Zoo Safari Park

While in San Diego, we decided to visit the Zoo Safari Park or "The wild animal park" as I know it. Randy was in Colorado on business during this part of the vacation, so I had the kids by myself, but had the help of my parents and little brother. Here are pictures of the boys with their maps as we headed out to see what there was to see.

If you like birds, the Zoo safari park is for you...They aren't my favorite though.

Feeding the ducks

Tyler's hand compared to a gorilla's hand

We were surprised to find that "Uncle Ben's" hand is roughly the same size as a gorilla's.

Jakey's hand.

Uncle Ben almost had the arm span of a gorilla, though he beat the gorilla in height by quite a bit. he isn't standing up straight in the picture.

Ty

JakeWe walked A LOT! It was about 90 degrees that day and we were so hot and tired through most of the visit.

My Dad and my sister Ali on the tram ride.

My mom, Jake, Me, Lily and my brother Ben. --Lily had a pretty high fever at this point of our day, so she wasn't too keen on taking the photo. I wasn't too keen on holding a super hot child in 90 degree weather either...but we do what we must.

Jake and papa looking at the giraffes.

I love this picture. I don't know what Papa is saying, but it looks important.

We saw some elephants receive their morning treat. They had quite a few baby elephants.

The boys spent a lot of time on Papa and uncle Ben's shoulders. It was hard for them to do all the walking required.Grandma and Jake

I asked the kids to pose for a picture by the elephants. When I went to take the picture, I told Jake "Get your arm out of your face!" He said "Uh, Mom! I'm an elephant." So....here are my two little elephants. --You can tell the ibuprofen worked on Lily's fever by this time.

Me and some crazy kids. --Lily's fever had come back.

While I can't say I had a great time at the Zoo Safari park, and I would not recommend it to anyone with small kids, or tell you don't go on a hot day and wear good shoes because you will be walking for miles and sometimes walk for a long time with complaining whining kids to see some tigers and then finally get to the tigers only to find that they aren't visible, and then Lily's fever comes back and all you want to do is go home, but you have only been there for 3 hours and you paid over a hundred bucks to get in so you want to get your money's worth, I will say this: It isn't worth your time, but the petting zoo made the trip worth while.

It was a simple petting zoo. It had different kinds of deer and that's all

But I found out that Jake liked the deer a lot.

The deer liked him back and gave him a little kiss.

She not only "kissed" him, but decided that his salty sweaty skin tasted fantastic. She licked him all over
.

Jake created quite the scene as he giggled while deer licked his neck and hair. He had a whole group of people surrounding him laughing and recording him on their own video cameras.

Then, without warning, another deer decided to join in on all the fun.

The boys loved the carousel too.
Jake sure is a ham for the camera.

Beach Days

Whitney, Ben, Tyler, me, Jacob, Ben, and Alonzo.
Jake on uncle Ben's shoulders

Tyler, Randy and my dad.

Randy teaching Tyler how to boogie board.

Ty on uncle Ben's shoulders

Caught by a big wave

you can see how high the wave hit him.

The boys sure love uncle Ben

The boys and I made sand animals. That's my super awesome sand turtle before he was destroyed by Alonzo.

Jake and Alonzo and Uncle 'cowboy' Ben

Alonzo, Jacob and Tyler

Jake

Lily the beach beauty

Lily and Jake

Big brother Tyler helping his sister "swim in the ocean"

Lily trying her hand at boogie boarding

When we first sat down at the beach, lily grabbed a handful of sand and threw it in my face and said "Got you Mom!." She thought it was so funny. Apparently, she also enjoyed dumping sand on top of her own head.

Tyler playing in the ocean.

Jacob loved the beach but not the water so much.

Tyler digging a hole to bury his brother.

My failed attempt at a cool picture. Tyler picking up his brother's head.

He got up before I could try another shot.

While the kids and I were playing on the beach, Randy was boogie boarding by himself. I would find him every now and again and I would wave to him. He decided to catch some waves further along the shore line. I looked up and saw him and all of a sudden a lifeguard runs right past me toward Randy.So I said to the kids "Is that lifeguard going to save daddy?....Yeah, I think he is going to save daddy!" So, seeing as I really couldn't do anything other than sit there and watch, I pulled out the camera, took a photo and then took a video of "the big save." Here is the photo I took. If you click on it, you can see the lifeguard on the left and a small spot that is Randy on the right.
According to Randy, he was swimming along trying to get to some better waves and he was swimming but wasn't actually going anywhere. He started swimming harder toward the shore when the lifeguard saw him and swam out to help him, but by the time he got there, Randy had already swam out of the rip-tide. So the lifeguard told Randy that there was a rip tide right there and that it would be there for the next couple of days. So, the video is anticlimactic, but here it is.

Mormon Battalion

On The Sunday we were in San Diego, our little family did not end up going to church because of tender stomachs and worry that we might pass along this horrible bug to unsuspecting churchgoers. But by mid-day we were feeling slightly better and went to the Mormon Battalion Historic site in old town San Diego. They have a fun interactive visitors center there. Randy and Jake listening intently

Papa with the rifle

Tyler holding the heavy rifle.

Randy and lily panning for gold

Tyler and Jake panning for goldJake and lily trying their hands at brick making

Jake

the boys love anything that could possibly do a lot of damage.

Our pioneer family...well, some of us anyway

A photo of all of us.

June Vacation

We headed to San Diego on our 9th wedding anniversary (June 7th). Our family went along with my sister Ali and her family, my parents, and my 'little' brother Ben. We stayed in a beach house for a week and did all kinds of fun stuff. My favorite was going to Sea world. Here are photos of some of our Sea world experience. --It seems I only remembered to take my camera every other day, luckily Ali helped me take pictures on the days I forgot. I guess I will update the other pics when she gets them to me.

These are pictures from our second round at sea world.

Jake and sea lionUnwilling photo participant

Randy and Tyler waiting for the Dolphin show to start.

Dolphin....can't remember it's name. :)

By brother Ben, my dad, Jacob and Lily

I have to add a side story in here. When I took this picture I was feeling so so sick. Jacob had been sick two days before this and Tyler had thrown up the night before and wasn't feeling so swell either and we went home soon after for some naps and for me to lose my lunch in the condo bathroom.

We later returned (feeling slightly better?) for the night shows and to buy souvenirs for the kiddos.

The Shamu Rocks show at night

Jake showing us his C shaped dorsal fin before the show started. Ty finally got to sit in the "soak Zone." He had been wanting to sit there for each show, but his dream of getting soaked still didn't come true that night. I almost poured my water bottle on his head as the whale came around splashing, but I didn't get a very good opportunity to do so.Tyler and the infamous 'giant' octopus...I have to say for me, it was a bit disappointing.

Jake outside the aquarium.

After a long night, we were headed out of the park and they announced over the PA system that the fireworks would start in 1/2 an hour. When Tyler heard that he said we "have to stay to watch them!" So, even though I was feeling sick to my stomach and Randy too at that point, we plopped down on a piece of grass and waited. We watched the fireworks and waved our goodbyes to Sea world. We made it to the car, but when we got there, Randy decided he had to leave his dinner in the parking lot and threw up before we left.
Yes, pretty much everyone in the condo got whatever this stomach bug was. Ben Marchant seemed to do the best, but we all felt horrible for at least part of our trip. The babies: Lily, Alonzo and Whitney interestingly enough had fevers instead of vomiting. I have to say, as a mom, I appreciated Lily helping me out with a fever as her only symptom.

See you!

We're off to Las Vegas today and then San Diego tomorrow for a whole week. Then off to Arizona and back home. I'll catch up when we get back!
XOXO
-Heather

PS for those who didn't notice, answer the question on my poll to the right of this post...I'm curious what you all think.