California Love

So every year we look forward to our trip to California to go visit family, but this year we were extra excited because we knew we were going to Sea World.  The kids were excited, although, I don't think they could even imagine how much fun they were actually going to have.  It was awesome!

 After we got into the park we went to watch the killer whales in their tank.  We wanted to see their show first, everything else would come later.  We actually saw 2 Shamu shows.  One in the morning and one at night.  They were both good but the night one kicked butt!

 They couldn't believe how big they were.  National Geographic had nothing on this!

 Gracie was beside herself.  Poor thing probably had no idea what was really going on, and overall the was a trouper!

 Billy couldn't get enough of the "sharks"

 From the moment we stepped through the gate this boy was obsessed with us buying him a Shamu stuffed animal.  After a few hours Blake and I decided we did need to get each of the kids something as a memento.  We let them each pick a stuffed animal, which was such a relief to Brendon.  Even though by the time we decided to do this we were on the opposite side of the park from where they had the killer whale stuffed animals so he got his very last, he was sooooo worried we were going to forget.

 The dolphins were awesome.  Some people told us that the dolphin show wasn't very good, but it was!  Next to the Shamu shows the dolphin was the best.

 This is us waiting for the first Shamu show to start.  We wanted front row seats where we could get wet, and boy did we ever get wet.  Again, poor Gacie's just an innocent baby thrust along for the ride.  It kind of sucked because we had salt water drying on us the rest of the day.  I was ready for a shower by the end of the night.

 A really awesome picture I caught.

 Ben Ben totally ready for the day.

 Blake spun this thing so hard I think he broke it...literally.  We came back later that day and I swear it was the same tea cup thingy and it was out of order.  When I got in with him he made me pee my pants he was spinning that thing so fast.  It was awesome.  Ben is going to be a little dare devil like his Dad when it comes to things like roller coasters.

 Here's a picture of my two polar bears in their cave.  And it was freezing in there!

 First time I saw a real flamingo...have to say not as pink as I thought they'd be.  Seriously more of a salmon-y orange, I guess I should have expected that, but I didn't so I was a little disappointed.  Man do those garden flamingo's have things mixed up!  And if I remember right...they stank.

Well we also went to the beach while we were in California.  It was awesome.  Gracie loved it.  And I already knew that the boys would love it.  I was so proud of them playing in the sand and the water.  The beach was awesome!

 Isn't she adorable!

 Here's the big boys building a sand castle.  This is what going to the beach is really about, just ask Ben or Brendon.

 Billy Bob just wanted to play in the dry sand with a shovel and a pail.  Why am I not surprised?  Look at the stink eye in this picture! He had tons of fun.

 It took the kids a while but they finally got into the spirit of wave tag.  Sometimes the kids won and sometimes the waves one. 

Here's the boys enjoying some more sand time without their Dad.  Well  I didn't get any pictures of this but while we were at the beach we saw a few whales on their migration towards Alaska.  It was AWESOME!!!  You could just see them breaching in the water from the beach and luckily our Gadda Sue had her binoculars.  Blake and Jim walked the peer to see if they could get a better look and they said they did and they were huge.  All I could see was some idiot in like a rubber pontoon boat.  I couldn't help but think here pretty soon you're going to be a bath toy!