What could have been an extreamly picture heavy blog post about the amazing week we had in California won't be (or at least a lot less photos!) I forgot my extra battery in my DSLR and so I was running low on batteries and decided to iPhone it for the majority of the vacation. Well, when we got home, my iPhone got deleted! Luckily I had posted a collage or more everyday on Instagram. Those pictures in all their poor quality glory are all I have left of the majority of our vacation. So thankful we have those! And in reality, less is more...right?!?!
Sunday was Father's day. We went to church and then headed to La Jolla Caves for a relaxing day digging in the sand.
Monday we went to Old Town San Diego and loved it! Especially the Mormon Battalion site.
We then headed to Coronado island to hit the beach with my sisters and cousins!!
We spent the majority of the week with my sister Nicole and her family. It was really nice for the kids to have cousins around. Makes me wish we lived near cousins. I really had it good growing up just a couple hours away from cousins and feel really bad for my kids. At lease when we do get together with cousins, my brothers and sisters have produced some really awesome off-spring and we always have a good time!
Tuesday we headed to the USS Midway. I am sure that Josh would have loved to have spent all day there without the rest of us! We learned a lot--I got a little claustrophobic by the end though! I was not cut out for long term sea life.
We decided to take the PCH 1 home and enjoyed driving along the beautiful little towns.
That night we hit the beach near us and enjoyed watching the sun set. So much fun!
Wednesday was Legoland and boy did we have a ton of fun. I thought I had another collage, but can't seem to find it.
The thing about Legoland though is that it isn't open very long. Find discounts if you can--it was the only thing that made it worth the cost.
That night we headed to the beach again with my sister and her family
Thursday we woke up early and headed to Point Loma--here I brought my real camera and here comes the picture overload!
Point Loma was my homeschool dream come true. We went to the tide pools where we could actually see the sea creatures we had only studied in books. I only wished that we had brought our nature journals and could have made a day out of it. So neat!
She is so dang cute!
As much as I love the ocean, this was my happy place on the coast. It kinda made me homesick for my garden back home.
Cousins!!
So this bench made me laugh out loud! I thought that it must be SUPER expensive to live there. I was then informed that O.B. stands for Ocean Beach and she just happens to work in both places .
Friday I got to spend time with this dear friend of mine. Inga and I have been friends since my freshman year of college. We lived together off and on all of our single years. She watched my kids while we were at my brother's wedding and then we went swimming, and had dinner with her the following Friday. We were both pregnant and I loved chatting with her husband about gardening. I LOVE this woman!
Saturday we went to Mission Beach Harbor on our way home. It was so beautiful!
Such a great trip! Exactly what I needed before the third trimester of this pregnancy hit! Oh how I long for the days of that kind of endurance and comfortability (made up word!) (which wasn't much compared to normal!)
When I was on my mission, my companion told me I was
dramatic. I was offended. To me someone that is dramatic is always calling
attention to themselves and creating problems where there isn’t one. I hoped
dearly that I wasn’t like that—at least not all the time.
Then I had a sweet daughter of my own that is VERY dramatic.
It isn’t that she is always calling attention to herself and she isn’t
constantly creating problems where there isn’t one, she is expressing her
feelings in a very big way. She comes by it naturally, the women in my family
tend to have feelings and express them—sometimes loudly.
My maternal grandmother was this way. Grandma Anderson was
dramatic. Not in the negative connotations that the world now calls a “drama queen,”
but in the same way my little Amelia is dramatic. (Okay, sometimes Amelia is a
total drama queen!) She had feelings and she expressed them, and it was a great
quality for a grandma!
I remember coming to grandma’s house and you ALWAYS FELT
WANTED. Grandma loved, and she loved dramatically. She would greet you with
excitement, gushing and lots of hugs and kisses. There was no question, you
were loved and wanted and she couldn’t have thought of a better way to spend
her time than with her grandkids.
I loved watching Grandma interact with people that she
loved. I don’t think anyone ever wondered if Grandma loved them, they knew it.
She had a special ability to make people feel loved, talented, and accepted for
who they were.
I loved watching Grandma interact with people that she just
met. She was dramatic, yet sincere in the way she genuinely wanted to know more
about everyone. Being in Grandma’s presence was a treat.
Of course I do love all of the times she dramatically quoted
poetry. I love that my kids know “little fly upon the wall.” We tend to quote
it a lot this time of year—when we are seeing little flies upon our walls.
I love weddings! I think most people agree with me on this one. I also love funerals but most people don't agree with me on that one. Really it is jut that I love it when you get to gather with people that you love fiercely and don't get to see often. My amazingly handsome, smart, spiritual, awesome brother (okay that describes all four of them) had been single far too long. He finally found the girl of his dreams, waited patiently for her to feel the same way, and in June they were married for time and all eternity in the San Diego Temple.
Shortly before his wedding, I was reading his testimony that he had written for me when I turned 8 and got baptized. Here is an excerpt from it. "Tiffany, I know that Heavenly Father does hear and answer our prayers. He may not answer your prayers as soon as you would like,but he will if you have faith and if there is a purpose for him to answer your prayer. If Heavenly Father doesn't answer your prayer that doesn't mean that he doesn't hear it. Tiffany, Heavenly Father will always hear your prayers." (14-year-old Rustin Mangum) I thought reading it was very timely as it had seemed that Heavenly Father hadn't answered Rustin's prayers, and the prayers of our family concerning him finding a wife, for years.
When I met Emily, I knew that she was a woman worth waiting for. She is beautiful, smart, and kind. She can stand up to him and has the right amount of sass. I have never seen my brother whipped before, and it was such a good sight. I am so glad that he chose Emily to be part of our family!
low country boil
The night before the wedding, we had a Low country boil. It was really yummy! Josh and I have been craving a night to recreate this again!
My amazingly talented brother writes a poem for everyone when they get married. Rick really knocked it out of the part with this one!
Probably one of my favorite photos of all time!
The wedding day was full of excitement. We were all so excited to watch the sacred ordinance as Rustin and Emily committed to each other for time and all eternity.
My adorable family!
My sisters and cousins! I sure hit the jackpot growing up!
We loved the beautiful southern style reception. Great time was had by all!
Cute thank yous!
cutest parents in the world!
Isn't she beautiful?
There may be way too many pictures of Amelia but I thought she looked so cute!