WATCH conference and a company picnic

Last Friday we attended a wonderful conference with the whole family. I was worried it wouldn't work too well with Jenna and Holly, but being family-oriented, they had childcare and a great family room on the balcony level where the kids could play while we listened and watched the conference in a sound-proof room (kids can't exactly be expected to sit still for a full day of speeches :)

Ken Ham and Todd Wilson were the keynote speakers; we've heard Ken Ham before but it's always so good to hear him again! Todd Wilson was new to us; he spoke about homeschooling, character-building, and priorities and he was also the funniest speaker I've ever heard. He has an uncanny ability to recognize and point out the tendencies & typical behavior of husbands & wives.

We went to McDonalds for breakfast since nobody felt like eating at 5:00 in the morning. Marie sat down and promptly threw up on the table... what a wonderful sight (& smell?) for all the other customers! She had the flu a week before, but apparently she got another bug. Since we had already driven all the way down and the conference was just about to start (Marie's really good when she's sick), we stayed anyway and she camped out in the cry room with a sleeping bag and pillow kindly lent to her from another homeschool coop mom, and she felt much better by the evening.

After it was all cleaned up, Marie still had a smile on her face (the empty cup is there for a reason :)

They provided a BBQ supper, and had a talented blue-grass family band playing.

Holly and Jenna loved the nursery (and I loved that they loved the nursery)! The attendants were really sweet.

After the last seminar, Joel asked, "Can we come back again tomorrow? Please please?" (we weren't planning to come back the next day). We asked, "Is that because you really liked listening to Ken Ham and Todd Wilson?" Turns out it was because of the little toy people he'd been collecting that were hidden all over the church, which were to be turned in for tickets for prizes. Hopefully he still got something out of the seminars too :) I think Emily did for sure.

Wiped out after a long day...

The Tesoro picnic was the next day, always a highlight for the kids. How can you beat a meal and lots of games, treats and entertainment for the kids, all for free? :) And the snow cones booth and the Schwann's truck, where the kids run up all day and point to the one they want and they give it to them... I'm afraid our kids were more than a little spoiled and completely overloaded on sugar by the end of the day.

Can you see the oil tanker in the background?

The girls spent most of the day riding the train, which goes through the grounds and the campground too (did I mention Tesoro has it's own employee campground right next to the ocean and we've never even camped there? :( A lot of people bring their boats and go crabbing). Joel played in the bouncy things and the water-spraying basketball contest most of the day.

It looked like fall with all the leaves on the ground, but I think the trees are dropping them early from shock because of drought. Here you can see the refinery in the background.