We were very excited about this trip. It was the first time I had ever flown...and my boys had never flown either so we were very excited. We had a wonderful time back east. Our favorite day was probably the day we spent at Ocean City Beach. Walter's cousins Xavier, Caroline, Nora, and Johnnie all took very good care of us while we were out there and showed us some amazing things. Our trip would not have been as great without the time they spent showing us around the area. What an incredible place!
If All Else Fails played at a firework stand Friday night in front of Walmart in Layton. They got to play many of their favorite songs.
Austin and Matt play guitar and Sean is on bass.
Tyler sang lead on "Feeling This" For a kid who always swore he hated singing....he sure enjoyed it! It was a fun night and everyone seemed to enjoy the performance.
It quickly filled up the gutter, and even though it was flowing down the gutter, it wasn't fast enough because it started going over the curb and into my front yard. I tried not to panic...but I did find myself a city worker pretty quick. My house is known in the neighborhood for flooding. How sad is that? True....but sad. I was told that the water main blew when the new Catholic school across the street tested their water line. Little geysers of water came up through every crack or weak spot in the street and flowed over towards my yard. The city workers had already turned off two lines...but had not found the line that fed into this line yet....so it was still gushing. Finally, after 15 to 20 minutes of rushing water, they found the shut off valve and got it turned off
In the meantime, the water had washed so much dirt out from under the road- it started to buckle....so they had to close it off and dig it up. They were afraid it had created a couple of sink holes and worried that a car might go into it. So the road was dug up, the pipe was replaced and then all was covered back up. Now it is still a dirt patch in the street. Eventually the city will repave it.....but I am not holding my breath.
But my favorite part of the house was the stairs. I loved all the windows surrounding them. My dog, Saydie, loved to park herself on the stairs and look out the window.
I didn't really get a chance to take as many photos as I wanted to....I guess I will just have to go back. Lol
My baby turned 13 last month. How in the world did that happen? It seems it was not long ago I rocked him to sleep. Fortunately for me, he still loves to cuddle up and watch movies and always loves to give me a hug and a kiss as I tuck him into bed each night.
After we left the school, we decided to take a drive up to Causey Reservoir. It is one of her favorite places and we wanted to see how much water there was because we have had such a wet year. It was absolutely beautiful up there. This top picture was taken from the dam looking downriver.
We drove a little further up around the lake to look out point. From up there you could look up several fingers of the lake. The lake was completely full but just to the spill line..not quite enough water to tumble down the spillway.
It was an enjoyable day. Hope to get back up here with the family soon. 
After getting it all moved out onto the trailer to be hauled off to the recyclers, Walter pullled out the weed whacker and cut all the weeds down to ground level....then I followed with the tiller. 
What a difference. School gets out this week.....and then I plan on planting.
Later that evening, I went to Jenson Nature Park and found what I had been looking for all along.
A lot of the buildings are in ruins, some are in the process of being restored. This was not one of them. 
The main prison house is still very much intact. As you go in, you are handed an earset with a recorded guide. It moves you through the prison at your own pace. Along with the guide are sound effects of prison life. You hear slamming of prison doors and men hollering. Most of it is just background noise; but at times there were a few scary sounds. When in the kitchen there was a stabbing sound and in a few places there scuffling and shouting.
It was really eerie when the sound tour ended because all of a sudden the sound effects were gone and you realized you were shuffling through the prison with hundreds of other people in complete silence. While we were in this hallway one of the park rangers came up and started opening and closing cell doors. It was quite a system. We were told that the sound of the cell doors closing was used by Hollywood in several different movies including Star Wars. Who knew?
The cells were only 5 by 9 feet. Seemed quite small. If they hadn't earned work priveleges they spent 23 hours a day only leaving their cell for 3 twenty minute meal breaks each day. Gave a man plenty of time to think.
I imagine it was torture for the prisoners of Alcatraz to have views like this one just outside their windows. 
We almost didn't see the jellyfish swimming around the pier. This looked like a plastic bag someone had thown into the bay. We ended up watching this one come up to the surface and go back down. He had several more around him that were very small. They looked like bubbles because they were so small.
We always love to watch the sealions. They are so entertaining. They are territorial of their docks and fight and push each other around. We thought this little family of sea lions was cute.
Brandon and I on the end of the pier. 
So in our hurry to get out of town and onto our trip to San Francisco....we forgot to pack the GPS. We have never been to California without it and have always depended heavily upon it. However, that morning we found that we were able to find our way over to the Bay Bridge and into San Francisco without it. Once we were into the city though we got all turned around.
We had been playing with the idea of going somewhere for Spring Break but none of us seemed to be able to agree where we should go. 
Tyler got his driver's license. Yes, I am stressed, but I have been in the car with him enough to feel good about his driving skills. 
Tyler's band "If All Else Fails" won the Battle of the Bands at Layton High a couple of weeks ago. They were practically the only Sophomores competing in the competition and really did not expect anything. They were so thrilled when they walked away with it.
Tonight they compete at the Union Station in Ogden for a chance to professionally record one of their songs and produce a video on the John Lennon Tour Bus and a package of $700 worth of equipment at Music Village.
Once again, they are walking in not really expecting to win....but very hopeful. They will be competing against 15 other high schools. Their songs are good and they have practiced hard. I am very excited for them.
I took this photo in Layton last month on a day off. It was very cold and it was snowing, and by the time I went around the park my coat was soaking wet with snow and I was shivering. But it was a beautiful winter's day. I practically had the park to myself and I enjoyed the peace and tranquility that only nature at its best can give me. A perfect day!
