Vegas to Newport

We are taking a quick "fall break" trip to Newport, California. The older kids will be missing one day of school, the younger kids will be missing three, cause their fall break isn't until next week. Corey and I took one "last" ride up the canyon this morning to enjoy the fall colors. We'll ride again after we get back, but we're assuming that the leaves will be gone. We're sad to miss the last of it. 

Lovely!

Yeah, I'm sorry to leave when the leaves are still at their peak! I'm also sad to leave 16 chrysalides... I'm hoping with the cooler temps they will not all come out while I'm gone. We had plans to leave right after school (at 4:00) on Tuesday, and we did pretty good - we were pulling out at 4:30. 💪That's the best we've ever done with planned departure and actual departure time! We even cleaned up the house before we left. I made dinner (turkey sandwiches and a bag of grapes and snacks) for Corey and each of the kids. We passed out dinner when we filled up the cars in Beaver, then kept on our way to Las Vegas. We got there around 10:30. We were so excited to bring back memories that we started playing the Flamingo album a little too early. The song that most triggers memories of drives to Nevada in years past is "Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas". We started the song, thinking that we were almost there, but then we got through the whole song and still didn't see the city. So, note to future self - start it at mile marker 60, and then it will be at the perfect part doing the chorus for the first time right as you see the city at mile marker 59. Ok, good. We stayed at Springhill Suits on At the room, we all went to bed and the kids woke up refreshed. Peter showing us how to sleep peacefully...

Daniel demonstrating a position that will help you to not get a restful nights' sleep, as his body was half hanging off the bed.

Kids all wake and enjoying breakfast while I nursed Kathrine. 

Then we loaded up. Corey took ODP and they were heading straight to Newport, then to Costco, and would get us checked in and ready with food. 

I took WALSNK and we were going to head to Six Flags until they closed at 5. So we headed out. We listened to the whole Flamingo album on our way out of Vegas today. The chorus of Jilted Lovers and Broken Hearts always makes me think of Lily quickly kicking her feet to the beat as she was getting her frosty in 2012. 

Right after we got on CA-14, it started to rain. Hmm, let's check the weather in Santa Clara. Oh yay, looks like there's thunder and lightening for the rest of the day... Do we bail and head to Newport instead? Well I kept driving to Six Flags, despite Abi telling me it was going to be a fail. We arrived and the let us in at the parking gate. I guess that means that the park must still be open? Maybe it will rain and we'll only get in a few rides, but that's ok. We checked the weather. It said thunder and rain storms for the rest of the afternoon, but it looked ok at the present moment... Hm. I decided we should go for it. Some kids were excited, some were not...

So we walked in. We put K in the wagon facing backwards. 

She's so cute!

So we walked around the park, walked a bit more... The ground was a bit wet, and the rain was sprinkling, but not too bad. Took a bathroom break since most of them didn't on our drive. 

Wes trying to make K laugh - 

He got a few giggles out of her. And then it started to really rain. We took shelter in a food court. 

The girls stepped out to see if it was bad...

Ok, well, I guess we'll call it good! You guys ready to head to the hotel? I think they are, cause they linked arms and skipped toward the exit like they were Dorothy and her friends on the yellow brick road.

Yay for me, another 2 hour drive. Corey was with the little boys. The boys had fun as Corey checked into the hotel.... (wrestling on the lobby couch)

Getting excited about swimming!

Unloading the cars - room 2712 and 2734

When we got there, Corey had a roast chicken and pumpkin pie ready for dinner. Then we all went swimming.

Cute Katharine had fun her first time swimming!

Tomorrow Joseph, Mel, and Ethan will be flying in to join us. We're going to go to the Newport temple, and probably the beach too. Friday is Six Flags with everyone (the weather looks good the rest of the week) and yeah, should be fun!