After our nice quiet Christmas at home we loaded the car to go to Lompoc to visit family and to attend Andrew's blessing. We started our trip traveling to Lompoc after Jon got off work on Friday, Dec. 26th. We arrived around 2am at Jon's parents house and we were wiped out, but I think we stayed up talking until almost 4!!
Saturday morning we headed north, past San Luis, to see Elephant Seals. It was an amazing sight and something I have never seen before (growing up on the coast and I had never experienced anything like this)! Every winter these elephant seals migrate to this one area on the beach near Hearst Castle. The are hundreds. They look sweet, but they can be vicious! The bigger ones just go up to another one and start hitting them with their head. They go back and forth and sometimes even draw blood! It was crazy!
I think this one was looking for a mate?
It was really cold and windy! Aubrey and I cuddled up together to try and keep warm!
Amazing animals!
We got there just in time to watch the beautiful sunset! I miss being close to the ocean!
Sunday, Dec. 28th, Jon and I celebrated our 9th Wedding Anniversary and also attend to the blessing of our nephew, Andrew. Since our Anniversary was on a Sunday we didn't go out and celebrate, but we took a trip down memory lane and drove down the main street in Lompoc and talked about some of the we use to do when we were dating!
Later that night we celebrated "Christmas Eve" and traditions with Jon's family. Before dinner we headed over to the Ball's house for a Surprise! I thought maybe Bro. Ball would be playing Santa, but it was even better than that, he was a pink bunny! Yes, a nearly 7' tall pink bunny! It was hard not to laugh, since he was so serious about the part he was playing! We had gone to the Balls to see the lighting of the Leg Lamp, like in the Christmas Story! I never knew they were so into that movie, but they really have quite a set up, including: the leg lamp, the beebe gun, a picture of Ralphie, a smaller leg lamp in their front entry, leg lamp and pink bunny sugar cookies, a leg lamp puzzle and little figurines of all the characters from the movie! It was fun and the kids had a good time trying to shoot Ralphie in the eye with a Nerf gun!
After we were done with the lighting of the lamp, we headed back to Jon's parents celebrate Christmas Eve. We celebrated the traditions that Jon use to do each year on Christmas Eve, many of which we do with our kids on Christmas Eve. Those traditions include: a big Christmas Eve dinner, poppers, reading the Christmas story from the Bible, telling the "Teach the Child" story, playing pass the parcel, opening ornaments and new pajamas. The kids enjoyed playing the games and listening to the stories of when Dad was a kid and celebrating Christmas Eve twice!
Bro. Ball in his pink bunny outfit that Sis. Ball made for him!
The famous leg lamp! That is the 44" version and Sis. Ball told us they sell a 54" that they may have to look at getting!
Monday we spent most of the day at the dentist office. We are so grateful that Uncle Jared was able to squeeze us into his busy day and clean our teeth! Madelyn and Jon were lucky and didn't have any cavities, but I had an old filling that needed to be fixed and poor Carson. Poor Carson had 5 cavities! Uncle Jared just cleaned Carson's teeth the first visit, then he went back on Tuesday and again on Wednesday to get the fillings taken care of! He was a trooper and didn't even cry when he had to get shots! He is so proud of his new "lucky" silver tooth!
Carson tried to play a little game boy while waiting for Uncle Jared, but he didn't have much luck with it!
Finishing up the fillings! Thanks Jon for taking him the first day and getting these pictures! And thanks Uncle Jared for being an awesome dentist and taking care of Carson for us!
Devan, Brad, Carson and Madelyn playing some Mario Kart!
Brad showing Carson how to play Guitar Hero on the Wii! Carson was still numb from his trip to the dentist earlier, hence the white gauze in his mouth (don't know the technical term) to keep him biting his tongue!
New Year's Day! Brad and Carson played as much Wii as they could between football games!
Aubrey and Natalie licking the spoons from Uncle Jason's Red Velvet Cake!
I think the biggest news occurred while Jon and I were in Solvang for our Anniversary, Alexa taught Madelyn to ride a two wheel bike! We had tried with no success at home, but Alexa did it! Thanks Alexa, your an awesome teacher!
It was interesting to watch Alexa hold onto the bike while Madelyn tried to balance, since Madelyn is bigger then Alexa!
New Year's Eve!
Brad taught Carson how to do the touchdown dance for when USC scores during the game!
On New Year's Day, Carson and Brad also decided they wanted to blow up the Santa on the roof at Jared and Annette's house. Not only did we find Brad and Carson on the roof, they also left the window open for Natalie and Aubrey to go out on the roof! They scared us to death!
On Friday we went to the Lompoc Aquatics Center and enjoyed the swimming pool, play structure and water slides! Brad and Aubrey getting each other wet with the water!
Carson tried out the snorkeling gear, but it didn't quite work since his nose is hanging out of the mask! Good try Carson!
Madelyn was scared to death and didn't want to go to the pool when Alexa told her about the dark slide! Obviously she changed her mind once we got there!
We had so much fun visiting Grandma, Grandpa, Aunts, Uncles and cousins! We had the best time and did so many fun activities, Jon said he could live in Lompoc again! (And he has always said you couldn't pay him to move back to Lompoc!) We probably won't ever live in Lompoc again, but it's always fun to go "Home"!
1 comment:
Alexa taught Madelyn to ride a bike? I guess that's what cousins are for, right! Sounds like you guys had a great trip.
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