BIRTHDAY RETREAT!

Ben had the FABULOUS idea to take a mini-vacation for his birthday this year. It was SO much fun and such perfect timing for us. We really needed a little get-away from every day life. Some time to reconnect, rejuvenate, and unwind.

Ben woke up to presents and cards, then was off to work. Our plans to surprise him for lunch were foiled, but he came home to steaks on the grill and Bonnie Butter cake with french chocolate silk frosting...yum! We then had a late night of packing and getting everything ready for our trip!

Thursday we drove to San Diego and all the kids did great in the car....well, Kaleb may have asked about 103 times if we were there yet, but other than that, they were perfect! All of Ben's travel has it's occasional perks, as he was able to get us upgraded to a suite at our hotel that was just so nice. We swam in an indoor pool and ate at Island's for dinner that night overlooking the San Diego Temple.

The next day we spent a blissful day at the beach in La Jolla. The boys played soccer while the girls went for a walk on the boardwalk. I people watched & Ruby slept. When she woke up, we joined the boys on the beach. This was such a fun, family-friendly beach bustling with activity: surfers, kayakers, body board lessons going on, and of course the normal laying out & volleyball games on the sand. There was also a park right there that the boys played at, and Dylan was pushed down a very tall, steep slide backwards by a bully. Due to his large Grandpa Branson belly, he wasn't seriously injured, just scared, and rightfully so! That afternoon we headed to Ciro's pizza and shopping at the Gas Lamp District. Fun, fun, fun! Later that night we walked the temple grounds... it was so beautiful! Can't wait to go and do a session there someday.

Saturday we met up with Barbara, Jared, Kaden & Paxton for a day at Legoland. This was a first for all of us. The boys were so cute together & we all had a great time. Our boys just love being around their cousins and it was fun to introduce Ruby to the Christensen gang at long last! The weather was perfect & there was lots to see. Our boys loved the lego-pinewood derby & water areas best.

The rest of the weekend we spent relaxing, going to movies, shopping, and of course more time at the beach. The ocean soothes my soul.

The boys went to the Dragon movie (a BIG thumbs up according to them!), had their first popsicles of the season, and somehow we fit all 4 in the tub at a time...hilarious!

Us adults FINALLY got to watch The Blind Side...of course, I loved it! We had so much fun, it was hard to leave. Thanks for the GREAT time, Babs & boys... we love you tons!