Govnm't Stimulus Check + Much Needed Family Vacation= San Diego!!!!!!

Getting off later than anticipated and sadly missing Saturday conference sessions...we battled the elements driving to San Diego. We went through a severe sand storm at the sand dunes (that covered all visibility to the road) and entered fog that we fought the rest of the way (with people pulling over on the side of the road). However we met the most friendly people ever at the nicest McDonalds (leather recliners, computers, and lounge) we have ever stopped at-- as we were coming into San Diego! They were even playing a Republican based news channel (life does not get much better than that)--

We arrived!!! late Saturday evening--only to the view (above), most evenings, the sun setting from our back deck window! It was WORTH IT!
THE CONDO- sat right on the boardwalk just off a pier at Mission beach. We went to sleep listening to the waves every evening! There is no air conditioning in most homes--so you rely on screens and wind!
We all got dressed Sunday and went to the chapel to listen to conference...only to find that we were TOTALLY locked out! We had no Internet access to find a stake center, so we could not find another chapel in time. We decided to visit the temple instead..only to find that the gates are locked on Sunday. It seemed as if "the cards were stacked against us", and we were wondering if bad luck was going to follow us all vacation....luckily it did NOT!
Instead we "took in" our surroundings....starting with our back deck, for all the condos we were staying in !

Then we took a walk on the pier (more pictures to follow) --this is a shot (above) taken from the pier looking back at our condo.
This would be our 2 back decks (above on 2nd story)

One of the kids favorite memories was getting a glow stick! They all "whimped out" taking the sticks to the beach, because they were too cold!
We attempted the beach (above at the elevators to go down) before the kids verdict of too cold came in. This had to be the ALL-TIME Favorite thing to do was reach the elevators and beat mom and dad on...so they could ride down all by themselves and do who knows what else!

That was only second to the pure bliss the got from dumping ANY form of trash down the chute located in our condo hall--they would have spent hours there if we let them!

There was allot of R&R- with reading (I finished an entire novel - Fabelhaven (thanks Julie) and coloring-- as we had NO video games and Internet! Everyone was ALL mine!
Of course there were the movies and treats since we all had a TV to ourselves (below)!
We all had plenty of comfy room to sleep--
It was just what the doctor ordered!!!