I'm thankful for vacation

For Thanksgiving, we drove a few hours and spent a little time at the beach with lots of family.  We enjoyed a very simple Thanksgiving dinner (at least it was simple for me) in one of the two-room condos in which we were staying.  Forty people in one of these babies is tight, but lovely.  Don't get me wrong, the rooms were actually pretty big.  Our room had it's own indoor pool.

And the outdoor pool was out of this world.  Our kids could have spent an indefinite amount of time here.

MJ collecting sand dollars

Adelyn teasing the waves.  All the kids got completely in the water.  I never dreamed of putting them in their swimming suits because the air/water was so cold, but I should have, because soaked jeans are no fun.

The babes were a little wishy-washy about the whole sand thing.  Braden did find something very interesting though.  A belly button.

The biggest sandbox ever!  A Joey Paradise.

After the beach, we decided to introduce the UT Crocketts to the big city. It was a great Black Friday, even if we didn't buy anything.

We took the kids on the train "to the museum" (or actually we parked near the museum, took a round trip train ride and ended back near the museum where we sneakily walked past our car to the said location).

The kids by the train.  It was a good idea to bring strollers for 3 (even if it meant we didn't have room for sand toys).

Adelyn watching as we ride by obscure parts of San Diego.

Michael watching the map to make sure we got off on the "right" stop.  The "right" stop ended up being a nice little Mexican neighborhood where we stopped at Alex Tacos for lunch.

 The train took us to a children's museum. I couldn't figure it out. It appeared so much bigger, and cooler on the Internet than in real life. But then, oh, those pictures were just of their "future" museum. I was disappointed. The kids were not.

Adelyn in the Paint House.  You could paint any part of the wall, ceiling or floor.  Super awesome for this girl.



Michael's Dad wasn't the only Dad living the dream at the museum.  Any building type toys were hoarded by adult men.

The bubble tower.  Who doesn't want to be surrounded by bubble?

Other trips highlights:
**Seeing great-grandma Hamilton and spending time in her home.
**Sending the kids in grandma's car the entire round trip, and only fussing with babies (who travel extraordinarily well).
**Adult conversation the entire round trip.
**Staying in a hotel with a "puzzle bed" (rollaway, chair, bench, towels, all blended together to make sleeping room for three).
**Finding out that if you're not in Utah, five kids is considered a very big family, and they can't even seat you at their tiny IHOP.
**Eating donuts on a grassy patch and watching all the cars go by.
**Having one of the cars stop and ask if you need money or help because you look stranded.
**Shopping at Fresh & Easy.
**A night time walk along the Oceanside Pier with the greatest family in the world.

photo by: bustedboard.com