A Family Affair

And just like that... the holidays are over.  The presents are unwrapped, the tree has been taken down, and we're already into the new year.  But lets take a moment to reflect on the fulfilling time we had while Scott's family was visiting during the last week of 2010.

Christmas morning went by in a flash... not a single picture was taken of the kids opening their gifts... but I'll have you know that Santa did not disappoint.  Maria received SIX princess Barbies!  Six!!  She was truly in princess heaven, still is for that matter.  Santa also delivered a much needed mini vacuum cleaner for mom and a flat screen t.v. and DVD player for the family.  We all must have been very good this year.

Scott picked up Gramma Sarah late Christmas morning so she could join us in the Christmas feast that the campground was holding that evening.  Once again, they held a satisfying meal with all the trimmings.

On Monday after his sister Jenny and her family arrived, we ventured to the coast.  San Fransisco once again.  We took advantage of the sunny afternoon and tried to get as much sightseeing in as possible.  First stop... the Golden Gate Bridge.

Other than Gramma, they had never been, so showing them around was exciting since we had already been there.  We ate at the wharf and walked to get our tickets for the next days trip to Alcatraz... unfortunately they were sold out until Friday.  I guess we'll be making yet another trip to the bay area, making a point to purchase tickets in advance.

The next day was overcast and rainy, however that didn't stop us. We cruised the city and took them to Twin Peaks where we were able to see the entire city.  Seeing it in the daylight reminded me of a pack of sardines... all crammed in.

We got on the F train and cruised to Chinatown where we ate and bought ourselves some umbrellas.  The rain was starting to get to some of us and getting back to the hotel where it was dry was beginning to sound like a great idea.  The kids went swimming while the grown ups enjoyed happy hour.

On Wednesday we headed further south to Monterey Bay where we spent the afternoon at the aquarium.

Beautiful exhibits and LOTS of people, but we all had a wonderful time.

The jelly fish exhibits were some of the best.  The bright blue backgrounds really made these remarkable creatures stand out. The 'head' on the this one was about the size of a basketball if not bigger.

The kids had a fun time exploring the tide pools and getting their clothes... er, hands wet. :)  The aquarium is also where we saw the double rainbow that I had posted here on new years day.  Seeing that made my day!

We stayed in another hotel that night and headed towards the beach the next morning with a few stops along the way.

We were all determined to find something special in those tide pools... and we succeeded.

Scott found us a star fish, several anemone, and several hundred hermit crabs.  There was washed up kelp, shells, jelly fish, and not to mention the gorgeous view.  

I could've sat and watched the waves roll in all day if it wasn't so cold and windy.

All in all, it was a pretty amazing trip with only a few bumps along the way.  By the end, coming home to our trailer was a wonderful feeling and I guess it goes to show just how cozy it is here in our silver bullet. 

Scott and I also celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary the night we came home.  We spent the evening in a movie theater munching on popcorn and watching "Black Swan".  Something we haven't done in about 2 years and it couldn't have been more perfect.