The girls will play while the Dad's away

This years Symposium, (August 1-3, 2011)  as each years Symposiums have been, was in Anaheim at the Grand Californian and as always Dad has to work while the girls get to play!  This year I wanted to make sure we had things to do instead of swimming endlessly and hanging around the hotel, not that that's not fun but it gets a little droll. (I sound ungrateful, I'm not I promise!  We are so blessed to be working for such a wonderful company as Nth Generation Computing!) So here's our adventure!  MAN we had a GREAT TIME!!!   

La Brea Tar Pits totally stunk!  We had a blast being there but man the tar was stinky!!!

                                                     

We saw mammoth bones

and sloth bones (yes that was a sloth)

and a bunch of other really cool things!  You should totally check it out!  It's worth the stink!!!

This was the view from our hotel room! Loved watching the fireworks from Disneyland in the comfort of our pj's!

The slide at The Grand Californian is, as always, SWEET!

Some good bonding happening here!  I love spending time with my number one girl!  It's like summer was made for her and I to play!  I hate it when she has to go back to school and things get all crazy.  We lose something.  Can't wait for summer to start again!

This was the highlight of our whole trip!  Let me explain.  So I found this place that Emma could ride a pony for $3.  YA, WHAT A JOKE!  This stupid jerk guy that works for this stupid place takes Emma out in the middle of everyone, puts her on a scale, and announces that she weighs too much.  THANKS A LOT FOR MAKING MY DAUGHTER HATE HERSELF!!!  JERK!!!  Luckily the lady behind the counter makes up for a very small part of Emma's tears by giving us a phone number for a place WITH REAL HORSES!!!  This was the result!  Emma and I took a ride on, yes, REAL HORSES!  These were beautiful creatures and it's the first time ever she or I have ever ridden and no it doesn't count to ride when you're a little tiny kid and can't remember it!  We had SUCH a blast!  I would do it again in a heart beat!

We were both a little scared a first but when the guy told us to loosen our reigns and the horse started to saunter.....it was all worth it! 

Here's the place if you're ever in Pasedena and want to ride a horse.  It was $30 for both of us for half an hour.  Great place and the bathroom was clean!  (you who know me know that's a huge deal in a public setting!)

So this last shot was kind of a funny story.  I asked our little (Mexican) guide to take a picture of Emma and I together.  He didn't understand much English and when I handed him the camera it was on the setting to take a picture but I guess in the transition it got switched to video.  We're sitting there and sitting there and I'm waiting to see the flash go off but it never does.  Then he says ok and I say take one more.  So he sits there holding the camera and I can't figure out what's going on, I'm still waiting for the flash.  When I get into the car to leave I decide to look at the pictures really fast. I see there are four video segments and no final picture!  Alas I got home and figured out how to take a still shot but it's not the quality of a normal pic.  It will do though, I'll take it every time over having nothing!!!