WE ALL ARRIVED AT DIFFERENT TIMES ON SATURDAY AFTERNOON. WE SPENT THE AFTERNOON AT THE HOTEL POOL AND THEN WENT TO DINNER, AND FINISHED OUT THE NIGHT SHOPPING AT A VERY NICE OUTLET MALL IN CARLSBAD.
ON SUNDAY, WE WENT TO THE SAN DIEGO TEMPLE IN LA JOLLA, IT IS A BEAUTIFUL TEMPLE AND HOLDS A SPECIAL PLACE IN OUR HEARTS BECAUSE WE WERE ABLE TO ATTEND THE DEDICATION THERE YEARS AGO. WE WALKED THE GROUNDS, TOOK SOME BEAUTIFUL PICTURES, AND ENJOYED THE SPIRIT. WE THEN DROVE ALONG THE BEACHES, ATE LUNCH AND THEN WENT BACK TO THE HOTEL TO GET READY FOR OUR AFTERNOON AT THE BEACH WITH MORE FAMILY.
WE WENT TO THE BEACH IN OCEANSIDE, WHERE WE MET UP WITH, GREAT-GRANDMA MARTIN, AUNT DEBBIE AND UNCLE FRITZ, COUSIN KRISTOFFER, HIS WIFE CHARITY AND HIS TWO LITTLE ONES, KALEB (4), AND ALICE-"ALI" (2), ALSO GREAT AUNT JOSIE & COUSIN "SISSY". THERE WAS NINETEEN OF US ALL TOGETHER. WE PLAYED IN THE SAND MAKING CASTLES, WE WENT SWIMMING AND BOOGIE BOARDING IN THE OCEAN, TOOK WALKS ALONG THE SHORELINE, SNAPPED SOME PICTURES, THE KIDS ALL PLAYED SO WELL TOGETHER. WE ROASTED SOME HOT DOGS, ATE, AND DID A LOT OF VISITING AND CATCHING UP. IT WAS SO NICE TO SEE AUNT JOSIE AND SISSY AND CATCH UP WITH THEM. WE ALL LEFT THE BEACH ABOUT 8:30 P.M. WHEN WE GOT BACK TO THE HOTEL AND GOT THE KIDS SETTLED IN, SOME OF US WENT DOWN TO THE HOTEL HOT TUB FOR A WHILE, EVEN THE POOL WAS NICE ENOUGH TO TAKE A QUICK DIP IN. WE MET SOME NICE PEOPLE VISITING HERE FROM CANADA, AND HAD A NICE VISIT WITH THEM. THIS WAS LIKE OLD TIMES, WE USED TO GO TO THE BEACH AND SPEND THE DAY AND EVENING THERE WITH FAMILY, WHEN WE LIVED IN CALIFORNIA.
THEN MONDAY MORNING WE WENT TO SEA WORLD, WERE WE MET UP WITH GREAT-GRANDPA & GREAT-GRANDMA VAN RIJ, AUNT JULIE, COUSINS BRYAN & ELISHA, AS WELL AS GREAT-GRANDMA MARTIN, AUNT DEBBIE, UNCLE FRITZ, COUSINS KRISTOFFER, CHARITY, KALEB & ALI, THIS TIME FOR A GRAND TOTAL OF TWENTY TWO OF US. IT WAS SO NICE TO SEE EVERYONE. IT WAS REALLY AWESOME TO SEE AUNT JULIE, BRYAN & ELISHA, AND GET TO CATCH UP WITH THEM. WE ARE SO GLAD YOU GUYS CAME. (SORRY IT WAS SO CRAZY AND WE DIDN'T GET TO SPEND MUCH TIME WITH YOU THOUGH) IT WAS SUCH A FANTASTIC AND FUN DAY. IT WAS A LONG DAY, MOST OF US WERE THERE FOR ABOUT FOURTEEN HOURS. THAT IS A LONG DAY FOR THE LITTLE ONES AND THE NOT SO LITTLE ONES. A GREAT TIME WAS HAD BY ALL. WE DID FIND HOWEVER THAT WITH THAT MANY OF US, AND SIX OF THEM UNDER EIGHT, THAT IT WAS IMPOSSIBLE TO ALL BE AT THE SAME PLACE AT THE SAME TIME, SO WE ALL FOR THE MOST PART HAD TO GO OUR OWN WAYS, AND JUST MEET UP ONCE IN AWHILE. WHICH MEANS WE MISSED OUT ON SOME GREAT FAMILY PHOTO OPPORTUNITIES. OH, WELL, WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO. WE WILL HAVE TO REMEMBER THAT AND TRY HARDER NEXT TIME, WE ALL GET TOGETHER. IT DOES MAKE US SAD THAT WE MISSED OUT ON THEM THOUGH. WE WANT TO THANK ALL THOSE WHO CAME, WE LOVED SEEING YOU, AND ENJOYED GETTING TO SEE YOU ALL, EVEN IF IT WAS ONLY BRIEFLY.
THEN TUESDAY, WE HAD BREAKFAST AND WENT DOWN TO THE BEACH AGAIN FOR ONE MORE TRY AT A "VAN RIJ" FAMILY PICTURE. WE HUNG OUT THERE FOR AWHILE TRYING TO AVOID THE "GOOD-BYES". FINALLY WE FOUGHT BACK TEARS AND SAID OUR GOOD-BYES AND HEADED OUT. IT IS ALWAYS SO HARD TO SAY GOOD-BYE, I CRY EVERY TIME. WE LOVE WHEN WE ARE ALL TOGETHER, WE LOVE SPENDING TIME WITH ALL OF OUR FAMILY, WE LOVE, LOVE, SPENDING TIME WITH THE GRANDKIDS. WE HAD SUCH A WONDERFUL, FUN AND ENJOYABLE TIME. IT COULD HAVE ONLY BEEN MORE PERFECT IF NICK WAS THERE, AND MY DAD WAS STILL WITH US, TO ENJOY THIS TIME TOGETHER. THIS REALLY WAS A WONDERFUL TRIP, WE LOVED BEING ABLE TO SEE SO MANY FAMILY MEMBERS. MAYBE NEXT TIME EVEN MORE OF US CAN GET TOGETHER.
SO EVERYONE START PLANNING FOR THE NEXT TRIP, THIS WAS SO MUCH FUN, WE CAN'T WAIT TO DO IT AGAIN.
WE POSTED A FEW PICTURES OF OUR TRIP. ENJOY! WE WILL TRY TO GET COPIES TO EVERYONE.
 |
 |
| Click to play Make your own Smilebox |
5 comments:
Looks like we are both on at the same time again!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE your pictures. They are great. I can't wait to get copies of them. This Scrapbook for this trip is going to be HUGE!!!!
I love looking at the pictures, they make me still feel like I am on vacation!.........wouldn't that be nice!?!?!?
YES!!!!!!!!!
I don't know if I'm just super emotional because I'm pregnant or what, but I started bawling looking at these pictures! You got some really good ones, I love them. I didn't get any of the van Rij clan, so I'm glad you did. You also got really cute ones of Kris & Charity and the kids which I also didn't get many of. I've got to get better about taking pictures. Good thing I have you and Heather to rely on. =)
MAYBE IT'S SOMETHING IN THE AIR, (UNLESS I'M PREGNANT TOO) BECAUSE I GET REALLY EMOTIONAL EVERYTIME I LOOK AT ALL THE PICTURES TOO. SO SAD THAT WE AREN'T ALL CLOSER, TO DO THIS WAY MORE OFTEN. I AM KICKING MY SELF FOR NOT GETTING MORE PICTURES OF ALL OF US. MISSED OPORTUNITY! I JUST GET SO EXCITED TO BE IN THE MOMENT I FORGET TO GET BEHIND THE LENS.
I love the slideshow. It almost made me feel as though I were there. Next time I will be and it will be a blast! I love and miss you and dad lots!
-Nick
Post a Comment