Busch Gardens

We had so much fun with Grandma, Aunt Missy, and Justin at Busch Gardens. Justin and Missy had gone to Busch Gardens last week and Justin rode on a roller coaster called "Scorpion" all by himself. Zachary asked to ride on it yesterday. Justin didn't want to go on it again even though he loved it last week. So I rode it with Zachary. It is the biggest roller coaster Zach has ever been on. It has a 60 foot drop and it goes upside down in a loop. I don't think Zach knew what he was in for. He was pretty scared. I felt bad for him after we went down the first drop. He had his head down. When we were done, he said "That was scary and fun." I don't think he'll want to do that again for awhile. So we spent the rest of the day on more mild rides.

I have been to Busch Gardens many times in the past. But they have added a lot of new attractions. They have a new ride called "Rhino Rally." You ride on these jeeps and they take you through the mud and then through the water. You feel like you are going on a safari to see all the animals. That was a really cool ride. They also have a new section called Jungala that had water play and a lots of climbing nets and ropes for the kids. Nathan had his turn to be brave in the Tree tops section. He loved the section with climbing nets and ropes. Zach was a little nervous but Nathan loved it and climbed pretty high. It's funny how some things scare one kid but not another. Nathan didn't want anything to do with the roller coaster Zach went on, and Zach didn't want to climb on the nets.

It is fun going to a theme park with little kids. I don't have to go on all the big, scary roller coasters. That's all Eric and Erin want to do. I don't really care for them. They make me sick and I get so scared. So usually when our whole family goes, Mario rides with the big kids and I gladly take the twins on their rides. That isn't going to last much longer. Pretty soon Zach and Nate are going to want to go on all the big rides too!

Florida

Nathan, Zachary, and I have been in Florida for about 4 days now. The purpose of our trip was to see family and also to look for a house to buy for when Mario retires (which could be in as little as 10 years from the Air Force.) We had given up on retiring in Florida when the housing prices doubled after Hurricane Charlie and the housing boom. We figured prices would get as high as California. So, when prices began falling in Florida recently, we decided now might be the right time to buy. But after looking around and seeing that every other house was for sale here, and the with the prices dropping literally $20,000 each quarter, we decided maybe it hasn't reached the bottom of the market. So I guess we will wait. So now the boys and I can just enjoy our vacation.

With gas prices at $4.00 a gallon, the plane tickets are starting to get high. So summer travel was just too expensive to bring the whole family. Eric and Erin are still in school and they didn't want me to pull them out of school early to come to Florida. Mario is also in classes until mid June. So, that is why it is just me and the twins.

They love Florida. California beaches are too cold for them to swim. So they play in the sand but never get in the water. So they are enjoying the warm water in Florida.

Nathan and Zachary are having a great time with their cousins. It is fun to see them all play together. I was amazed to see how well Gabriella and Zachary got along. They are good buddies. Gabriella is very sweet to Zachary. The boys are also having so much fun with their cousin Justin who is the same age. Its what life would be like with triplets! And Gina, she is a just adorable. She and Justin are best buddies.

Well, the twins just woke up. How quickly they adjusted to California time! Today we are going to relax and then tomorrow we are off to Busch Gardens. Thank you Busch Gardens for the free military tickets! We love it!

Flying to Florida

Here are some pics of our flight to Florida. The boys were so excited about flying on an airplane. They have flown many times, but they don't remember many of the flights because they were under 18 months. Portable DVD players are the best invention ever for traveling with small children.

I will write more about our trip when I have some pics of the boys with their cousins. They are having so much fun with Justin, Gabriella, and Gina.

I am a Child of God

The boys came to me today and asked me to record them singing "I am a Child of God." So here are their videos with bedhead and ripped jeans. Is that still in style? I hope so since I have two active four year olds. I will be replacing a lot of jeans for these two.

Hopefully they will know all the lyrics and in the right order by time they have to sing it for the primary program. But I thought they were cute.

Grand Father Blues

This is an unauthorized (bootlegged) copy. Don't tell Eric you saw it. He is still working on this one, but I wanted to get a video of him practicing and share his progress.

Good Advice

I am grateful for the opportunity I had to meet an incredible mom in Illinois that was raising 8 children on her own. She had an wonderful family. The first 5 (three boys and two girls) have or are currently serving missions. The last 3 too young to serve yet but I have little doubt that they will when they are old enough. By watching how these 8 children and their mom interacted with one another, it was obvious that they were a very close family. I recall that when their 8 year old had to give a talk in primary, the whole family including the brothers and sisters in YM and YW came to watch and support. The mom and I became great friends as we worked out together often at the local YMCA. She recently emailed me back after I told her that I missed seeing her often and getting some parenting advice. I want to share with you her response to me.

"Terri, you don't need any advice to raise good kids. Just be the kind of parent that Heavenly Father is to you. When questions come, just do as He would do. In doubt, search the scriptures for answers. They are there. You will do well."

Also, her response to me sending my twins to kindergarten: "Cool about your twins going to school. You will miss them I am sure. But I have found that it doesn't matter much when they go to school, it is what the home is about that matters most. That is where they will come back to everyday. As you keep the spirit in the home, they will recognize it, and that will give them the strength to go out into the world once again."

Thanks Terry Smith! Those are things I need to hear. Thanks for the encouragement. It is nothing I haven't heard before, but the part that struck me was "be the kind of parent that Heavenly Father is to you." It really made me think that I am way to harsh with my kids. I am thankful that Heavenly Father isn't that harsh with me. I need to be more forgiving, loving, understanding, and patient. Unfortunately I have a long way to go with those qualities, but I am working on them. I guess that's all that Heavenly Father asks of us.

Heat Advisory

Can you believe Monterey was under a heat advisory today? I knew the weather would be warm but I was thinking in the 70's. After preschool today, we went for a picnic to the park. We had to find shade (which isn't typical, we are usually looking for the sun to keep us warm.)

So later in the day, I was complaining to a friend that is was so hot today. She laughed because I am always complaining its so cold. She said her van thermometer measured 88 degrees. I didn't believe it was that hot, Monterey doesn't get that warm. At least it hasn't since we got here. I quickly checked online and the current temperature was 91 degrees. No wonder we were all cranky and hot today. With no air conditioning (we were told that AC is not necessary in Monterey) we have been so sticky, hot, and feeling yucky. Eric didn't want to go to baseball practice. All the kids wanted to go to the beach (that's the thing to do when the temperature gets into the 70's here.) I told them to wait and we'd go tomorrow.

So, next time I complain that I am cold, I will have to check my blog and be reminded that I don't like the extreme heat either. How will I ever retire to Florida?