Day 3 of Spring Break: Knott's Berry Farm

Another beautiful, cloudless, sunny day in Southern California. We went to the Knott's Berry Farm on Friday morning. We decided that we liked it a lot more than Disneyland. No people, no lines.


We took Merrick and Fischer with us to have some fun with us.


First stop was to get the caricature done of the boys.

Roller coaster #1. Rod's on top with arms flailing.

The kids are on the top, too. Separate ride.

Roller coaster # 2, or "this ride shoots you up so high that you crap your pants, and then you swallow your stomach coming down" ride.

Roller coaster # 3, Silver Bullet. Rod and the kids got the front row every time. They rode this ride probably 5 times. Do you wonder who took all these roller coaster pictures? I didn't ride one single ride all day. I just don't like to barf on other people, but that's just me.

Alex's face says it all.

Beautiful Merrick, 12

Handsome Fischer, 10

When we got home back to Temecula, we heard that Jenn would be running one of her legs in nearby Murrietta. So Kristian, Rod and me left to go see her and cheer her on.

Jenn coming to one of her exchanges. She looks so happy.

Hug from the hubby.

Jenn's smile says it all. So happy.

Day 2 of Spring Break: San Diego Zoo

Beautiful sunny day in San Diego on Thursday. Spring break couldn't get better than this.


We took Cami (5) with us to the zoo.


Alex and Carsen are ready to go on the skytram.

Rod and me on the sky tram.

Beautiful Cami

Let's pause for a minute for some Llama Love.

Alex, Cami and Carsen are fearless on the cement tiger.

Cami is hanging off the elephant's tusks.

Sniffing the elephant's butt

Oh look, Rod's on the cell phone.

Sniffing the real elephants this time.

Whack a Mole? Wish I could. Didn't bring my mallet with me. Darn it!

The sweet Panda bear. I think he/she was little disturbed because he was walking the same route over and over again.

Cami and in the background is a hippo's butt.

Horebra, or that's what Carsen called this animal. It had zebra legs and otherwise looked like a horse. Sign said "Okapi"

Cami and a yellow Python. Luckily they had a glass separating each other.

Why are the Pink Flamingos pink? Because they eat shrimp. Didn't know that, did you?

After walking the zoo grounds, we decided to hop on the 35-minute bus ride that went around the zoo. Rod is helping Cami to see what's on that side of the bus.

Thanks Cami for going with us. It was so much fun to have you.

Thursday night Kristian, Jenn and us went to dinner at Filippe's in Temecula. Pizza never tasted so good.

Jenn had to carbo load because she was going to run in the Ragnar race with her 12 person team. That's 200 miles from Huntington Beach to Coronado in about 36 hours. Good luck Jenn.

Day 1 of Spring Break: 20 minutes into the Vacation..

BAM! A pheasant hits our car grill. The death was instant, followed by flying of feathers. We pulled over and noticed that she had also destroyed our grill by jamming her plump body into the silver slats.

Luckily Rod always carries paper towels in his pockets so while he was gagging and trying to pull the body out of the grill, I took pictures and helped him separate the slats so he could pull her out.

We did not try to administer CPR. She was DOA.

Funny story about pheasants, though. When Alex was a wee-little child, Rod took him pheasant hunting to central Utah with our friend Jayson (yes, the same Jayson who slammed into Rod about a month ago on the ski slopes). Alex was so excited and announced to everyone that he was going peasant hunting (talonpoika suomeksi). We have laughed about that ever since. Even now when the pheasant hit us, we told Alex that a peasant hit us. We got a good laugh.

Our trip continued to Las Vegas.

First stop was at the Venetian Hotel and the Bouchon Bakery to buy French Macarons and chocolate croissants. Just a little appetizer before going to eat chicken wings a mile down the road.

84 chicken wings ordered between 3 people at Buffalo Wild Wings. I ate 4, Alex ate 34, Rod ate 25, Carsen ate 19, and the rest were left to the kitchen staff.

Carsen doing a good job with the wings.

Good thing Rod was covered in paper napkins because the sauce was flying everywhere.

19 carcasses are left with various spice/heat combinations.

Alex is the chicken wing eating champion.

Rod ate a few, too.

Next stop, Temecula and the Peterson's house.

Rodney Day

Was successful.

Bright Light

You know the bright orange light that comes on in your dashboard when the gas level is extremely low? When you see that light come on, what do you do? Do you head to the nearest gas station? Oh you do?

Not my husband.

Conference Sunday Brunch

Every General Conference Sunday we have a brunch with the Williams at their house. This last Conference Sunday was no different. I started baking on Saturday night and continued cooking on Sunday at 7:30am (while the men slept) to be done at 11:48...I know, I was shooting for 11:45 but I was 3 minutes late. I promise, next year I will be right on time.

We hauled the food to the Williams and ate and ate and ate and then watched (men slept) the afternoon session.

Rod and Alex are cozy on the floor, fully fed and ready to sleep.

The Sofa gang: Heather, Steve and Katie.

Rod is snoring up the storm.

Steve was fully snoring a few seconds before I took the picture. I don't think he usually smiles when he sleeps.

Jacoby also asleep on the couch while Heather is amused by it all.

Carsen and Alex wouldn't stop fighting so I had to go in between them and referee the situation.

Thanks Steve and Katie for hosting and cooking. It was a great party.