Texas - Andi and Nick

1/21/18

Andi: Yesterday we had a quiet morning. Then we scrambled on the rocks. We got to a hard and low part that I had trouble getting down. Then Nick and I started the robot we got for Christmas. We watched a movie and went to bed.

1/22/18

Nick: Yesterday we drove most of the day. We stopped at a gas station along the way. When we got to our site Andi and I played Wii for a little while. Then we had dinner. After it was dark we went to a viewing station. You look at some lights off in the desert. Nobody really knows what they are. They flicker on and off. They get bright and then dim and they move around a little. There is no town or anything man-made where they are. It was kind of cool. Then we came home and went to bed.

Andi: Yesterday we drove to our next campsite. We set up and watched the mysterious lights. They kept changing colors, blinking, and moving every once in a while. Then we played Wii.

1/23/18

Nick: Yesterday we drove for a while in the morning. When we got to our site in Monahans Sand Dunes, Andi and I went sledding on the dunes for a while. It was way faster than White Sands. We had a great time. Then we came back and had lunch. Then Andi and I played Wii for a while. Next we had dinner and watched a movie.

1/24/18

Andi: Yesterday we went sledding for a while. Then we took showers and played Wii. We watched a movie and went to bed.

1/25/18

Nick: Yesterday we slept in and had breakfast. Then we packed up the camper and drove about 1 hour to our next site. When we got there we set up our camper. Then we had lunch. Next we got Mom from the airport. It was good to see her again. Then we came home and opened Christmas presents from Uncle Dan and Kayleigh. I got a game called Bears and Babies. It looked really fun. I have not got to try it yet. I also got a gift card. Next we went out to dinner with Mr. Robert. He is my 1^st cousin once removed. We had not seen him in a couple of years. He was really nice and it was good to see him again. The food was good. Then we said bye and came home.

Sitting in a race car at the Petroleum Museum

1/26/18

Nick: Yesterday we had a lazy morning and got going at about 11:00. We went to the Petroleum Museum. It was about how they pumped oil from the ground and what the oil was used for. My favorite exhibit was a side exhibit that wasn’t about oil. It was about race cars. There were real race cars in the building. You got to sit in one of them. Then we had lunch at the rig. Then we came back to the museum and looked around for a while again. Next we came back to the camper for dinner. Then we came back to the museum again to do a science program. They had all sorts of cool experiments. My favorite one was “program your own robot”. Then we went to an ice cream place with Mr. Robert. Next we said bye and came home.

Andi wearing firefighting
gear at the Science Program

Andi: Yesterday we went to the Petroleum Museum. We went to the future and saw what oil pumping would look like in the future. They had a flying ship that had the ability to fly 1,000 miles per second and go underwater and hold three types of robots: the sea spider that only had six legs, the nanobots that were microscopic robots that could fly, and the robots that scanned for oil. It also had a laser that would dig a hole down to the oil. The laser made a ceramic lining around the hole so it wouldn’t cave in. it was all CGI though. Then we watched the Mythcracker show. It was kind of like Jeopardy except you got points and not money. We looked at the rest of the museum throughout the day. We saw race cars. One car was so low that it sucked itself to the ground and it wouldn’t fly off the track so it won every race until the government said that they couldn’t let it drive anymore. Then we went home and had dinner. Then we went back to the museum for a family science program. Then we had ice cream with Robert.

1/27/18

Nick: Yesterday we drove to our next site near San Angelo. It was not a long drive. When we got there we set up our camp and then we drove around San Angelo. We saw the apartment Mom and Dad lived in for 6 weeks. We also saw the hospital Mom worked at while she lived here. Then we found a playground that Andi and I played at for a while. Then we came home and had enchiladas for dinner.

Andi: Yesterday we drove around San Angelo with no destination in particular. We saw Mom’s old clinic, Mom’s favorite burrito place, and played at a playground. Then on the way home we went shopping. Then we had dinner.

5K start in San Angelo

1/28/18

the home stretch of the 5K

Nick: Today I ran a 5K in the morning. We had found out about it the day before. I decided to do it but no one else wanted to. It was trail running so it was really rocky. It was way harder than road running. My time was 28:17. I finished 13^th overall. Then we had breakfast burritos that Dad had gotten from a burrito place Mom and Dad used to go to when they lived in San Angelo. Then Andi and I shot a slingshot I had got the day before. It was really fun. We also did an experiment from Andi’s chemistry set. Next we had dinner and played Bears vs. Babies.

Cheering for Nick during the 5K

Andi: We signed Nick up for a 5K race in the morning. He got 13^th out of about 75 people. Then we tried Nick’s slingshot out. We did chemistry also. Then we played with the slingshot some more. We had dinner and played Bears vs. Babies.

Best. Breakfast. Burritos.
EVER!

1/29/2018

Nick: Yesterday we drove most of the day to Dallas, Texas. That is where I was born. When we got to our site we unhooked. Then we drove around Dallas. We saw the house I lived in for my first 7 months of life. It was a small house. We also saw the hospital I was born in. it was a nice city. Then we had dinner out at Los Lupes. It was a Mexican place that Mom and Dad ate at a lot. Then we came home and went to bed. I forgot to mention that we had burritos for breakfast.

Andi: Yesterday we drove to Dallas. We saw the old house. Then we saw the new Parkland Clinic. It had 862 beds and Mom’s clinic at home only has 30. Then we went to Los Lupes for dinner. We went shopping and I got a slingshot. We came home and went to bed.

Standing on a hay bale

Driving the gator with Dr. Henry

This tractor was HUGE!

Dr. Henry's cattle herd

1/30/2018

Nick: Yesterday we drove to our next site in Mother Neff State Park. We got there before noon. Then we went to Dr. Henry’s house. My mom used to work with him when we lived in Texas. His wife was Mrs. Vicky. They were both very nice. When we got to their house we ate lunch meat on really good bread for lunch. Then Dr. Henry showed us around his ranch. He had 750 acres. To get around, Dr. Henry and Mom drove in his car. Andi and I took turns driving the gator, which is a little ATV that seats 2 people. The first thing we did was set the pig trap. There is a bucket of food in the middle of a cage and when the pigs ate from the bucket the cage door closed. Next we rounded up all of his cows and fed them. He had tons of cows. We got to hand feed some of them. Their tongues were really gross. They felt like sandpaper. They also drooled a lot. One of his cows was part longhorn. She had little horns. Next we drove to the place where he stored the hay bales. We got to drive a giant tractor that moved the hay bales into a field where the cows could eat them. The tractor we used to move the hay bales had spikes on it that you stuck into the hay bale and then you lifted up. It could carry 3 bales at a time. Dr. Henry let us drive the tractor. Then you dump the hay bales off and make sure they are right side up. Next we had to take the plastic wrapping off so the cows could eat it. We had to do that by hand. Next we started heading back to Dr. Henry’s house. I got to drive back. When we got back Dr. Henry let us drive his bulldozer. He had some trees he didn’t like so we took them down. It was like snapping a toothpick. The controls were really fun. Mrs. Vicky had made pot roast and we had that for dinner. It was really good. We also had ice cream. Then we said bye and came home.

Andi driving the huge tractor

Andi: Yesterday we went to Dr. Henry’s house. He had 750 acres of land and it was all a ranch. He had more than maybe 50 or 60 cows and we fed a lot of them. Then we drove a gator. Dr. Henry said it got up to 40 miles per hour. I drove a big tractor that would space out the bales of hay. I practiced driving the gator. We had dinner and went home. Before we had dinner, we knocked a couple of trees over with his bulldozer. It was like snapping a toothpick.

Chihuahuan Desert, New Mexico, and Aliens - Nick and Andi

Jan. 11, 2018

Andi:

Yesterday we went into the national park but it was really foggy. We couldn’t see anything so we went home. I made a clay bunny. Then we had dinner and watched Tombstone.

Nick:

Yesterday we did a drive in Chiricahua National Park. We were told it was a really cool drive but it was really foggy so we couldn’t see anything. Then it started raining so we just came home. When we got back we had dinner and watched a movie.

Jan. 12, 2018

Andi:

Yesterday we did a hike. We went through a lot of rock mazes. We saw very skinny, straight, and smooth hoodoos. We were walking in a little divot most of the time at the end. We went home and read until bedtime.

Nick:

Yesterday we did a hike in Chiricahua National Park. It was a 3.3 mile hike. There were a lot of cool rock spires that kind of formed a maze. We had lunch on the hike. When we were done we drove home. Then we had dinner and went to bed.

Jan. 13, 2018

Andi:

Yesterday we drove to our new campsite. Nick and I played on the playground for a while. Then I read in the library. We went on a hike through the riverbed. We hiked over to the dam. Then we had dinner and played dominoes.

Nick:

Yesterday we drove 4 hours to get to our next site. When we got there Andi and I played on the playground for a while. Then we checked out the Visitor Center. It was very small. Next we did a hike down to a river bed and saw a dam. Then we came back, had dinner and played a game.

V2 Rocket

Jan. 14, 2017

Andi:

Yesterday we went to the White Sands Missile Museum. The missiles were huge. I got bored very quick. We left after lunch. We went to White Sand Dunes National Park. We bought sleds to sled down the dunes. The sand was actually gypsum particles. It was very soft at the top of the dunes. Then we went home and had dinner, read, and went to bed.

White Sands Missile Proving Range

Nick:

Yesterday we went to a missile museum in the morning. There were tons of missiles on display but the main one was a V2 missile. A man named von Braun designed it. He was a German scientist and after World War II we had him make missiles for us. Next we went to White Sands National Park. We bought sleds and went sledding down the dunes. It was really fun and you went really fast. We went sledding for 2 hours. Then we came home and had dinner.

relaxing

sledding

White Sands National Park

Jan. 15, 2017

Andi:

Yesterday we drove to a new campsite. Then Nick and I played on the playground till dinner. Then we played Quirkle. We read and went to bed.

Nick:

Yesterday we drove all day. When we got to our site Andi and I played on the playground for a very long time. Then we had dinner and played a game.

Carlsbad Caverns - we didn't get to see
the bats during this time of year

Jan. 16, 2017

Andi:

Yesterday we went to Carlsbad Caverns National Monument. We hiked down about 800 feet to get down to the Big Room. The Big Room is, like its name, a big cave with stalagmites (the ones on the ground), stalactites (the ones on the ceiling), soda straws (skinny, hollow, and very straight baby stalactites), and draperies (thin, long, and delicate stalactites). Then we went to the lunch room hoping to use the elevators to go up but the line was super long. We ended up walking out. We went home, played on the playground, and went to bed.

Nick:

Yesterday we went to Carlsbad Caverns, which is a giant underground cave. We got to hike around in it all day. We saw all sorts of cool formations. There were stalactites which are pointy rock formations that hang from the ceiling. We also saw stalagmites which are the same but they point up from the rock towards the ceiling. There were also columns. These are just what they sound like. They are a column of rock that goes from the floor to the ceiling. There are also things called draperies. They were thin sheets of rock with folds that looked like drapes. The last main formation was popcorn which looked like there was popcorn everywhere but it was rock. There were lots of rooms in the cave. My favorite one was called Big Room. It was very big. It had a ton of cool formations, including all of the ones I mentioned before. When we were done wandering around we walked back up. 800 feet up. It was not fun. Then we drove home and had dinner.

breathtaking sights

Jan. 17, 2017

Andi:

Yesterday we had bagels. Then we went to Carlsbad Caverns National Park. We did the Kings Palace Tour. You couldn’t go in on your own. You needed Keys. The King’s Palace was full of stalagmites, stalactites, soda straws, and draperies. They named it King’s Palace because they thought the stalactites and soda straws looked like chandeliers. The draperies looked like draperies. The stalagmites looked like thrones and the ground was flat. We saw the Queen’s Chamber, the Papoose Room and went back through the King’s Palace. The Queen’s Chamber had draperies down to the floor, stalactites like chandeliers, stalagmites like chairs, and a flat floor. The ranger turned the lights off and lit one lantern. Then he blew the lantern out and it was pitch black. We saw the Papoose Room before we left. The Papoose Room got its name because of a stalagmite. When you shine a flashlight on it the shadow looks like and Indian woman carrying a baby. A papoose is the Indian word for baby. The tour ended there. We had lunch and then went to our next tour. The next tour was called the Left Hand Tunnel. Since there was no lighting, we had to carry lanterns. Nick and I got small lanterns. We walked around and there wasn’t much water dripping. We saw some popcorn. Popcorn is little bubbles of rock that are oddly shaped just like popcorn. At the end we blew our candles out and gave them to a ranger. We walked around the big room and left. We played and went to bed.

Lantern tour through the Left Hand Tunnel

Nick:

Chandelier Room

Yesterday we went to Carlsbad Caverns again. When we got there we did a tour called King’s Palace tour. We got to go to a part of the cave called King’s Palace. There were tons of really cool formations. My favorite formation on that tour were some draperies in a section called Queen’s Chamber. On that tour, the guide turned all the lights off for a little bit. You could not see your hand in front of your face it was so dark. After that tour we did another tour called the Left Hand tour. We had to carry candle lit lanterns on that tour because there were no lights on that part of the cave. It was really fun. In that part of the cave the only formations were popcorn. It was really fun looking at formations by candle light. Near the end of the tour we started seeing more formations like stalactites, stalagmites, and pools of water. The water in those pools was so clear I did not know it was there until the ranger told us. We also blew out our candles on part of that tour. It was still really cool. Then the guide lit our candles and he let us walk back in pairs to see what it was like all alone. Then we thanked the guide and walked around Bit Room one more time. We saw one formation we didn’t see last time. It was a stalagmite that looked like a cave man. We also saw chandelier one more time. Chandelier is a bunch of giant stalagmites that are close to each other and they look like a chandelier. Then we rode the elevator up and started driving home. On the way we did a 9 mile scenic drive. Then we had dinner and went to bed.

Jan. 18, 2018

Andi:

Yesterday Mom had a meeting (over the phone) until 11:00 am. While she was doing that Nick and I did homework and played tablets. Then we went to the UFO Museum. I got very bored very quickly so I went into the car with Mom for her next meeting and played my tablet the rest of the time. The little part of the UFO Museum that I did look at was about how people thought aliens were landing on the Earth only in White Sands Base, NM. I found it suspicious. Then we went home, played on the playground, and went to bed.

We believe...

Nick:

Yesterday we had a lazy morning. Mom was on a phone call. It did not end until 11:00. During her call we did homework and had breakfast. Them we drove into Roswell. Roswell is known for UFO sightings. We went to a UFO Museum. It was about a UFO that supposedly landed in a ranch near Roswell. It also said that they found bodies of aliens. My dad thought that it was a cover-up story for some sort of secret missile. I agreed because tons of people all over the world were claiming to see UFO’s so that would have been a good story. Then we came home and had dinner.

New Year's in Tucson with the Hamilton Family - Nick

12/30/17

Yesterday I played with my friends until about 10:00. Then we said goodbye and left the site. I had a great time playing with them and I am going to miss them. Then we dropped our camper off at our next site. Then we drove to the airport to pick Aunt Lisa up. She is staying with us for 9 days. It was so good to see her again! When we got back to the site I showed Aunt Lisa my motor bike and I popped a tire. Then we played a game of organ attack and had salmon for dinner. Then we watched a movie and went to bed.

12/31/17

Yesterday we had breakfast a little late and then started driving to Walmart. When we got there we all went shopping for everything we are eating in Tucson. We are meeting up with Nana, Granddad, Uncle Ryan, and Chelsea (in addition to Aunt Lisa) for 9 days in Tucson. We are renting a house in Tucson.  When we were done shopping we went to the rental house to get settled. Then we went for a walk with Aunt Lisa. When we got back, Nana, Granddad, Uncle Ryan, and Chelsea all got here. We said hi and then gave them the tour of the house. It was so good to see all of them again. Then we went swimming in the hot tub for a while. Next we had chow mein for dinner and watched Tombstone. Then we went to bed.

Hangin' out in the desert

1/1/18

Yesterday we went to an old west town called Tombstone. There were lots of old shops and restaurants. We saw a gun fight show where a bunch of townspeople were fighting cowboys. Then we ate lunch at a restaurant called Big Nose Kate’s. It was really good. When we got back we had nachos for dinner and stayed up until 12:00 for New Year’s Eve. We went in the hot tub for a while and then just hung out and talked until 12:00. Then we all did a toast and went to bed.

New Year's Day 5K race

1/2/18

Yesterday was New Year’s Day! In the morning we drove to a 5K race we were doing. A 5K is 3.12 miles. It was called a hot cocoa race because they had hot cocoa you could drink even though it was 80°F. The race started at 11:18 for 1/1/18. The race was on a bike path. It was really hot and dry. When I got back I waited for everyone else and cheered them on. When everyone was back they announced the winners. I won my age group! (10-12) my finishing time was 25:08.4. I got 36^th place out of 528.

Then we came home and had lunch. Next we did a really long drive up to the top of a mountain called Mt. Lemmon. The view was really nice. The temperature went from 80 to 30. Then we came home and had leftovers for dinner.

ATV fun

1/3/18

Yesterday we had a lazy morning. Granddad made bacon and eggs in the morning which was really good. Then we drove 2 hours to a razor rental place. We got two 4-seaters and one 2-seater. We went on a really rugged trail. I went with Dad in the 2-seater first and then with Granddad in a 4-seater. Next Chelsea drove me in the 4-seater for most of the time. I also drove with Nana for a little bit. My favorite driver was Chelsea. She went really fast and she fish-tailed and did donuts. When we got back we thanked Nana because this was a Christmas present from her. It was really fun. Then we drove back and had beef stroganoff for dinner.

1/4/18

Yesterday we did a short hike in Saguaro National Park. We saw lots of cacti. We hiked about 2 ½ miles. We also looked at the Visitor Center. Then we came back to the house. Then we went to a Mexican place for dinner. I got chicken enchiladas which were really good. Then we came home and swam in the hot tub before bed.

Chico and I had a great time

1/5/18

Yesterday we went horseback riding in the morning. My horse was a 20 year old male named Chico. He was brown with a small white patch on his forehead. We were riding on a dry river bed. It was really fun. You held the reins with one hand and pulled them one way or the other to turn. To go, you nudge with your heel a little. To stop, you pull the reins to your bellybutton for 3 seconds. When we were done with our ride we came back to the house for a while. Then a couple of us (including me) went on a 4 mile hike. We saw a lot of cool cacti. Next we came home and had dinner and watched a movie.

Kitt Observatory

1/6/18

Yesterday we went to the Sonoran Desert Museum. It was more like a zoo. There were a lot of animals. My favorite was a mountain lion. It came right to the glass and walked around in front of us. Then we drove really far to an observatory. Then we did an observatory program. We got to look at stars through a telescope, which was really cool. My favorite part was when a guide named Chuck pointed out constellations and told us how they got their names. Then we came home and went to bed.

1/7/18

Sabino Canyon

Yesterday we did a tram ride through Sabino Canyon. It was a lot like everything else we have seen in the west. It was still cool. There were lots of cool rock formations. We got off the tram at one of the stops. We walked to the next stop and picked up the tram there. Then we took it back to the parking lot. Then we got lunch at a Mexican place. It was good. Then Uncle Ryan took a couple of us (including me) to see Star Wars the Last Jedi. We saw it in 3D. It was a really good movie. Then we came home and Anid, Nana and I had a snowball fight with fake snowballs. Then we went in the hot tub with Aunt Lisa and went to bed.

1/8/18

Yesterday we got all of our stuff out of the rental house in the morning. Then we went to the Pima Air and Space Museum.  They had all sorts of planes on display. My favorite was the F-14 Tomcat. That is a fighter jet. We also saw the SR-71 Blackbird. That is the fastest plane in the world. It could go over 2,000 mph. Then Mom and Dad picked up Aunt Lisa to go to the airport. We said goodbye. I am going to miss her and I had a good time hanging out with her. Then we did a tram tour where we got to look at the planes. There was supposed to be a person talking about the planes but we couldn’t hear him. Then we said goodbye to Nana and Granddad and Uncle Ryan and Chelsea. Then we drove back to our camper and watched a movie, had dinner, and went to bed.

New Year's in Tucson with the Hamilton family - Andi

Dec. 30, 2017

Yesterday we played with our friends until 10:00 am. Then we went to pick Aunt Lisa up from the airport. I was so excited to see her. We colored with her, had dinner with her, and watched a movie with her. Then we went to bed. I can’t wait for Nana, Granddad, Uncle Ryan, and Chelsea to come to Tucson with us.

Dec. 31, 2017

Yesterday we went shopping. Then we went to the rental house. It had three miniature donkeys, a hot tub, a pool (wasn’t heated so it was ice cold), six bedrooms, two dining rooms, two huge kitchens, three big bathrooms, and three sitting rooms. Mom and dad when shopping for the stuff we didn’t get at Walmart while Aunt Lisa, Nick and I took a walk. Then Granddad, Nana, Uncle Ryan, and Chelsea got here. We showed them the house, swam, and watched a movie called Tombstone.

The OK Corral gang

Jan. 1, 2018

Ringing in the New Year in style -
grape juice and a good book!

Yesterday we went to Tombstone. We saw the gunfight show that was exactly like the gunfight from the movie Tombstone. Then we watched a show that was about Tombstone in the olden days. Then we ate at Big Nose Kate’s Saloon. It used to be the Grand Hotel. We looked at a couple of gift shops and then left Tombstone. We went home and took showers, swam, made nachos, read, drank juice (grown-ups had champagne), and stayed up till midnight.

The entire family participated in the
5K on New Year's Day

Jan 2, 2018

Yesterday we ran a 5K. Nick came in 30^th place out of 566 people. Mom came in 392^nd place and I came in 391^st place. Nick won his age group. I was 9^th in my age group. Then we drove up to Mt. Lemmon. We went all the way to the top. Then we went home and swam in the hot tub.

Beautiful views from Mt. Lemmon
Seeing Uncle Ryan and Aunt Lisa was better, though!

ATV adventure

Jan. 3, 2018

Yesterday we went to a razor rental. We got two 4-seaters and one 2-seater. I rode with Granddad, Nana and Mommy in the 4-seater for a while. Then I went really fast in the 2-seater with Nana. We got stuck so Uncle Ryan had to drive us up to where everyone else was. Then I got in the other 4-seater and Chelsea drove. Chelsea did fast for a couple minutes and then turbo speed for about 10 minutes. Nobody could keep up. On the way back, Chelsea did 5 doughnuts before anyone else got there. She did 3 more doughnuts and then we kept going. Once we were done we drove home. Granddad got us ice cream. Then we swam in the hot tub. Then we went to bed at about 10:30 pm. I was tired.

the Sonoran Desert

Jan. 4, 2018

Yesterday we went to the Sonoran Desert National Park. We did a hike through a cool river bed. Then we climbed on rocks (Nana and Granddad stayed in the car). Then we had dinner at a Mexican restaurant. Then we came home and went to bed.

Horseback riding!!!

Jan. 5, 2018

Yesterday we went horseback riding. I had the only white horse. His name was Tundra. We didn’t really have to steer because the horses were so well trained to watch the horse in front of them. We walked through a wash, we crossed a road, and we walked through the Sonoran Desert. When we got off my legs felt wobbly. Then we came home and watched the Prestige.

Tundra was awesome!

the entire family!

Sonoran Desert Museum

Jan. 6, 2018

Yesterday we had a quiet morning. Then Grandad, Mom, Uncle Ryan, Nick, and I went to the Sonoran Desert Museum. It was mostly outside. We saw a mountain lion, two parrots, three bighorn sheep, and an otter. We saw an aviary with humming birds in it. We thought it was kind of like a zoo with plants in it. Then we went to Kitt Peak Space Observatory. We looked at star clusters that were billions of miles away. We saw the constellations Perseus, Andromeda, Orion, the Seven Sisters, and the North Star. Then we came down the mountain at about 9:00 and got home at about 10:00.

Sunset from Kitt Peak

Jan. 7, 2018

Yesterday we went to Sabino Canyon National Park. Sabino means ‘rusty color’. So Sabino Canyon is actually Rusty Colored Canyon. We took the tram up to the top. Then we walked down a little ways and caught the tram on the way. We got Mexican for lunch. Then we watched The Last Jedi. We watched The Last Jedi in the movie theater.

Jan. 8, 2018

Yesterday we packed the camper up. We brought our food, blankets, and clothes back to the camper. Then we went to the Pima Air and Space Museum. We looked at a couple planes and then Aunt Lisa left. I played on the rocket shaped playground for a while. Uncle Ryan bought us ice cream. We looked at a couple more planes and then Uncle Ryan, Chelsea, grandad, and Nana left. Then Dad, Nick, and I looked at the rest, then left. I played on the playground most of the time. Then we watched Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2.

December in Phoenix - Nick

12/15/17

From the Wells Fargo Museum

Yesterday we woke up early to take the camper to a repair shop. We had to get the tires changes. Then we left the camper there and went to a Wells Fargo Museum. Wells Fargo is a bank that started back when the gold rush happened. Then we went to Noodles for lunch. Next we went to a Walmart to get a couple things. Then we picked up our camper and went back to our site. Finally we had pizza for dinner. I forgot to mention that we had Ihop for breakfast.

12/16/17

Yesterday we went to the Science Museum. There were all kinds of exhibits. The first one we saw was about bones and organs and your brain. There was a game called The Brain Game. You put a helmet on that sensed your brain. Whoever had the least brain waves wins. To not have brain waves you need to be calm.  Another thing there was was a giant stomach you could walk into that explained how the stomach worked. Then we went to the technology exhibits. I learned to send my name in Morse code. There was also a camera that made your face look really weird. My favorite thing was a bed of nails though. After the Science Museum we came home, had dinner, and watched a movie.

12/17/17

Yesterday we didn’t do much until lunch. Then at 1:00 we started driving somewhere but Dad wouldn’t tell us where. When we pulled into the parking lot we figured out it was an amusement park called Castles and Coasters. After we bought our tickets we went into the park. The first ride we did was a ride where you sat in a cart that was attached to a metal tower and you went up slowly and then dropped really fast. Then we went on a roller coaster called Desert Storm. It went up really high and then down really steep. It also went upside down twice. We did that ride a couple times. Next we went on a ride called Loggerhead. It was like a roller coaster but you were in a man-made river that went all over. Next we went on a ride called Sea Dragon. On Sea Dragon you sat in a giant boat that swung back and forth in a little more than a half circle. On that ride you get a really weird feeling in your stomach. Next we did bumper cars, which were fun. We did those a bunch of times because there was almost no line. Then we went on a ride called Magic Carpet. You sat in a cart that spun in circles really fast. Then we did a roller coaster called Patriot that was really fast. Then we did my favorite ride. It was called Little Indy. You got in a go-kart and raced around a track with a bunch of other people. The carts could go about 25 mph. then we did a rope course that wasn’t the best, but the zip line they had next to it was really fun. Then we came home and went to bed.

12/18/17

Yesterday we didn’t do much because we were all really tired. We stayed up really late at Castles and Coasters. We watched the Packer game. We lost. We also watched a lot of other football. Then I rode my bike. Next we had pizza and watched a movie.

12/19/17

Yesterday I rode my bike a lot in the morning. Then after lunch, we did a 3 mile hike to a nature center. They had some signs about the animals that lived around there. The hike was pretty. We saw a lot of cactus. Then we went shopping. When we got back we had dinner and watched a movie.

12/20/17

Yesterday we took the camper into a tire place to get the tires changes or something. Then while they were fixing the tires we went to the first neighborhood of Phoenix, Arizona. That is where we are. The houses weren’t very old so the city couldn’t be very old either. Then just to kill some time we went to the Creativity Center. It was a room with Legos and wood blocks in it. We didn’t stay long. Next we picked up our camper and drove to our next site. When we got there we had dinner and played Wii.

12/21/17

Yesterday we didn’t do much because we were waiting to pick Mom up from the airport. I rode my bike for a while, I played football with Andi, I read, and I played Wii. At about 5:30 we had dinner. Then we got Mom from the airport. It was really nice to see her. On the way home we got Culver’s malts. They were really good. Then, since it was really late we went to bed.

12/22/17

Yesterday we drove our camper into town to get the brakes on it fixed. It was an hour and a half to get there. When we did get there we got lunch at a sandwich place. It was good. When we got back the trailer was done. Next we went shopping. After shopping we drove an hour and a half to get back to our site. Then we had dinner and went to bed.

12/23/17

Yesterday we drove to our next site. It was a really long drive. When we got there we set up camp. Then we met some kids. They were really nice. We played laser tag, capture the flag, and football. It was really fun to have kids to play with. We played with them for a really long time. Then we had dinner and went to bed.

12/24/17

Yesterday we had breakfast in the morning. Then I went outside and played laser tag with my new friends. After we played laser tag for a while we helped the host clean up some of the sites after people leave. It turns out they do that all the time to help out. The hosts are 70 and 80 years old, so it is harder for them. After that we played laser tag and football for a while. We also played nerf guns. Then we went over to a friend’s camper and played X-box. We played a game called Starwars Battle Front. It was really fun. Then we came home and had dinner. After dinner we played X-box again for a while. Then we came home and went to bed.

Grandma's awesome handmade Christmas gifts!

12/26/17

Two days ago was Christmas Eve! During the day we played with our friends. We played laser tag, rode bikes, and all sorts of other things. We played until about 6:00. Then we came home and had chili. We also opened Grandma and Grandpa’s presents because at home we always go to their house on Christmas Eve. I got a really nice homemade blanket and pillow. I also got some Greek Mythology books. Then we watched A Christmas Story and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Then we went to bed.

Wisco Pop from the deSnoo family

Yesterday was Christmas! We all slept in until about 8:00. Then we had donuts for breakfast while we watched the 5^th Harry Potter movie. The donuts were really good. When the movie was over we opened presents. From the Rutters we got some clay modeling stuff that looked fun. From the deSnoos we got some really good cherry soda I had never had before. Then, from Mom and Dad, we got a robot building kit. Once you build it you can control it with a controller. Then we watched the 6^th Harry Potter movie. After that we went outside and played with our friends. We rode bikes, played laser tag, and all sorts of things. We played until about 5:00 and then we went out to dinner at a Chinese place. It was really good. I got sweet and sour chicken. When we got home we watched Part 1 of the 7^th Harry Potter movie.

12/27/17

Yesterday we had another day where we played with our friends all day. We played laser tag, football, and rode bikes. We did that all day. When we were done we had dinner and did homework.

12/28/17

Yesterday we started driving to our next site in the morning, but a little way into the drive something on the trailer broke. We came back to the same site. While Dad was fixing the trailer I played with John and Cole for the rest of the day. Then we had dinner and watched a movie.

12/29/17

Yesterday we got going early in the morning and took the camper in to a repair shop to get the axles replaced. While it was getting repaired we got breakfast at Waffle House. Then we sat at a library until the trailer was done. Then we drove home and I played with my friends for the rest of the day. At about 6:00 we went over to our friend's campsite for dinner. We had hot dogs and ribs. Then we came home and went to bed.

December in Phoenix - Andi

Dec. 15, 2017

Yesterday we dropped the camper off at a place to fix it. Then we drove to the Wells Fargo and Company Museum. Then we had lunch at Noodles. Then we got the camper back, moved, and read in bed.

Wells Fargo Museum

Dec. 16, 2017

Yesterday we went to the Arizona Science Museum. We saw a water exhibit with balls, water pipes, and music made with water. Then we played a brain game in the next exhibit. The brain game was where you wore a helmet and tried not to get any emotion waves. They also had the sky cycle. You were on a metal bike and a cable and you pedaled backwards or forwards. We saw lots of other exhibits including the bed of nails (it didn’t work), dancing magnets, and tug-of-war. Then we came home and watche da movie and went to bed.

Dec. 17, 2017

Yesterday we had a quiet morning until 1:00 pm. We went to an amusement park called Castles-n-Coasters. It had a ride that went up slowly and once at the top it drops fast. Then we went in splash town. It is a ride where you sit in a plastic log and you float down a controlled river. You go up and then down fast into the water. It went up and down twice. Then we went on a ride called Desert Storm. You go up, down, upside down, and spirals. Then we went on the Sea Dragon. You rock backwards and forwards until you’re straight up and down. Then we did bumper cars. Then we did the little Indy Race Car Track. The line was so long we burnt an hour just sitting in line. Once we got a car, Nick had to drive because I wasn’t tall enough. We got the slowest car by far. We just kept doing them over and over until it started getting dark. Once it was dark we did the rope course and zipline. Then we did bumper boats. It was a tube with a motor on it and it was hard to drive. We stayed there for an hour. Then we did our favorite rides one more time and then went home. We got to bed at about 11:00 pm.

Dec. 18, 2017

Yesterday we had a down day. We played Wii, watched a couple football games and watched Harry Potter the 4^th.

Dec. 19, 2017

Yesterday we rode bikes. We explored the campground. Then we went on a hike towards the Nature Center. Then we went shopping. We watched a movie and went to bed.

Dec. 20, 2017

Yesterday we dropped the camper off at the shop. Then we went to the Arizona Science Create Center. Then we got the camper back and went to a new campsite. We played Wii.

Dec. 21, 2017

Yesterday we rode bikes, played Wii, read, and played football. We had dinner and then went to pick mom up from the airport. Then we went to bed.

Eagerly awaiting Christmas!

Dec. 22, 2017

Yesterday we drove to the place where we got the camper fixed. Then we sat in the car for a while. Then we went out for lunch. Once we got it back, we drove to our campsite and played Dominion. Then we went to bed.

Dec. 23, 2017

Yesterday we had a lazy morning. Then we found some kids to play with. We played laser tag, capture the flag, and some more laser tag. We came in, had dinner, and read.

Dec. 24, 2017

Yesterday mom and I read in bed. Then we went to the nature center and got Uncle Ryan a Christmas present.  I also got a necklace. Then I played with a new friend. We played Barbies, American Girl dolls, and rode bikes. We had dinner and then went back over to their house to play. Then we went to bed.

Dec. 26, 2017

Two days ago (Christmas Eve) we played with our friends outside. We played American Girl Dolls, Barbies, and more American Girl dolls. We watched a Christmas Story and How the Grinch Stole Christmas. Then we went to bed.

Christmas Day watching movies

Yesterday we had doughnuts, watched movies, opened presents, and played outside. We played American Girl dolls. Then we had Chinese food. We watched another movie and went to bed.

Christmas dinner a la Christmas Story

Today we played all day. We played American Girl dolls, baked cookies, rode bikes, colored, and made earrings and necklaces.

Dec. 28, 2017

Yesterday we packed up and started to leave. We bought coins at the Visitor Center and came back and the camper was on jacks. We booked another campsite and played again. We painted. Then we watched Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2. Then we went to bed.

Dec. 29, 2017

Yesterday we drove to the place where we could get our camper fixed. Then we had breakfast at Waffle House. Then we brought the camper back to the campsite and played with our friends. Then we had dinner at a friend's campsite. Then we went to bed.

San Diego - Nick and Andi

La Jolla Beach

Helicopter at the Leatherneck Aviation Museum

12/6/17

Nick: 

Yesterday we went shopping in the morning. When we were done shopping we came home and had lunch. After lunch Andi and I played laser tag for a while. Then we went to a beach on the Pacific Ocean. There were some tiny crabs in the water that were fun to watch. Then we came home, had dinner and watched the 3^rd Harry Potter movie.

12/7/17

Nick:

Yesterday we went to Miramar Base. It is a Marine base. We saw the gyms where the Marines worked out. We also saw the obstacle course they had to pass to be a Marine. Best of all we got to see all of the planes. There were tons of fighter jets and helicopters that could lift tanks. Then we came home and had lunch. After lunch Andi and I played laser tag for a while. Next we went to Cabrillo Tide Pools in Cabrillo National Park. We saw all sorts of water animals. We saw a slug that was a foot long. It felt like a wet hot dog. We saw a sea anemone eating a crab. We actually saw a ton of sea anemones.  When you touch them they curl up and they are really sticky. We also saw hermit crabs. Then we came home and had dinner.

Huge California Sea Hare

Andi:

Yesterday we woke up at 7:00 am to get to the Miramar Marine Corps base. They had an auto body shop and a place where you could fix your own car. We also saw a couple gyms where they could exercise. Then we saw the obstacle course. We saw the planes after that. They had planes that could take off vertically. They could land vertically too. Then we went to the museum. I mostly played with sticks. Then we came home and played. Then we went to the tide pools and saw a California Sea Hare (a kind of sea slug), lots of sea anemones, and tiny hermit crabs. Then we watched a movie and went home.

12/8/17

Nick:

Yesterday we had a huge breakfast in the morning. Then we went to the USS Midway. It is an old aircraft carrier that they turned into a museum. We saw the take-off strip where they hooked the plane onto what they called a shuttle or catapult. The catapult was powered by compressed steam. It launched the plane in a really short distance. We also got to see the bridge where they drove the ship. We also saw where the people on the ship slept. They were packed in like sardines. The bunks were 3 high. We also did a simulator that simulated being in a fighter jet. We were doing flips and rolls and all sorts of stuff. We also looked at a bunch of jets.

Andi:

Yesterday we had omelets, hashbrowns, and bacon. Then we went to the USS Midway aircraft carrier. The museum was on the boat. We saw lots of planes. We saw fighter jets and rescue helicopters. We did the audio tour. We saw the Midway Battle Theater. It was a video about the battle against Japan. Then we went to the upper deck and looked at the planes up there. We saw the brig. That is where the crew went if you stole something, argued and got in fights or didn’t do what you were told. Then we did a simulator. It felt and looked like you were flying an airplane. We did a talk about landing, but I fell asleep so I didn’t hear it. Then we came home and played Scrambled States of America.

12/9/17

Nick:

Graduation at MCRD

Yesterday we went to the Marine Corps Recruiting Depot. We watched a bunch of Marines graduate from boot camp. It was really long. It was not fun, but it was still cool to see. Then we went back to the Midway Museum. We saw the kitchen first. They cooked soup in giant tubs that had to be 50 gallons. Then we saw the area where everyone ate. It looked like a school cafeteria. Next we saw where the captains ate. They had nicer tables and better food. We also saw a few more jets. Then we came home and had dinner.

Andi:

Yesterday we went to a 2 hour military graduation show. It got boring, but the music was good. I started playing with my sunglasses. When it was over we went to the USS Midway Museum. We saw ready rooms, the kitchen, the dining room, and the hospital. Then we went home and played. Then I went to bed.