Family Vacation 2014-Sydney

We started planning this trip about 14 Months ago and invited all of our family. Only a few were able to come. But we are so glad that our immediate family were all able to attend.

So the Month of February started off a bit rocky here in South Carolina. A very cold winter storm passed thru while I was in Utah at my Grandmothers Funeral and I had to reroute myself to California. Darren was working in NC and had to drive home in it, Nick was at home getting ready to fly to California to meet up with his fiance Mikaila. 

Darren made it home in time to take the delayed Nick to California who I saw for a day then was able to get home in time to unpack all the winter clothes and pack for Summer in the Land Down Under 3 days, the weather was looking nasty for our intended leave date so we moved our tickets up a few days early and after retrieving Rusy from the pound after he decided to wonder off during all of this and dropping both naughty dogs off at the kennel and we were off.

We spent a few days in Irvine shopping, visiting, church & beach. Then on Monday the 10th we picked up Grandpa Grandpa & Grandma Grandma in Santa Clarita and Mikaila in San Bernardino and back to Irvine to wait for Ben to arrive home from Google (work) so we could figure out how we were going to get 19+ pieces of luggage and 9 passangers to the airport in a mini van and Honda Element. Sorry no pictures of that, we will leave it to your imagination.

Sydney Australia

After a 14+hr flight on Quantas we arrived safe and sound in Sydney at around 10am on the 12th.

We had to try and stay awake all day so that we could avoid jet leg.
Here's how Bennett does it!

(Photography by Ben)

We walked down the street for some lunch and then walked over to the Sydney Opera House. Everyone was getting pretty tired but we managed to stay awake long enough to eat some Pizza at an outdoor cafe and then off to bed just after dark.

Our room 

Lunch here

                                                

A little bit of shopping after breakfast at our hotel. A new hat for Darren and a Roo for Bennett.

So glad my family likes to have their pictures taken every once in a while;)

This was interesting an outside cement staircase with a staircase waterfall next to it. I think I will stay on the dry side.