Say CHEESE!

Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Hilmar Cheese Factory

One day while we were there at Nona's house, we drove out to the Hilmar Cheese Factory.  We learned about dairy farms and how they take care of the cows on a dairy, and how they make cheese.  Hilmar Cheese Factory makes A LOT of cheese, (I forget what percentage in the country that they told me) but they sell it to cheese companies who use their own labels to package the cheese, so you have probably eaten cheese that was made at Hilmar Cheese Factory, just 20 minutes from where I grew up. Anyway, pretty interesting stuff.  

We learned that milk cows drink about 150 gallons of water a day to support their milk production.  And milk is 85-90% water, and the rest is what they make cheese out of.  The factory has a big waterfall on the grounds that uses 90% water from milk.  I didn't get a picture of it, unfortunately, but it was pretty cool.  

Dressing up as milk processing technicians.

Buttercup, the cow, and us saying, 

"CHEEEESE" at a Cheese Factory.  

(couldn't resist.)

This is the size of bottle that they feed the baby cows on a dairy.

A little too big for our babies!

Enjoying some delicious ice cream after the tour.

Thanks, Nona!

Nona's House

July 8-13, 2013

Nona & Papa's House

Arthur was attending a conference up in San Francisco for the week of July 8-12, so we drove north from Natalie and Brian's and dropped him off in at his hotel.  Instead of waking up early to beat the traffic, we went to church with Natalie and Brian and then drove up.  

Well the traffic was horrible even when we were far past LA, and all together added 3 hours to our drive so we didn't arrive in SF until 10:30 at night.  We had hoped that I wouldn't have to make the drive from SF to my parents house in the dark, because I am a VERY bad long distance driver especially at night.  I just fall asleep so easily in the car.  But I feel like Heavenly Father really blessed us because I was completely alert for the entire drive, and driving at that time of night, the traffic was pretty minimal.  (Traffic really gives me anxiety!)  So we were blessed.

We got to my parents' house just a few minutes after they had gotten home from a trip up to Washington State.  Everyone was awake and excited because my brother had received his mission call while they were out of town, so we came in and got to hear the exciting news that he will be serving in the Uruguay, Montevideo Mission!  I am so proud of Emma and Jacob for choosing to serve, and love that they get to prepare for their missions together.

The kids spent the week there at my parents house.  They loved playing with legos, and swimming at the Brook's pool everyday, going to the park, playing games and collecting eggs from the chicken coop!  I got to sneak away for a couple of the days to be with Arthur in SF, which was really fun also. Thanks for watching our crew, Mom, Emma and Reed!!!  You guys are the best!

My brothers have the coolest legos.  My boys could play with these for HOURS!

"This one is brown"

EGGS!

the park

Old Town San Diego

Saturday, July 6, 2013

Old Town San Diego

Saturday morning, the husbands went golfing.  So Natalie and I decided to go have an adventure of our own.  With all the 7 kids.  The kids were not super excited about going to Old Town.  I was excited, though, because I love learning about historic stuff.  And I read about a lot of fun things to do there.  There are museums, and a mission, and an original Wells Fargo Wagon, lots of historic buildings, and EVEN a haunted house.

So I had to give them a pep talk about how the world is not here to entertain you.  And it's fun/good to learn new things!  I finally got them excited to go by suggesting we do a photo scavenger hunt and when we got all the pictures on our list, then we'd go get some ice cream.

We drove down and by some miracle found two parking spots at the Mormon Battalion Visitor's Center, just as we were arriving.  So that was our first stop.  We spent about an hour there and it was a great little visitor's center with a fun way of presenting the history of the Mormon Battalion and some cute activities for the kids afterwards.  When we were finished there, the kids wanted to go see the Whaley House, which is reportedly the most Haunted House in America.  Unfortunately, we needed to move our car when we left the visitor's center since it's very small and they need room for new people to come in and visit.   And there was no parking to be had anywhere else. Meanwhile the kids were getting cranky.  So we decided to get some lunch.  

That was kind of funny.  And embarrassing.  When I get hungry, I'll admit, I get a little irritable.  But when little kids get hungry, they get irritable, irrational, mean and LOUD.  

We gave our name at the hostess desk, and she told us it would be a 30 minute wait.  Me and Natalie looked at each other, and then, realizing that if we went somewhere else, it would probably be just as long, decided to brave the wait.  So we took them all to the bathroom while waiting, and when that was done, they started fighting and yelling at each other and getting really annoyed at any little thing that happened.  There were tears and pushing and whining and crying, and thank goodness, after about 10 minutes of that, the restaurant workers had some compassion on us, and made us up a little table area that was a good space away from any other customers.  I wanted to kiss whoever had that idea.

After the food arrived, things weren't so terrible, but while we were waiting, I wondered why I even bother to go out in public sometimes.  Once we ate lunch, we decided we'd had enough adventure and called it a day.  So we didn't get to see any of the other museums or the Haunted House, (much to Daphne and Kyrie's disappointment.)

But it was a fun afternoon and turned out to be rather entertaining after all.  (If not for us, then for anyone who was watching us . . .)  Here are the pictures from our scavenger hunt, and bonus pictures too.  We didn't get everything on our list, but I think we made a valiant effort.

Something purple

a fountain

A cannon.  

Not on our original list, but we added it. when we saw it.

I don't think this was on our list either . . .

In front of the Mormon Battalion Visitor's Center

Pumping Water

 

Panning for Gold

Something sparkly

A Mormon who wasn't in our family 

AND Someone dressed in olden day clothes

(2 for 1!)

Washing Clothes

(bonus item)

something cute

(also a bonus.  :)

a wagon

(not the Wells Fargo Wagon, but we'll count it.)

Something Orange

(a wall at Casa Guadalajara where we ate lunch)  

You can see Kyrie is already feeling a little irritated 

food finally!  

After I took this picture of Hayden, Sydney said, "Now my turn!"  and posed for this picture:

after which she started combing her hair with the chip and saying, "I Ariel, Mom."

And this is me after we'd just been seated and were waiting with our cranky kids for some food.

See?  I, too, get irritated when I'm hungry.

It was worth the wait, though.  My fajitas were SOOO yummy!

Camp Pendleton Beach

July 5, 2013
Beach at Camp Pendleton

We spent a fun afternoon at Camp Pendleton Beach.  The weather was perfect.  Sunny and warm and the kids had a blast playing in the sand and water and boogie boarding.

Some fun pictures of our afternoon at the beach. 

They just make me happy.

Boogie Boards!

4th of July with the Evans!

July 4, 2013

Evan's Home, Vista, CA

We spent 4th of July this year with my sister Natalie and her family.  They rented a fun bouncy house that all the kids in the cul-de-sac came over and played in, and the neighbors all pulled their grills out to the middle of the street and grilled together.  I loved it!  Everyone shared their meat and sides and the kids had a great time playing and doing a little bike parade.  Our kids didn't have bikes, so they walked or borrowed scooters from some of the neighbors.  Once it got dark, we walked to a little hill where we could watch the city's fireworks show.  Sydney covered her ears the whole time, and alternated between saying, "fireworks scary!"  and "fireworks sparkly!"   It was a super fun day, and Sydney, who was riding piggy-back on me fell asleep on the way back to Aunt Natalie's house.

All lined up for the bouncy house as it was inflating.  not excited at all!

Handsome boys

Cute cousins, Daphne & Kyrie

Bike parade

Kind of funny story about the bike parade.  Hayden was super excited about the bike parade.  He kept asking when it was starting and where were all the people?  I said, "This is the first ever bike parade that this neighborhood has done, so you guys and the neighbor kids are all the people in it!  Aren't you excited to be in this neighborhood's very first bike parade?"  And he was.  In fact he even led the parade.  Sean, however, was a different story.  He had such a rotten attitude, and dragged his feet the whole parade.  Here he is right before the parade, in all his exuberance: 

  

I love my country.  I am so grateful for the inspired democracy that was put in place by our founding fathers, and for the freedoms that we enjoy here in this land.  And I am thankful for the brave men and women who have given their lives to secure those freedoms for me and my children.  May this country ever safeguard the freedom and ideals our nation was founded upon!

Happy Independence Day!