Surprise!

When Jared and I booked our vacation, we planned on going to Sea World and San Diego also. We just didn't tell our kids this part. Lizzie was quite mad at us that we could be so close to Sea World but not go. She would rather visit Sea World than Disneyland. I wanted there to be some element of surprise to our vacation. After we checked out of our hotel in Anaheim, we told the kids that we would go to the beach, but would have to drive a ways. We passed the San Diego temple and pointed it out to the kids.....they were still CLUELESS! We pulled into a hotel and said that we might as well stay in San Diego for a few days instead of going home right away. Then we told them we would go to Sea World. There was a little shrieking, but not the excitement I was expecting. Oh well.

We started off San Diego by going to the beach. The kids and Jared had a blast! They were all mad at me because I didn't want to get in the water....hmmmmm.....52 degree water and 70 degree air temp. Not my idea of fun. I enjoyed myself watching them play and taking pictures. They drug seaweed, searched for shells, buried each other, got in a mud fight, and swam. Jared loves walking out and jumping the waves. Tyler and Lizzie love to bury their feet and then let the waves come bury them more.

Sea World was so much more relaxing than Disneyland the kids all said. They enjoyed watching the shows and getting splashed. Their favorites are the tide pools and feeding the sting rays. They probably would have been content if this is all we did at Sea World. They love to stick their hands in the cold water to pick up the sea stars. I think that Ainsley held every one that was within her reach. She kept getting so concerned at the upside down sea stars. She made Emily reach in to turn several over that Ains couldn't reach. They counted several lobsters in the tide pools also.

At the rays, I thought Ainsley would be too scared to reach her hand in. She loved it though! Jared loves to feed the animals at Sea World, I think more than the kids do. At one point he spilled fish juice on himself. We couldn't figure out why the fish smell was following us. Jared had to go spot wash his shirt in the the bathroom. YUCK!!!!!!

One of the Sea World highlights was Ainsley spotting a baby bunny. The kids all sat and watched it forever. The picture of the kids looking for it under a wall cracks me up.

I promise I am done writing about our trip! It was definitely a dream come true for me!