Family Vacation

October 9-11, 2006, during Zach's Fall Break, we decided to go to San Diego to take the kids to Sea World, the beach and to see the San Diego Temple. This was our first vacation we have taken as a family that did not involve some sort of family event. (wedding, baby blessing, baptism, etc) This was the first time we have been able to afford such a vacation! We had a blast! We got up early on Oct 9th and got to the park right as they were opening the gates. We were glad that we had 2 days to see the park because we didn't get to it all in one day. The first thing we did was pet the dolphins (I have ALWAYS loved them). One of the dolphins noticed that we had not bought any fish, but we still expected to pet him, so he swam past and splashed us! Zach and I were soaked. I could not believe how smart he was when we went back later, WITH FISH for him, he teased us like he was going to splash us again! We also got to pet the sting rays, David was the only one willing to feed them. You have to stick your arm down and let them suck the fish out of your fingers. We also got to touch sea stars and see so many amazing fish! We had a great picnic lunch with Shamu, with reserved (dry) seats and yummy food. After the park closed for the night, I sprained my ankle, so the next day, I got to play around in a motorized wheelchair while David pulled the kids in the wagon. We went on the behind the scenes tour and got to see the training area for the dolphins, as well as all the babies at the park. My friendly dolphin from the day before was there and I swear he remembered me! We also went behind the scenes in the Shark Tank and got to pet Bamboo Sharks. They were about 18 inches long and LOVED to be touched! They act like cats winding between your legs, only of course, they swim around your hands! David fell in love and if we could find them here in Arizona, I'm sure he would figure out how to keep them as pets! We later saw the dolphin show. David and the boys sat in the "Splash Zone" while I sat in the handicapped section alone. Cannon fell asleep, UNTIL the show started then he was SOAKED! You could hardly get a breath in between splashes from the dolphins! We then saw the polar bears and penguins and froze! Zach went on his first roller coaster ride. He like it at first, but when we went in for a surprise splash and very fast sideways turn, he didn't like the feeling of not knowing if he would stay on the coaster or not. But he is still proud that he tried it! Our last day of our vacation was spent driving up the coast to La Jolla Cove and playing on the beach. We thought the water was a bit cold (colder than the Atlantic in February) so we mainly just played in the sand. A surfer told us they saw a Tiger Shark and to be careful. (which made Zach panic a bit) After a while, we drove around to find the San Diego Temple before driving home. We had a great time! Cannon is still loving ocean life. He confiscated the Shamu stuffed animal that Zach bought. Luckily for Cannon, Zach is a great brother and doesn't mind sharing. Zach just had Spring Break and asked if we were going again since he didn't have school!