The Alston's: Alston Family Reunion

And they're off! The Alston family had a reunion in Newport Beach, California te last week of July. We left on Saturday July 25th. It has been so much fun having time to play at the beach, Knott's Berry Farm, and the Aquarium. We had so much fun with Johnny's family in California!

Here are the kids in the car driving down the I-10 heading off to California.

Our little Gracie

Emma Kay and John-John having fun in the back seat

Welcome to California

Our pit-stop at McDonald's. They had a great Playplace!

I love to see the Temple...
I love to see the temple, I'm going there someday
To feel the Holy Spirit, to listen and to pray
For the temple is a house of God, a place of love and beauty
I'll prepare myself while I am young, this is my sacred duty.
I love to see the temple, I'll go inside someday
I'll covenant with my Father, I'll promise to obey
For the temple is a holy place where we are sealed together
As a child of God I've learned this truth: A Family is Forever!

The Newport Beach Temple!

The Alston family

The Alston Allstars

John and Delia (parents); Johnny and Jamie with Emma, John-John and Gracie; Chris and Maria with Christopher, Rachel and Jonathan; Josh and Amelia, Jaimie, and Katie.

future missionary

Having fun in the game room at the Newport Coast Villas

Playing chess out at the pool

OK... I, Jamie, did a 12 week white-free challenge. This was so hard! The challenge was no white sugar, white flour, white rice and pasturized milk for 12 weeks. We started on the 1st of May and ended the 25th of July. Basically what saved me was having 12 free days to use whenever I wanted throughout the 12 weeks. My sister-in-law and I were the only ones to make it all 12 weeks! The reward was $100 and prizes for your left over free days. I had 3 free days left so I got 3 prizes and $100!!!

Here's me with my fruit leather and my Jamba Juice Gift Card.

Here's John-John at the park, just monkeying around

There was a Koi Pond at the front of the hotel with lots of big fish. The kids would have stayed here for hours if we let them! Grace kept yelling: "Fishy, fishy!!"

Playing golf with Daddy at the hotel

Making sand castles

Our little Gracie

On Monday we went to one of the many beaches in Newport. There was a lot of sand, sun and GREAT waves!

The cousins all built a sand castle together. It was later wiped out with the waves!

Building sand castles with daddy

We had so much fun swimming in the awesome pools at the hotel

We went to Knott's Berry farm on Tuesday. It was our first visit there and it won't be the last!

Bobsledding through the... warm pavement???

John-John and his cousin, Christopher loved this car ride. The car would go really slow in the circle and then whip really fast around to turn the corner. The boys would crack up every time they whipped around. It was hilarious!