A magical Cushing/Cropper family reunion!

A month ago our family was in San Diego, in the middle of a magical 10-day vacation with the Cushings and Croppers.  It feels like a lifetime ago already because we jumped right back into all-day camps and school and work when we got back.  Boo!  But over the past couple weeks, when I was feeling a little stressed out, I just closed my eyes and pretended I was back on that beach building trenches in the sand with nieces and nephews, playing card games in the condo, sleeping in, eating well, making memories with family.  It was a wonderful trip and we are so grateful and appreciative to Grandpa Rod and Grandma Deb for making it happen!!!!!  THANK YOU!!!!!

I took this picture one night from Grandpa and Grandma's condo terrace as the sun was going down.  I love the funny random kid running into the ocean.  The joy and glee captured there pretty much sums up our feelings about being on the beach, too.  It was so relaxing and fun!!

One thing I really loved was that we did SO many cool things over that week and a half, but also had plenty of time to relax.  The reunion began at Disneyland:

One of my favorites!  The whole family on a ride together!

This was Colton and Grandpa Rod about 10:30 pm after a very long, hot day.  We put in a full 14 hours at Disneyland on Friday, from 8 am to 10:30 pm.  Apparently the extreme heat turned out to be a hidden blessing--there were fewer people there and so we rode all the rides we wanted to, sometimes twice. But, boy, it was HOT!!!

We all drove down to San Diego on Saturday morning.  Traffic was brutal, but we made it!  MANY THANKS to the Croppers and Grandpa and Grandma for making the Costco stop for groceries!  We emptied vans and then went back out for local grocery shopping.  The pizza that night HIT the SPOT after a long day of travelling!

I managed to send a few emails to my parents about details from that Sunday:

"Yesterday we went to church with Heather's family at the Imperial Beach ward. I imagine there were several visitors like us because we filled the gym halfway.  I got up to go to the bathroom and saw an old friend from Ridgecrest, Sister Ambon, in the restroom, haha!  It was hilarious because we couldn't remember each other's names but we KNEW we knew each other. She was Wade's Primary teacher when he was 8 or so. Her family had been in our ward for a fairly short time and then moved to Hawaii.  Anyways, it was really fun and happy to see them. Brother Ambon invited us for a ride on his boat at Mission Bay later this week, and their family invited us to dinner.  We aren't sure yet if we will take them up on that since we are on a family reunion!

After that we drove to the San Diego temple and walked the grounds a bit. It was peaceful there. We got back to the condos and then I headed to the beach to jump some waves with my kids and nephew Colton. Down the beach a little ways was a BIG group from some church, and they were taking folks out to the ocean to get baptized!

That night we had a family dinner and then walked to the pier and back. On the pier there were a lot of people fishing. This young man pulled a ray out of the ocean and about broke his pole, but we all crowded around while he showed it to us. It had CRAZY sharp spikes on its back for protection. I think we embarrassed Grandma a little because we were so enthralled with it, but it was amazing and something I'd never realized, that I was catching waves earlier in the day with stuff like that swimming close by. Wow!!!"

Monday morning Jason and Wade went to a Porsche dealership and had a lot of fun doing that.  I stressed and fretted over our family's turn for dinner that night (nacho buffet), but it turned out well!  

One night a few of us girls walked down the street and got cupcakes at a little shop.  MMM. MMM. Good!  

Tuesday some of the "boys"--Grandpa, Brett, Matt, Jason, and Wade--went golfing, and Rhiannon and I went outlet shopping with Jaymie, McKaleigh, and Heather.  (THANK YOU, Grandma and Colton, for hanging with the younger kids!)  It was a really, really fun day.  We loved it!

Wade got his first official birdie that day, too!

Wednesday many of us went separate ways for the day.  Brett and Jaymie's family checked out Balboa Park, Heather and Matt's family CONQUERED Legoland, and our family went to the San Diego Zoo.

We loved riding the Skyfari Aeriel Tram first thing, and then meandered through most of the zoo.  Jason was not feeling well at all (he ended up finding a chiropractor in Imperial Beach when we got back from the zoo because he was in so much pain), but he pushed through.  I think, hands down, our favorite area was the gorilla family.  Seeing them up close and personal, with the little baby riding his mom's back, made up for missing the pandas and sleepy koalas!

Thursday our family went to the USS Midway Museum.  We loved it!  Rhiannon and I had been once before on a school field trip when she was in 5th grade, and let me tell you, it was a LOT more fun for me this time without having to shepherd hyper students, haha!  The audio tours via headphones were easy and fun, too.

On Friday night everyone worked together to clean up the condos and pack as much as we could so that we could get on the road EARLY for Universal Studios the next day.  It was definitely bittersweet to say goodbye to Imperial Beach!

Universal Studios was PACKED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! that Saturday.  We were happy to get there when it opened, though, and see the Wizarding World of Harry Potter before the rest of humanity showed up.  It was cooler than the day we'd been at Disneyland, so that was nice, and we had a great time watching Tyler, Alex, and Charlie do Jedi training, and watching Heather, Matt, Lilly, and Tyler participate in the Special Effects show.  (That was really cool because our entire group got special seating, too!)

One thing I F-A-I-L-E-D at this trip was picture taking.  I was staying off Facebook that vacation, too, trying to be in the moment instead of plugged in all the time, and one sad consequence of that was taking few pictures.  Thankfully, family members were taking lots, and I hope to get theirs on CDs or something, hint-hint!  Here were some of the wonderful things I didn't take a picture of:

--family meal times.  The food was fantastic!!!

--Grandma teaching Wade how to play Solitaire

--cousin sleepovers and roommates

--sharing a condo with Brett and Jaymie's family (fun!)

--BEACH and pool and hot tub awesomeness, including boogie boards, wave jumping, visiting, sand digging, snoozing, catching rays, and an epic "baseball" game with everyone (a favorite).

--poker nights with Grandpa (he had us round up all the pennies and nickels we could find, haha!)

--movie nights

--epic family game of Pictionary.  We used dry erase markers on the floor-length "mirror" walls and played as teams.  That was a big highlight of the trip!

--walking the pier together as a family

--more pictures at Universal Studios  (Harry Potter World was AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!)

Here are some fantastic ones borrowed from Jaymie and Heather--seeing these pics puts a huge, happy smile on my face.  Thank you, Utah family, for an amazing, memorable, and happy vacation together!!!  We love you!!!!!

Imperial Beach!

We have been home from our Imperial Beach trip for two weeks.  Yesterday Rhiannon was staring off into space and said, "I was just thinking about the beach!"  The trip was a major highlight of our summer--an amazing week-long vacation with the Cushings!  We did miss the Cropper clan this time, but they had a VERY good excuse (welcome to our  new cousin/nephew Charlie!!!!).




The weekend we arrived for the final "big" Jensen Family Reunion was also the US Sandcastle Competition weekend  in Imperial Beach.  There were people and cars everywhere.  I felt like a billionaire sitting on the balcony of the condo and watching thousands of people mill around on the beach just below us! 

We drove down on July 23rd and met up with Grandpa Rod and Grandma Deb to shop for groceries before checking into the condo.  (Most of our meals were made in the condo--it worked out really well and saved a ton of money, too.)  Brett, Jaymie, McKaleigh, Colton, and Alex, and Great-Grandpa Rod, Nan, Nick, and Aunt Rochelle rolled in later that night. 

Sunday was the official day of the sandcastle competition.  I think that morning was the first and last time I went out on the beach itself.  I was feeling pretty good and used just one crutch (more on that later).  We got out there early before all the people started coming, and it was fun!  I loved watching Rhiannon and Wade play in the waves, but I got so nervous when they moved closer and closer to this rock outcropping.  Lifeguards had to go out in the ocean and tell them to move (embarrassing, but I'm grateful the lifeguards were doing their job!) 

Later in the afternoon Jason went down to fight the crowds and take pictures of all the sand sculptures for me.  He deserves the Best Husband On the Planet Award--when he finally made it back to the condo, he looked pretty frazzled and said it had been like combat trying to make his way through all the crowds! 

That night we went to the first official reunion event--because of the sandcastle competition it took us an hour and a half plus to drive 10 miles away.  There were almost 200 people at the reunion's  opening social.  I only knew the Rod and Deb Cushing side--it was strange!  But I'm happy to say I at least recognized most of the Jensen clan by the end of the week.

Just before bed on Sunday night, the opposite side of my hurt foot, ankle area, started causing me problems.  It actually hurt worse than my initial injury!  I think I'd been walking weird in the sand with the one crutch and put a lot of pressure on that side of my foot, so I was back to square one with both crutches and didn't  go out to the beach again the rest of the week.  I am SO grateful to Jason, Brett and Jaymie, and Grandpa and Grandma who took care of Rhiannon and Wade and let them enjoy as much time on the beach and in the ocean as their hearts desired.  It really stunk being stuck in the condo, but everyone was really nice about it.  Thanks, guys, for all the help!!!!

Here's a quick outline of the rest of the week--more posts and pictures to come....

Monday--San Diego Wild Animal Park!!!

Tuesday--Reunion Beach Olympics and Family Sandcastle Competition (the turtle made by the Cushing clan was FABULOUS!)  Jason and I enjoyed a date night, too--thanks, Grandpa and Grandma!  We saw Captain America and ate at the Cheesecake Factory (YUM).  After the Olympics and spending all afternoon in the ocean, Rhiannon clued me in on some painful "burns" on her legs, almost like rug burns on the inside of her legs.  Grandma saved the day with some Neosporin--it helped a lot!

Wednesday--Golfing for Jason and Grandpa and More beach time!  I made it down to the condo pool with the kids and had a great time chatting with Great-Grandpa Rod, too.

Thursday--Padres game--they won!  The weather was amazing, too!  Reunion closing social and talent show--I wish I'd taken pictures then.  It was great!

Friday--Last day.  Sadness.  McKaleigh and I stayed in the condo with Colton, Wade, and Alex while the girls went shopping and the boys went golfing.  That night we took a group picture--yay!!!

Saturday--Farewells!  And Legoland for the CA Cushings!

It was the perfect summer vacation, and being with family made it that much sweeter.  WE HAD A BLAST!!!

Enjoy these videos taken early in the week!  They give you a good idea of just how close we were to the ocean!