Mason went on a once in a lifetime field trip for school this past week...and Shane and I were lucky enough to get to tag along! His fourth grade class traveled to Dana Point to the Ocean Institute for their Before the Mast Overnight Program. It takes place in 1834 on a tall ship. The crew is in character for the entire field trip experience...from 2:30 p.m. when the kids are recruited to work as crew members on the ship, until 9 a.m. the next morning when they disembark. All of the kids were divided into groups before they got to the ship, with one student as the mate of each crew of kids. Mason was the mate of the Hidegathers. Shane and I were Safety Officers. There was one Safety Officer assigned to each crew. Our main job was to make sure the kids were safe at all times, but not to help them, unless a member of the crew asked us to. Shane was assigned to the Boatswains. They were responsible for the ship's maintenance. I was assigned to the Galley. We were responsible for the preparation of meals and running the galley.
The class getting ready to board the bus!
Mason and his buddy Connelly
On our way to the Ocean Institute, we stopped at the San Juan Capistrano Mission.
It was so beautiful!
Here we are in front of the Pilgrim in Dana Point
This is the boat we were on...the Spirit
This is Mr. Alexander, the first mate. He was rounding up a crew and assigning crew mates...this is when he "recruited" Mason!
Mason getting ready to board the ship!
This is "Dr. Chaos". He was the cook and the ship's doctor. He was called the doctor not because he had any medical training, but because he was the one with the knives! He was very superstitious and very funny! I got to spend quite a bit of time with him since he was over the galley.
Here is Mason with the other Hidegathers and Mr. Hudson (the second mate) going out to get some bullock hides.
He also learned to coil the lines. He was very quick to jump in when there was something on board that needed to be done!
Here's Mason reporting to the Captain. He was explaining why they only returned with 2 hides.
The kids had a great night on board. Each crew (except for the galley) had to do a two hour night watch. Mason had watch from 10-12, and Shane had watch from 12-2! It was amazing how these kids just got up and did what needed to be done! As for me and the galley crew, we didn't have to do watch, because we were up at 4:45 to make breakfast! We even got in some rowing in order to go around to the other side of the boat to wake up the captain!
Once the decks were scrubbed and the boat was clean, it was time to go sailing! They even gave Susan and I a job! (Susan was one of the other Safety Officers on board!)
It was a beautiful day for sailing!!!
The kids even learned how to steer the boat!
This was such a great opportunity...we had a great time! Mason wants to do it again!!!
The kids love sleeping out in the tent!
It isn't too bad with the two rooms!
Shane and I even camp out with them!
Yeah...that's Rylie under there! (And Elizabeth, Felicity, and Little Rylie!)
Parker and Mason getting all bundled up! We all fell asleep pretty quick, but we were up WAY too early!!!
We spent the afternoon over at the Padgetts...with the Padgetts and the Woods...here I am with my boyfriend Jaden!
Shealyn, Andrea, Rylie, and Lauren
The ULTIMATE Slip n Slide...it was CRAZY!!!
They put dish soap on themselves and the slide...so that they would go even faster!
Karolin and her kids!
Me and Shane
Parks was a fish today!
Me, Karolin, and Julie
The Dentist
Devin, Christy, Hallie, and Mason
Me and Dev
After the graduation, Christy threw him a Luau! My aunt and uncle and cousins came down for the occasion! It was so much fun hanging out with everyone! It was also Keaton's 20th birthday...he got to play "bartender" for the night...he was a natural!
Shane with Devin and my uncle Cory
It has been so much fun living so close to Devin and Christy...and of course, Hallie and Mason! They are off to begin his career in Utah at the end of June! We are going to miss them so much!
She started her morning by going out to breakfast with her dad...a tradition Shane does with all the kids on their special days!
I let her "play hookie" from preschool and she and I headed to LA to the American Girl Store!!! Here she is with Elizabeth going up to the cafe where we had lunch!
Yes, the dolls are served too!!! Rylie made sure Elizabeth was well taken care of!
We also had lunch with Charissa, since Felicity wasn't available! Yes...the dolls are wearing birthday crowns!
This was Rylie's cake! It was very huge and very yummy! They even sang Happy Birthday to her...she was embarrassed, but loved every second of it!!!
After lunch we went to the beauty salon to get Elizabeth's hair done!
Then Rylie went and found her new doll...Felicity!!! (She and Elizabeth are best friends!)
Here we are in the personal shopping room, trying to decide what we were going to get!!! It was a very hard decision!
Rylie and her dolls...and her bag full of goodies for them!!! She even got herself a dress...and Felicity and Elizabeth one to match! They are going to wear them to see the Lion King in June!
One last picture in front of the fountains at The Grove before we headed home. Rylie and I had a great day together! It is very rare that the two of us actually get a "date"...I don't know who had more fun! 
The class getting ready to board the bus!
Mason and his buddy Connelly
On our way to the Ocean Institute, we stopped at the San Juan Capistrano Mission.
It was so beautiful!
This is the boat we were on...the Spirit
This is Mr. Alexander, the first mate. He was rounding up a crew and assigning crew mates...this is when he "recruited" Mason!
Mason getting ready to board the ship!
This is "Dr. Chaos". He was the cook and the ship's doctor. He was called the doctor not because he had any medical training, but because he was the one with the knives! He was very superstitious and very funny! I got to spend quite a bit of time with him since he was over the galley.
Here is Mason with the other Hidegathers and Mr. Hudson (the second mate) going out to get some bullock hides.
He also learned to coil the lines. He was very quick to jump in when there was something on board that needed to be done!
Here's Mason reporting to the Captain. He was explaining why they only returned with 2 hides. 
Once the decks were scrubbed and the boat was clean, it was time to go sailing! They even gave Susan and I a job! (Susan was one of the other Safety Officers on board!)
It was a beautiful day for sailing!!!
The kids even learned how to steer the boat!
This was such a great opportunity...we had a great time! Mason wants to do it again!!!
It all started with the egg decorating on Saturday! As you can see...this is taken very seriously at our house!
The kids were very excited to look for their baskets on Easter morning! Rylie has been counting down the days until Easter for weeks! Mason found his basket first this year!
Rylie was very excited to dig in to her basket! She was actually up at6:30! She came in our room to inform us that the Easter Bunny had come and that he had hidden all of the baskets...but that she hadn't looked for any yet! She then told us that we needed a bigger house so that the Easter Bunny would have more hiding places for baskets, and a bigger backyard so that he would have more hiding places for eggs! Finally at 6:45 we let her wake up the boys and the fun began!
Parker found his last...that Easter Bunny was very tricky this year!
All ready for church in their new Easter Outfits...Rylie especially loved her dress and the opportunity to sport her "wiggy hair"!
Rylie and Shane
Me and the kids
The kids couldn't wait to get home from church so that they could hunt for Easter Eggs in the backyard. Rylie talked Mason out of a few of the eggs he found!
Rylie made sure she looked under everything for eggs!
Parker made sure Rylie found all of the "girly" eggs. He's always watching out for his little sister!
The Easter Bunny brought Rylie and Elizabeth matching sundresses. Here is one of them! Rylie loves to dress her dolls the same as her!
