Aquarium, Part 1

For Christmas last year, we gave our grandchildren a trip to the Monterey Bay Aquarium, to be taken in family groups (minus the nursing babies and without parents).  Due to busy schedules and other stuff, we are just getting around to making good on our gift.  We took the Abdelaziz children last month and are scheduled to take the Gombojavs next month.  Hopefully, the Correas will follow soon. 

The Aquarium is an awesome place where it is very easy to spend the entire day and still feel like you haven't seen everything to your satisfaction.  My only complaint is that there were too many political displays.  I don't like being bombarded with political agendas while trying to enjoy the wonders that God has created.  However, it is a great place and they do a lot of good for the ocean and its creatures.

It is about two hours away, so we left early and had to stop for lunch.  We wanted to eat before we went in and the only place we saw was here, a place I haven't been to in ages!  But, what child doesn't want fries?  And a chocolate chip cookie for dessert?

Here we are walking from the parking garage down Cannery Row ready for our adventure.

I certainly cannot do justice to the sea life, so I won't be showing a lot of "fish" pictures, but since this is definitely Abishai's favorite, it must have its place in this story.

Jael was very conscientious and took little notes about everything that interested her.  She brought little slips of paper in her pocket.

The children loved all the hands-on learning.

Standing under a wave is exciting even if you know it's coming -- since you've stood here wave after wave. 

So, the girl on the right is the same little girl on the right in the picture below. 

How time flies!

(Meg, Izzy, Jael)

The boys have a fascination with all the snails in our yard, so they loved these little vests!

They have something for every age!

Okay, there's a story behind this picture.  Papa had the camera most of the day and realized that he wasn't getting in any of the pictures, so I took the camera for a bit.  After I took this picture, he took the camera to peruse the pictures.  (Isn't digital great?)  So, when he saw this one, he started laughing.  I looked questioningly at him.  He asked who I had taken a picture of.  I still didn't get it.  So, after a few comments and questions back and forth, I finally understood.  He thought I had taken a picture of some stranger just to make him think it was him!  He doesn't think it looks like himself.  I think it looks exactly like him.  I still don't get it.

As gorgeous as those jelly fish are, these handsome men surpass them!

They weren't standing up and they weren't laying down.  They were on a slope staring UP into an amazingly enormous tank with sharks, tuna, sunfish, and other huge creatures.

Leaving.  Can you tell the sun was in our eyes? 

We did a better job this time.

One last stop on Cannery Row before getting to our van.  Dippin' Dots!  Papa's idea, of course. 

The whole day was absolutely wonderful.  Not a stressful moment.  Pure unadulterated enjoyment.  I'm not sure if we gave our grandchildren a gift, or they gave us one.  As with Dippin' Dots, good to the very end!