China Town.  Kevin went on his mission to Taiwan and speaks Mandarin and Savannah is taking Chineese in school this year.  It was great fun.

 

  We had lunch at The Golden Dragon restaurant which was packed with local Chinese.  We were the main attraction of the day.  “How many children do you have?”  “SEVEN girls?”  “What a cute boy!”  “What a large family!”  They brought us lots of food.  I think we all enjoyed the chicken feet.  !!!