St. Thomas

Today we went hiking out to St. Thomas. Alicia gave me the idea after she posted her pictures a few weeks ago. It was so neat! It's quite incredible to see the foundations of these buildings after they've been underwater for so long. If those walls could talk!My grandparents used to live in St. Thomas so it felt like going back to my roots somehow. It was interesting to see pieces of china and bottles out there. It was an easy hike and I encourage everyone to check it out if they can. It's a great little piece of history. Here is a little bit of history I stole from Alicia:

Founded 8 Jan 1865 by Mormon settlers sent by Brigham Young to the confluence of the Muddy and Virgin Rivers, St. Thomas had fewer than 500 residents, but was a popular stop along the Arrowhead Trail. The town and surrounding land was purchased by the Federal goverment in the 1930s to make way for Lake Mead. Most residents moved to nearby Overton. After the completion of Hoover Dam (then called Boulder Dam), the waters rose to cover the foundations of the town's buildings. Today, when the lake is low, the remnants of St. Thomas rise out of the mud.

Brenda

Brenda has been visiting for the past couple of days. She's the oldest in the family and I'm the youngest. We're 9 years apart but it's rare that a day goes by that we don't talk. We have decided to make an annual event out of her coming to visit with no kids. It's sort of her time to let loose and just goof around without having to take care of someone.

On Thursday we all went to dinner with my buddy George (ie, my Gary Spivey date). George is hilarious so I was so glad they really got to meet each other. Friday, we went to Overton. Brenda wanted to spend some time with our grandparents.
We spent the morning chatting and then we peaced out to Box Wash for some shooting and four wheeling. My dad busted out the AK-47 and we had a competition. There was a mangled Santa Clause that had been used by someone else for target practice out there, so that's what we put our target on. Brenda beat me by 5 points.
I always love me some four wheeling. Saturday, we got massages and then went shopping. We had so much fun but her trip was way too short. Thanks sister, I had a great time!

Shamu, churros, & Chimps

We met up with my dad and Patty for a few fun-filled days in San Diego. On Thursday, we went to Sea World. Now, for some reason my parents LOVE them some Sea World. It's not very crowded there, so we got to see lots of stuff.

We got to feed the seals, sea lions, flamingos and dolphins. We also pet some sting rays, starfish and dolphins. Of course, starfish can't breathe out of water. Here is some strange little boy telling my dad to leave him in the water. Sheesh! He was like the starfish Nazi. We told the starfish to hold his breath, what more do you want?
We also checked out the polar bears and peguins.
On Friday, we went to Tijuana to see if we could score some good deals. We didn't get much, but it was still fun haggling and, of course, taking this picture.
The next day, we decided to go to the San Diego Zoo. It's probably been over 20 years since I have been. I just remembered how big it was and some things don't change. I got a good butt workout hoofin' it through those hills. The best part of the trip to the zoo was feeding the giraffes.Their tongues were long and slobbery, but it was so neat. We saw a ton of other animals...here are a few:
We had such a great time! The weather was perfect throughout the entire trip.