The start of our California Adventure!

When we went to California, we stayed with Rich's sister and her family in Sta George. We decided to go and see some dinosaur tracks out in the middle of no where. To get there, you have to get through about 150 feet of pure sand and it's pretty deep. Our Yukon has 4 wheel drive but the switch is "picky" about when it wants to work and switch in and out. So of course, when we needed it, it wouldn't switch. So our bro in law drove our car and tried to get us through. Now, you have to know that our 9 passenger car was fully loaded with 9 people & luggage for 9 for a week. .... We didn't get very far before our wheels were spinning in the red sand! Luke has a tow rope in his Tahoe, so we hooked us up and he had to tow us across the sand.... a little nerve racking, but we made. After we saw the dinosaur tracks, we had to come back! So this time, Luke stops about 1 or 2 hundred yards from the sand and him and Rich traded cars again and he informs me that he was going to try it a different way!??? I informed him that I had precious cargo in the car and he was to NOT do anything crazy! So what does he do? Floors it and basically hydroplanes across the top of the sand on a side that isn't well traveled and rutted. Now THAT was nerve racking! All I could do was pray that we didn't catch a rut or something and roll! But we made it! ALIVE! And we saw cool dinosaur tracks too!

Dallas kneeling by one of the large tracks.

The dinosaur track "path"

Cohen and Cousin Bailey were so cute!

They ran around and held hands the whole time.

The next morning we got up and drove to California. It was Sunday, so we went to the LA Temple and walked around the Temple grounds. The kids had fun rolling down the big grass hill and playing in the fountains.

This picture looks funny to me because Jordan and Cohen look like we photo shopped them in or something. They look so little on the rock by themselves! Even Macie looks bigger than them! Our friend April and her 2 kids came with us. Makenna and Kyson are in the middle. This was a warm up to and awesome week!

Our family in front of the temple

After the Temple our plan was to go to the Santa Monica Pier. The kids were excited because that is where they filmed Hannah Montana. But just getting there took forever! There were SO many people! I don't know what was happening at the Pier that day but EVERYBODY
was there! So we decided to go to a neighboring beach and let the kids play in the sand instead. They had so much fun and got sopping wet and completely sandy!

MaKenna, Micailey, Dallas, and Kyson

The Santa Monica Pier

Jordan, but mostly Cohen, were not sure they liked the water!

Cohen pretty much cried the whole time we were there!

Smith Family Vacation 2009

Dad and Cohen

Trying to dust off! Luckily there are showers in hotel rooms!