The Burks Family: March 2010

We went to the Boardwalk in Santa Cruz. There was a lot of people there because it was their Spring Break. We went early though, so it was pretty nice in the morning, and then the lines got a little longer.

This is a cool carousel. There is a clown on the wall and a pull arm with rings. You ride by on your horse (on the outside) and grab a ring and then try to throw it in the clown's mouth. Addy, Sophia and Alex liked to collect the rings instead of throw them. Then when they got off the ride, they walked over to the clown and threw them in.

Dylan got to ride with Addison and Sophia. I think they rode this ride 10 times. I liked that it was a game and ride all in one.

Pay, Soph, and Al got got painted.

All 4 kids liked this ride.

Then......there was the seaswings. I will forever dislike this ride. Sophia wanted to ride this ride. She thought Alex was going to go on it with her. She was in line waiting, and then she looked up and didn't see Alex. Crystal and I were standing behind her with both our strollers and the babies, but I guess she didn't see us. She told me she panicked when she didn't see Alex or us. Right about that time the line started moving and they were getting on the ride and I turned my head and was talking to Crystal. When I looked back I thought Soph had got on the ride and was behind the column in the middle. The ride started going....and she wasn't on it! Then I panicked....big time! That was the worst feeling EVER.

Crystal waited at the seaswings and I took off screaming her name. All these terrible thoughts were running through my head. Luckily, Sophia remembered what I told her. She ran all the way back to the carousel and then remembered that she should tell someone, behind the counter, that she was lost. I'm SO thankful that in her scared state of mind she did. Then I thought, I need to tell security she was lost. I told them, and luckily they told me that she was with them. So, then I ran with Dylan in the stroller down to the security. I had never experienced that horrible feeling before, and I never want to again. It scared us all because it happened so fast and right in front of me. I looked away for a second and that's all it takes. I love you Sophia!

This is where we were reunited. The Surf City Grill is the counter she went to and said she was lost. You always hope your kids will do what you tell them to do in that moment, and I will forever be thankful that she did.

Even though all that happened and it shook us all up, we managed to enjoy the remainder of the day. And it was a fun-filled weekend. But I was glad to get home.

Thanks for inviting us to go Smith Fam!

We went to Monterey Bay with my sister and her family. We went to the aquarium and Dennis the Menace Park. We crunched a lot of fun into one weekend. We also went to the Santa Cruz Boardwalk. I think my favorite was the Secret Life of Seahorses exhibit. I didn't get any good pictures of it though.

Dylan liked this slide.....I think. He went down it a bunch of times anyway.

The Aquarium was really cool. We spent a good amount of time at the tide pool area.

This was really cool. The ceiling and wall were glass and the water would rush over the top of it like the tide was rolling in. The kids thought it was neat too.

This is a little crawl tunnel with small aquariums with little animals for the kids to look at as they walk through it.

We had to take a few pictures in the clam shell.

This was another little play area with a tide that rushed through it.

Dylan liked this slide at the Coral Reef play area......I think. He also went down this slide a ton of times too. The girls are so good about taking him up and down.