Disneyland Trip 2011

Back in April of 2009 I vowed we would never return to Disneyland with children under the age of three. Last week, after much prodding from my parents, I broke that promise.

Even though the weather wasn't the best, we encountered rain on two of the four days in the park, we had a great time. Dillon had a blast and was tall enough to go on Space Mountain and the Tower of Terror with me. (He didn't enjoy either one.) Connor liked all the characters as long as he could view them from afar. (We did manage to get him close enough for pictures.) Brenna was mesmerized by A Small World. Christina and I relished every moment we could sit down.

All three kids enjoyed spending time with Papa, Grandma Sharon, Uncle Larry, and all five of the Morgans. It was also nice to have a 1:1 adult to child ratio. However, I am declaring once again, we are not going back to Disneyland until after Brenna has turned four. Until that time, the kids can relive their trip with the video below.

SNL References

Sometimes art imitates life. Other times life imitates art. This last week on vacation I ran across the latter, twice.

The first happened when my Grandma was telling us about her trip to Georgia. The topic of Joshua's luscious locks came up. I joked that my aunt and uncle bought him the following:



Upon further review, I am now convinced that his hair IS a toupee. You can be the judge:


The second happened upon our check-in at the Madonna Inn. Christina and I had our first experience with a bidet in our room. Normally, this wouldn't have been a big deal and we would have viewed it as a nice touch in our room. However the skit below gave us a running joke for the week.



On an unrelated note, pictures and non-SNL details of our vacation will be posted soon.


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Now playing: Dave Matthews Band - Funny The Way It Is
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San Diego, The Video

San Diego, Part II

Today was spent visiting the USS Midway and the Wild Animal Park. The Midway is a decommissioned aircraft carrier. It was amazing to see the tight quarters on the ship. I don't know how any can live on a boat for months at a time, let alone so close to everyone else.

The Wild Animal Park was a lot like the San Diego Zoo but with more space for the animals. It was nice to see the animals outside of the small cages. We only spent a few hours at the park because we spent so much time at the Midway.

Yesterday we went to Sea World. Shamu's show was my favorite part. I also really enjoyed the shark exhibition, which had many different kinds of sharks to observe.

The week has been a blast but also very tiring. Every night the kids have crashed hard, giving the adults a much needed break.

San Diego, Part I

San Diego doesn't know what has hit 'em. Our family, along with my parents, grandparents, the Morgans, and Uncle Larry have trekked down to San Diego for a week's vacation. Yesterday we all went to the San Diego Zoo. Dillon's favorite part was the guerrillas and monkeys. Connor was just happy to be outside all day.

After the zoo, the guys went to the Dodgers-Padres game. We were hoping to see the Dodgers clinch the NL West with a win but they lost a close game, 3-1. The seats were great and cousin Nick was able to join us. Nick is going to San Diego State and took time away from his studying to hang out with us.

I have a ton of pictures but can not upload them at the time because the Internet connection at the hotel is very slow.

Disneyland Update #2

Due to a long day, you will only get a few pictures of today's outing. The next update will come, at the earliest, Wednesday night.

Disneyland Update #1

We have arrived at the self-described "happiest place on Earth." After checking in at our hotel and eating dinner, Connor needed a nap so Dillon and I took a walk to Downtown Disney. After an hour of window shopping, we sat down and watched the fireworks. At one point he turned around and said, "Connor wouldn't like this. It's too loud."

On the way back he told me he had to go pee. We were still two blocks from the hotel and my options were limited:

1. Try and find a public restroom,
2. Run back, hoping he doesn't wet himself, or
3. Drop his shorts and let him relieve himself on the bushes in front of the Sheraton.

We picked the classy option...number 3.

Alaska Video

In case you were wondering, we were able to bring home a lot of fish. We each brought back 38 pounds of fillets apiece. Most of that was salmon, as we only got about 9 pounds of halibut each. Also, the day we were halibut fishing I caught three manta rays. A marine biologist would call them skates. Larry was amazed I pulled up three of them because in all his years of fishing he had only seen one other skate caught. Reeling them up from 150 feet down was exhausting due to the massive drag they created.

Enjoy the video.




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Now playing: Dave Matthews Band - Tripping Billies
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North to Alaska

Below are pictures from our trip to Alaska.

James and I were able to borrow the Leveen's camper to take a trip to Denali National Park. The park was about 3 and 1/2 hours from their house in Palmer.

While at the park, we took an 8 hour round trip bus ride to the base of Mt. MicKinley. On the way up we saw this bear feeding on berries in an open field.


The Eielson Visitor Center at the base of McKinley had a sign showing the crummy weather we encountered on the trip. At the time we took this picture, visibility was about 100 feet. The overcast weather that day kept us from enjoying the complete scenery of the park.

During the entire trip we only had two days of sun. The rest of the time was cloudy or rainy which, as we were told, was how the whole summer has been for Alaska.

From left to right: Bill (James' grandpa), Jimmie, James, Larry, Mike

Me, my first catch of the trip, and Larry. A keen eye will spot the blue sky.

Here is a glacier we visited. Glaciers are common in Alaska, though a majority of them are up in the mountains. This one stretched down to the valley floor and we were allowed to walk up on it.

The melting ice formed a gorgeous pond in the middle of the glacier. The hike on the glacier may have been my favorite part of the trip because around every corner was a different ice formation. The ever-changing landscape was gorgeous.

I am almost finished with the video and will post once finished.



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Now playing: Coldplay - Daylight
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The Last Frontier

I am back from Alaska. I returned to Sonora at 1:30 am last night. Thankfully I had asked for today off in anticipation of a long night on Sunday.

I had planned on showing some pictures of the trip but Blogger is having trouble at the moment uploading my pictures. I am also working on a video that I will post upon completion. Stories and pictures will be posted soon.



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Now playing: Ramones - Rockaway Beach (Remastered Version )
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Into the Wild

Tomorrow night Mike, James and I get on a plane headed for Alaska. This "guys only" trip will be spent in Palmer, Alaska visiting Christina's Aunt Lenny and Uncle Larry. The plan is to hang out with them for a few days then Uncle Larry will take us out on his boat to do some fishing. James and I might also be taking a side tour of Denali National Park one day. Our return back to California will be Sunday, August 3rd.

Pictures will follow throughout the week if I can find a wi-fi hot spot.



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Now playing: The Killers - Mr. Brightside
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Tennessee Trip Video

Here is the finished product.

Tennessee Trip, Part II

Thursday was another lazy day for us. The highlight of the day for me was going to a local all-you-can-eat catfish restaurant. The only time growing up I got to eat catfish was on my birthday (at Hush Puppies in Bakersfield) or if we went to visit my grandma in Texas. Even at a young age I was able to out eat all the relatives. Today, those stories continue to be told and the amount of fish I ate continues to grow with each story. In a couple of years I will reach Bill Brasky level.

Friday was quite a busy day. We decided to use our rain checks to Dollywood in the morning. The adults went to ride all the roller coasters while the kids went to the boring rides. However, I did take Dillon back on the teacups and, to his delight, we went even faster than the last time.

Friday night we went to the NASCAR SpeedPark to ride the go-carts and the whole family got into the action. Grandma even showed off her driving skills. However, I got the best of Uncle Curt, who is the biggest racing fan in the family. I beat him in every go-cart race and on the Similator. He was so frustrated by my driving skills that he spun me out on the Similator and yet I still caught up and passed him again.

Today is our last day here and we are sticking around the house playing dominoes, cards, pool and the Wii. On Sunday we fly back to our normal lives.

Below are more pictures:


Uncle Joe shootin' the breeze with Dillon.


There was a water ride at Dollywood that allowed for the riders to shoot at people walking by. This picture was taken right before Uncle Joe soaked my shoes. I thought I was out of the way but he found a way to still get me wet.


If you look closely you can see Dillon between Uncle Jeff and Aunt Lynn.


The little chickies after the aforementioned water ride.


Dillon had a blast "driving" the cars at the NASCAR SpeedPark.


Dillon "The Intimidator" Nixon

Tennessee Trip, Part I

Last year my mom's side of the family decided they would have a family vacation every other year. My uncle had the honor of picking the location of the first get together and his choice was Pigeon Forge, Tennessee. So Dillon, Christina, and I packed up and headed east.

Sunday was travel day as we left SFO at 12:30 pm and after a hour layover in Atlanta we landed in Knoxville at 10:30 ET. Dillon was very well behaved on the plane and only put out a little whimper when he was up two hours past his regular nap time.

Monday was spent around our cabin we rented. Everyone was to tired to get up and see any sites. But we did play pool, cards, and foosball.

Tuesday we walked around some shops in Pigeon Forge. The highlight for Dillon and Robert (my three year old cousin) was a stop in the John Deere store. Right inside the door was a small motorized Gator that Dillon immediately jumped on, pointed to the back and said "Otis." After our window shopping was over we headed over to the Dixie Stampede.

For those of you who have never been to the Dixie Stampede, it is an overpriced horse show with excellent food. One of the caveats of the show is no one is given any silverware, which is quite tough to do with a toddler sitting on your lap. Dillon did have the time of his life watching the horses race around the arena. He clapped and yelled and had a rowdy good time.

Today was spent at Pigeon Forge's main attraction, Dollywood. Well, I should say part of the day. It has rained every day or evening we have been here and today was no different. Thunderstorms rolled in this afternoon and the threat of lightning shut down all the rides. We didn't get a chance to ride any of the adult rides since we spent most of our time there doing all the kiddie things. We did get a rain check (no pun intended) since we were forced to leave early. There is a good chance we will go back later this week to enjoy the big rides.

Below are pictures so far.

Their love for trucks and tractors enabled Dillon and Robert to get along from the beginning.

Even Uncle Curt joined in the tractor fun.


Dillon and Yvonne celebrating their second birthdays.


Grannie Barbara made Veggie Tales shorts for the little ones.


TRACTORS!!!!


Here is Dillon driving a car at one of the rides in Dollywood. Another favorite ride for Dillon was the teacups. Keith, Dillon and I got our teacup spinning the fastest, much to Christina's disapproval.


The fastest pink gun in Tennessee.


A trip to Tennessee isn't complete without seeing the worst (best?) mullet East of the Mississippi. I had Christina snap this picture while pretending to take a picture of me.

Hawaii Video

James finished up our family vacation video. He had to upload a low res file to YouTube. I can get a higher quality DVD to anyone interested. Hope you enjoy it.





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Now playing: Weezer - Island in the Sun
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Leftovers

Before I get in to the rest of the Hawaii pictures I have to give a shout out to my alma matter. During my four year tenure the men's basketball team was a joke. They never finished higher than second to last. So I was quite surprised to hear that they recently beat 24th ranked USC. Unbelievable.

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The following pictures were taken with Mike's and James' cameras, which should explain the tardiness.


Here we are at the base of the waterfall at Hana. We were surprised to find the pool at the bottom of a 200 foot waterfall to only be a few feet deep.


Michelle only falls for the bad boys.


Trouble is written all over this face.


Who needs beautiful sunsets with these two precious people in my life.


Cousin Linda holding the fuss pot.

Mike really loved his salad. In bizarro world, that would be me holding the tongs.



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Now playing: Maroon 5 - Not Coming Home
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Last day in paradise

Pictures from our last day. Tomorrow afternoon we fly out. Lets pray Dillon is as good as he was on the flight over.



The three guys rented mopeds to drive around the island. This was taken at the Ritz Carlton.
This was the sunset at our luau.
A walk along the beach before we start the luau.


James and I enjoying a refreshing drink before the start of the show.

Dillon scarfing down chocolate cake as I look on knowing the sugar high will kick in during the middle of the show.

Maui Day 4-6

Day 4

We rented snorkel gear and headed to the beach. James, Christina, and I were first to get in the water. We soon discovered a nice area full of fish. Then the giant sea turtles started to appear. The turtles were not bashful and stood their ground when we would swim up. I even was brave enough to reach out and feel the shell. Here are the pictures, sorry no under water camera was available for our snorkeling.

James talked me into letting him bury me in the sand...

...which turned into a mistake on my part.

Here is Michelle, James and Mike getting ready for their snorkeling trip.

Dillon enjoying the scenery.

Day 5

James, Mike, and I woke up on Tuesday morning so we could drive to the airport for our helicopter ride. Our pilot spent an hour in the air, highlighting different areas of the island.

Taking pictures in the helicopter was difficult because of the glare. Most of my pictures of the amazing waterfalls and scenery did not turn out. This was one of my favorites because of the different colors of the water.

The three guys posing after the flight. We then got in the car and headed to Hana. Any person that has traveled the Road to Hana knows the 52 mile trip can be a long and slow process but well worth it because the views are spectacular. It takes three hours to go 52 miles because there are over 600 curves and 46 one lane bridges.

This was one of the waterfalls encountered on the way to Hana. At the end of the road is a National Park which has a trail to the Seven Pools. The two mile hike took us through a gorgeous bamboo forest and luscious rain forest. About two thirds up the trail we were caught in a rain storm. None of us had thought it could actually rain in a rain forest so we were drenched. At the end of a the trail is a beautiful 200 foot waterfall. Pictures along the trail were taken on James' camera so I will have to post them later.

Day 6

It rained most of the day today so our excursions were very limited. Christina's cousin Linda flew over from the island Oahu. We all had lunch together and headed back to the hotel to spend the afternoon indoors. Tomorrow is our last full day in Maui. We will be celebrating by attending a luau.

Maui Day 3

Today we got up and went to church. The church we attended was outdoor and overlooked the ocean. I must say, the sea turtles randomly surfacing behind the preacher was a little distracting. After church we went to the Sheraton hotel for brunch. We then walked down to the public beach to play in the ocean. Here are the pics:

James and Michelle by the pool at the Sheraton. You can see the public beach behind them.

Christina snapped this picture when Dillon and I were playing in the ocean. The little fish would stay in the water until he was all shriveled up.

Dillon wanted to play in the sand so the two of us dug a hole. As we dug he kept trying to get in. Once the hole was big enough I buried his bottom half, which should teach him to jump in the hole I'm trying to dig. I was nice enough to not pack in the sand so he easily escaped after Christina snapped this picture.

Tomorrow's adventures will include more beach time and snorkeling.

Maui Day 2

Our second day on the island was uneventful. The rainy morning was spent planning our week and the afternoon was spent in a time share presentation. (No, we didn't buy. And yes, we only went to get $110 off our luau.) Here are a few of the best pictures taken for the day.

Dillon enjoying the rainbow created by the morning showers.

Before we left I was tasked with getting Dillon swimming diapers. I did get the right size, however they had the Little Mermaid on them. Thankfully, you can't tell in this picture.

This is our view from the balcony of our hotel. In the background you can make out the island of Molokai.