New Fad

The latest thing to do around the Nielson household is to wear girl shoes around and get undressed. Matt had the brilliant idea of teaching the boys how to take their clothes off all by themselves. Yes, that is a good thing sometimes, but other times it isn't. They just randomly take their pants off whenever they want now. They also love to get in the closet and get Kayla's shoes out and wear them around. It is quite humorous.

Collin, Aiden and the fashionable Brock

Beating the Winter Blues

I don't know about anyone else, but we are all so tired of winter. I am so glad that the snow is melting and that we are starting to see grass again. The girls are going outside and playing a little on their bikes and it is so nice to just have them go outside. The other day they were playing outside and the boys just stood at the door watching them. So, I put their coats, hats and gloves on and we went out and rode bikes for awhile. They loved it. I can hardly wait for Spring and Summer so they can go outside and play.

Aiden

Brock

Collin

The other day Kayla came home from school with a big owie. The picture doesn't do it justice.

She had slipped on a patch of ice on her way into school that morning. She said she didn't cry and she just got up and went in and told her teacher. They took care of her there and she did just fine. The only problem is that she is starting to pick the scab. I keep telling her that it is going to leave a huge, nasty scar if she picks it, but she doesn't seem to care.

Matt has been studying non-stop for his Comprehensive Final for his Masters. It is a 6 hour test on Wednesday and we are all keeping out fingers crossed that he passes. If he doesn't, he will have to study more and take it again. I don't know who is more anxious for him to be done. Him or me. If he passes, he will only have one more class that he will take in the first summer term and he will officially be done in July. I am so excited for him to have time to do projects and spend time with us. It will all be worth it in a couple of months. Keep your fingers crossed that he passes.

Last Day

Friday was our last day of vacation. We got all packed up and checked out of our condo. Then we drove back over to Old Town and walked around for a little bit. Then we hit the road and headed back to Long Beach to fly home. The kids had mixed feelings about coming home. Kayla was so ready to be home and Paige wasn't quite ready to leave. She loved every minute and she was by far the best of the two. Matt and I decided that Kayla wasn't quite at the perfect age for that long of a trip. Before we take the boys we are going to make sure they are at least 6 or 7.

My dad came and picked us up at the airport and we were welcomed home by snow. I sure didn't miss that lovely white stuff. I sure didn't miss the cold either. I could hardly wait to get back to Rexburg. My dad pulled in the driveway and I think I was out of the car before he even stopped. I was so anxious to see my little boys, that I couldn't wait. They were so cute when I came in. At first they just looked at me kind of funny for a minute and then they all ran over to me and couldn't stop saying Mom. They kept hugging me and they were so cute and excited to see their sisters and dad too. It was so fun and nice to get away and just spend time with Matt and the girls, but it was so good to come home. We had such a fun week.

San Diego Zoo

Thursday morning we headed out a little early and on our way to the Zoo we drove over to the San Diego Temple. It was right off the freeway and to me it looks kind of like a princess castle. It was really pretty. We walked around the grounds for a few minutes and got some pictures and then we headed for the zoo.

The zoo was really big. I guess I am just used to our dinky little zoo in Idaho Falls. We did alot of walking. Kayla started complaining about being tired even before we got to the zoo, so I decided to rent her a stroller for the day. What a wise decision. At lunch she was so tired. We got in line and I asked her what she wanted to eat. Next thing I know, she is out. She just needed a little power nap to make it through the rest of the day. We saw so many animals including 5 huge elephants, giraffes, a panda bear, lion, polar bears and flamingos. The kids really enjoyed the zoo and just how relaxing it was.

We didn't spend the whole day at the zoo, so when we were done, we drove over to Coronado Island. It was so pretty. We were able to spend some time at Coronado Beach. There weren't as many shells, so the girls most just played in the sand and water. They love the ocean. Although the ocean doesn't like Kayla. I noticed a rash on her hands and feet and I couldn't figure out what it was. I think it had something to do with the salt water. It was the only thing I could figure out. Poor Kayla had kind of a rough week. She got sick and was cold and tired most of the week. Then her face got really sunburned at Sea World and she had a lovely rash. I felt kind of bad for her. No wonder she was so excited to come home.

Sea World

Wednesday was so nice. We were able to sleep in and then head for Sea World. It was our favorite day of the whole trip. The kids loved seeing all the animals and the shows. We were able to see two Shamu shows, a dolphin show and a sea lion and otter show. They were all so good. We were able to see dolphins, polar bears, sharks, dolphins and lots a fish. We ate lunch by the sea turtles and the girls were able to pet star fish.

After Sea World, we headed over to Mission Beach. The girls loved it. They took their shoes off, rolled their pants up and got in the ocean. They collected lots of shells and Kayla got really wet, but they sure loved it.

After going back and relaxing at the condo for awhile, we headed over to Old Town. We went and visited the Mormon Battalion Museum. They have a tour with a movie and information about the Mormon Battalion and we all really enjoyed it. At the end the girls even got to pan for gold.

Disneyland - Day 3 & 4

Things didn't go exactly as I had planned them. Monday morning when we woke up, Kayla still wasn't feeling 100%. She still had a fever and the chills and was so tired. So Matt and Paige headed for California Adventure and Kayla and I stayed back at the hotel and waited for the meds to kick in. Around 11 a.m. she was feeling a lot better, so we ate lunch and headed over to meet Matt and Paige. We did alot of fun rides at California Adventure and we went to the Aladdin show. It was really good. California Screamin' was Paige, Matt and I's favorite ride and Kayla's favorite was Monster's Inc. We took a break around dinner time and went to the hotel to eat and take a swim and then we headed back for the Color of Wonder show. We didn't stay too long though, because Kayla was tired and cold.

Tuesday morning we were all able to head over for our last day at Disneyland. We hit a few of our favorite rides again and go some autographs and pictures of some princesses. We stayed until around 2 p.m. and then we headed for San Diego. We really enjoyed the drive down the coast and the kids loved seeing the ocean for the first time. We checked into our condo when we got to San Diego and then headed to the grocery store for food. The kids of course wanted to go swimming that night and then we went to bed early. It felt really nice.

Disneyland - Day 1 & 2

Friday we were able to fly out of Idaho Falls and head for California. The girls were so excited to fly. They never had, so it was pretty exciting. We had to wait an extra hour at the airport, because our plane was late getting in. So then we got to Long Beach later than we were supposed to and when we got here it was so rainy. It had been raining all day. So by the time we got our luggage and rental car, we were all soaking wet. Then we headed for our hotel. We then had to go buy some groceries and snacks for the week. By the time we got back to the hotel and all settled for the night, it was almost 11 p.m. our time. The girls were totally exhausted by that point and slept super well.

Saturday morning, yesterday, we got up and ready and headed over to Disneyland. The girls were so excited to be here. The weather had shaped up and wasn't raining, so we were really glad. We hit a bunch of rides and saw lots of princesses before lunch time and then we took a break and headed back to the hotel for lunch and a rest. When we headed back over to the park after lunch, the rain had started. From that point on we had rain the rest of the night. By the end of the day we were all really wet and cold and tired. Even with the rain it was still a fun day. Kayla's favorite ride was Gadget's Go Coaster in Mickey's Toon Town and Paige liked Indiana Jones. Matt is still waiting to get wowed by a ride and my all time favorite still remains Small World.

Today, we planned a leisure day and were going to hit the beach, but when we woke up, Kayla was sick. She woke up with the chills and then not to long later she threw up. Poor girl. There is nothing worse than to be sick in a hotel and not in your own home. She slept and after a while she ate a little and took some meds. Then she perked up and we went and sat in the hot tub. Then after lunch, we headed over to hit some of the shops at Downtown Disney and see the movie "Tangled." After the movie was over, she wasn't doing so well. She had the chills so bad she couldn't stop shaking. So Matt and I gave her piggy back rides all the way back to the hotel. She seems to be feeling a little better tonight, so I am crossing my fingers that she can rest well tonight and be ready to hit California Adventure tomorrow.

While in Downtown Disney, we went into a big Lego Store and we took some fun pictures.