San Diego Trip Day 2- The USS Midway and the beach

 Our first morning in San Diego!  I was just itching to run on that sand so I got up early and sneaked out for a 5 mile barefoot run..... it was heavenly!! Worth the whole trip for that lol.  It was light by 5:30 so I got to do this 3 of our 4 mornings there!  Well I only ran 5 miles the once though.
 And apparently Mission Beach is Sand Dollar colony, because I have only found one sand dollar on the beach in my whole life, but here there were hundreds!

Then we got ready and went to the USS Midway museum.It is an actual aircraft carrier built in 1945 that was in service until 1991, then they turned it into a museum.  It is pretty awesome.  And it was a hit! They give you a lanyard with a phone-type thing on the end, and you can scan it at all these different locations and put it up to your ear and listen to a story or info.  It is really cool, and they have different recordings for kids or adults.  Emma got her own and would always listen to it, it was hilarious.

Emma staring at a giant plane.

Maris wanted a picture in front of this one.

down in the maze of passageways on the huge aircraft carrier!

Eric and the kids in the tiny bunks the sailors would have!  And Whitney listening to a story about them.

Eric, knots, and cute Emma.

the chain holding the anchor!

The control room, it was like a movie!

My little crew.

I can't remember the name of any of the planes, but this one was cool!

The ejection seat!

Katelyn and a yellow plane :)

Emma trying to open a hatch.

Emma smiling for the camera haha

Up on the flight deck they had a bunch of planes and helicopters.  I didn't get a picture of Owen in front of his favorites, because he said he loved them all!

Maris just looked so cute, like she was chatting with this cardboard cutout lady!

Inside a plane!

The naughty kids were put in the brig haha.

they all got their junior pilot's wings.

After the Midway we went to lunch at a Mexican place and then went back to our condo to hurry and change and walk back to the BEACH!
The kids really got into the sand, and apparently Owen was planking for this picture lol.

Emma was just so cute I couldn't stop taking pictures of her!!  Notice she is wearing her crocs, because she didn't like to touch the sand with her feet!  Stay tuned for more on that later in the week :)

 Whitney and Eric after one of many many trips into the ocean boogie boarding!

Emma getting her nap in with a sandy face at the beach.

Not the best picture but I love my Whitney!

We went back to the condo to eat hot dogs and sauteed veggies, then went for a walk around Belmont Park to shop for souvenirs.  Kate got a cute swim coverup, Whitney gor a fanny pack, and Owen got a beanie boo tiger.  Maris got a little cat purse and I got them all shirts. :)

We walked back to the condo to get in the car and drive to get slurpees, but on the way back the sun was setting beautifully so I got the kids to stop and Eric took this awesome picture.  I love their genuine smiles!!  And the fact that Maris' shoes are unstrapped, Owen is wearing an old soccer jersey because all he brought were "sports shirts", and Maris is being crazy and wearing that ridiculous hand-me-down hat.  They are so cute and funny!