Wednesday, October 27, 2010

lunch at Knotts

Every year when we go to Knottsberry we try not to eat there because it's kind of expensive. We have always either gone the whole day with just snacks in our purses/diaperbags/backpacks or we leave and eat at our hotel room (if we're close). This year we were not close at all so we decided to take pack some lunch stuff in the cars. As usual our (Dad's) choice of lunch was to pack sandwich stuff. All of our trips are 'sandwich' fixings so this was no surprise to any of us. However, this year we splurged and brought sub rolls. They get less squished. Well, we spent a good amount of time in the park and around 2 or 3 we left to go to our car to fix lunch. It was a good 10 minute walk (or more). As we start pulling out all the sandwich stuff, chips, granola bars, fruit, etc., and we can't find the rolls anywhere. Hmm. I remember putting them into the cooler, but they just weren't there. I can't say who, but someone confessed to taking them out of the cooler and leaving them on our hotel table, a 60 minute drive to the south. It just didn't seem right to him to have them in the cooler. Luckily, the little kids were very adaptable, just eating rolled up ham and cheese, but we adults complained just a little. We did have lettuce and we tried to do lettuce roll-up and we were so hungry that they were kinda good, but it just wasn't the same as a sandwich. Here is our 'lettuce-roll' assembly station.








Yum. The chips were delicious!






They had some chickens running around loose next to the parking lot and one of them had 'hippie' feather pants. Take a look!
My favorite part about lunch was this next photo. I guess it was really after lunchtime, but when we came back into the park and found the first restroom - NOT A SINGLE PERSON WAS IN THERE! ALL OF THE STALLS WERE EMPTY. I think this was a first in all our years going there!

A bummer thought after lunch was that I knew those rolls were still at the hotel and that would be our lunch options for the next few days. sigh........ no eating out.........

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

my 2 rides...


I forgot to add that I have started bike riding again. Just 2 times, but it counts. One morning I rode to Carolyns house and back. 7.99 miles. And this morning I had my usual neighborhood ride of 3 miles. I took my new camera (more about this tragedy in another blog) this morning, but couldn't find anything exciting to take a picture of. So here is a random picture.....
This is my second blog today, so be sure to go back one blog!

Where my brain has mostly been for the past 8 months...

I know this will be a lame post for many of you, but please take a look anyway.
Our stake, Mesa Arizona Kimball East Stake (MAKES, for short), sponsored a triathlon this last Saturday. It was hours and hours and hours in the making. Those of us on the beginning committee, 4, had to meet with the City of Mesa to have routes approved, a pool rented and park with ramada's secured. Believe it or not, we had to meet several times until we were both happy with what and where we could do this event with a small budget. We were NOT charging anyone to participate, but did offer for a small fee t-shirts if they wanted them. We were hoping support would come from each ward, but did worry a little. After months, it was finally here and we had over 500 people participate and also family supporters that came to this event!! We were first of all shocked, but of course quite happy with the turnout. I have heard straight from one of the stake presidencies mouth that this event will happen again next year! We will take what we learned from this year, both good and bad, and try to improve our triathlon. Please go to facebook and check out all of the pictures. There are several who have posted them, so just keep on scrolling down and click on them all. If you know anyone in the photo's - please feel free to tag. Our blog is simply called 'Health is a Habit". Enjoy. There is a cute picture of Doug and I so you'll have to look through a lot of pictures to find it!

Monday, October 25, 2010

Tuesday at Knott's on vacation

Monday was just kind of a chillin' day at the beach. We picked up Dad from the airport at what was supposed to be a 9am flight, but got delayed 2 1/2 hours in Phoenix because of the fog in San Diego. He could have driven here just as fast. Well, almost. I can't remember, but I think we just went to the beach and probably slept.
Tuesday:
Here's something unusual for me.....riding in the backseat. I actually felt a little carsick by the time we got to Knottsberry Farm. It was about an hour in the car. And I found out that reading (The Hunger Games, book 1) does not help with the carsickness.

Finally here and Carolyn and Celynda were sporting matching backpacks!
The first ride = the airplanes! We found Snoopy!
One of our all-time fav's - Snoopy's Mail Drop.
Griffin didn't get to sit by Lukas, so he was not a happy Camp Snoopy'er.
We even love watching the ride!!
Brookie was too little to ride. She's trying to put on a brave smiley face. Second time on the ride and Griffin got his wish! He's happy now!
Yeah, the whipping car ride!
The pumping log ride.....this is so crazy. It's only for little kids, but the little kids can't really do them by themselves, so the ride operator has to follow them around the track and practically push them the whole way! We have, in the past, strategically placed an older kid in the back to help push the little ones around, but it doesn't always work. Look at poor little Treyson trying to 'push & pull' his way around the track
Not much fun is it Brooklyn?
Snoopy's Bus Ride was a little more fun. Grandpa sure liked it! Another Grandpa favorite......Lucy's Tugboat ride. (Really there are kids there next to him). Oh, here they are......
A kids size roller coaster. I can't remember what this ride was, but they all seem to be loving it!
Even Shannon! Luke didn't want to get off.Wow, it looks like another of Grandpa's favorite rides. Big Rig Riders. A jumpy bounce house......
An all-time fav - Supreme Scream. It took us 3 years to talk Allan into trying this one. Even offering him $15 one year. Last year was his first time and now he can't get enough of it. This year was a big step for Allan, he finally rode the Xcellerator - (check out Knotts webpage to see this ride) on his own accord. Meaning he wasn't forced and crying.
One of our favorite (I'm serious this time....) family rides is the Log Ride. All kids of any ages can go on this one with their families. We could go on this over and over again. We love it.
Not only do you get a splash coming down the huge 'mountain' but you get an extra ending splash right here as you turn the corner! Waiting in line for another Log Ride! A heart found in the sidewalk of the Log Ride!
The kids were getting a little tired and hungry (even these guys) so we left the park for a lunch picnic. More on that next post.