Summer Vacation- Part I

Our summer vacation this year was a mix of necessity and desire. It was necessary that Lauren attend cheer camp but we desired to turn it into an enjoyable family trip as well. Lauren's cheer camp was held in Pomona, CA and that is where we stayed for the first few days. We ended up booking the same hotel the cheer camp was at but we barely saw Lauren at all- she was working hard and having fun with the cheer team. My parents decided to tag along too so we agreed that since she was having so much fun,that we would have some fun too!

Thursday, August 4,2011

Her Majesty the Queen Mary....

It seems everytime we are in California, Jason mentions visiting the Queen Mary and today was finally his lucky day. After reading a little history about this ship I was smitten. Not only is it British but also has Art Deco design- I'm sold!! 

We took the haunted tour of the ship first. It told about the people who died on the ship and had stories of ghost sightings. Jace was actually a little scared and stuck right by us the entire time. Of course there was spooky music and special effects but the paranormal activity from these "passed" guests has become a legend on the ship.

Then it was off to the walking tour of the ship.

It's amazing all the gadgets they have to steer the ship yet no window to see where they are going!!

Jace and Grandma

British phonebooth and flag- love it!!

Grandpa, Jason and Jace on the upper deck where they actually have windows to look out of while steering...

Jace out on the bow of the ship

Definitely my favorite stop on the ship. I love this ballroom decked out in it's Art Deco best. I can just imagine all of the ladies and gentlemen in their formal attire dancing the night away.

and main hall had some shops with great Art Deco design

Overall I think we all enjoyed the history and design that the Queen Mary had to offer. She really is a remarkable vessel....

After we left the ship we stopped at the Shoreline Village and looked around....

even rode the carousel!!

Jace with Lion's Lighthouse.


It was a long day in Long Beach but we all enjoyed it. As we headed back to Pomona we stopped for a tasty dinner at El Torito.

Just Some Stuff....

This kid......

you just never know what shenanigans he's going to pull....

 Lunch and CiCi's before some fun at the waterpark. Who would have guessed these 50 cent gumball machine mustaches would be the highlight.

 Maddy, Hannah and Lauren- you look so handsome

 Classic move by Jace, jumping in front of the camera at the last second...

Though I have to admit his expression is quite laughable!!

We all had a great day and lots of fun!

The End!!

4th of July Weekend

The fun started on Saturday the 2nd with our annual swim and BBQ at the Pisciotta's house. As usual it was a lot of fun! Lauren, Sadie and Megan impressed with their cliff jumping skills.....

Dayne dared Jace to eat a huge glob of nacho cheese sauce.....

so he did!

Chloe, Megan, Lauren, Erica and Jaime show off the latest swimming pool hairstyles-

This one is the "George Washington"

 and here we have "the zombie"

 after lots of swimming and good food we did some fireworks....

technically it was only the 2nd of July but we lit them off anyway!!

 Since we had so much fun on Saturday we decided to have a low key 4th of July. We BBQ'd, went swimming, then drove around the corner and watched the Aliante Station firework show. After that we did a few fireworks of our own.....

 Lauren and Jace let off some Roman Candles

Jace the pyro loved the growing worms.... he kept lighting them on fire..

 

 Everyone wrote their name on the street with the sparklers

THE END!!

On the Road Again....

                               .....just can"t wait to get on the road again... yes, a classic song by none other than the legendary Willie Nelson. Yet unbeknownst to many, it's the exact tune my parents, notably my mother, would sing every time our family headed out on a road trip. Now I have the pleasure of tormenting my kids with this same tune..... but I can't help it because we're On the road again... 

Manti Pageant Trip June 17-19, 2011

Our travels with take us north to the cabin and then up the 89 highway to Manti, Utah. We also have invited our friends, the Stewart's to join us on our adventure. We stopped along the way to view the Sevier River running by Big Rock Candy Mountain.

Erica, Jaime, Lauren, Megan, Jace and Dayne

Jason and Duff

Eventually we made it to our destination-Manti. I love this temple; the architecture, the way it sit upon the hill, and the small town that surrounds it.

We walked through the town, had dinner and came across this stone water fountain that never ceases to offer you a refreshing sip of water.

Lauren got herself a tasty scone..... which I hope was the best scone ever since it took 30 minutes in line to get!

Dayne and Jace got themselves a treat as well...

As dusk fell upon us, we ate our treats and waited for The Mormon Miracle Pageant to begin.

What a great production! To be there under the canopy of the stars watching this historical drama unfold before our eyes. Though the weather was cold and we were wrapped in blankets, I couldn't help but have a warm feeling inside. Though it was late when the play ended, we drove an hour and a half back to the cabin.

The next day we tried our hand at fishing and saw some sights

Dayne and Jace drove around the go-cart

and then we ditched the kids and went to the Garden House for dinner followed by a stroll around downtown Cedar City to a quaint little place called the Pastry Pub for some much deserved dessert.

Thanks Stewart's for joining us! We had a great weekend!!