Christmas Joy!

This Christmas season was full of fun for us as a new family of four.  Aaron and I have always talked about the traditions we want to continue from our childhood, and the new traditions we want to create for our own family.  We are off to a great start!

 We went to the Coronado Christmas parade, but got there too late to see it pass by on our side of Orange Avenue.  Fortunately, the parade turns around and heads back on the other side.  It actually worked out great because all of the crowds were dwindling down and so we had almost the entire median and parade to ourselves!

We bought a Christmas tree for our home.  Reece's highlight was playing in the car while Aaron strung the tree on top.  Reece loved decorating it with me... and taking the ornaments down and redecorating it himself.

Reece and I made salt-dough ornaments together.

We walked to the Hotel del Coronado to enjoy the holiday festivities and take in the Christmas spirit there.

Reece wrote a letter to Santa and delivered it to his special mailbox at the Community Center.  Santa even wrote back!

And finally, we traveled to Visalia to spend Christmas with family.

Happy Birthday Jesus!

Sea World!

Our Christmas gift from Evan, Kayla, and Grace was a trip to Sea World.  We had a blast!  It was the perfect place to spend the day with good friends!

All Reece wanted to do was run around and explore.  We took him to the Pets Rule! show anyway.  Both Kayla and Aaron held him for a while and tried to convince him that the show was really cool, but he didn't buy it.  We ended up leaving early which was okay because it made Reece very happy!

 

This is where Reece led us after leaving the show.  Macaws and sprinkler heads... such fun!

Reece rode over and over on the moving sidewalk through the penguin exhibit.  He was obviously not too interested in the penguins!

He also rode the Elmo ride over and over again!

Kayla and I were really glad we didn't go on the ride on the right.  It swayed from side to side, and then spun around in fast circles.  Reece and Grace loved it!

Grace and Reece also loved watching the really big walrus!

We watched the Killer Whales swim around the pool while waiting to perform.

There was even snow for the kids to play with.  Well, it was really more like ice.  Reece wasn't a big fan because it was slippery and cold!

This is the only picture of Elle... she was so good!  She was content to sit with us or sleep the entire day.

Thank you Hents!