Home Base Sierra Vista

  Dad Trip Adventure 2: Day Two at SeaWorld – Surprise Edition Day two of our spontaneous San Diego trip kicked off with one big surprise after another. The kids still had no clue why we were even in town. That’s when my brother, aka “Juice Boy” rolled up from Apple Valley and knocked on our hotel door. The kids opened it and he hit them with, “Let’s go to SeaWorld!” Maggie’s first question was, “Where’s Andy?” (his girlfriend, who couldn’t make it because she was on call as an ER nurse, shoutout to her for being a real-life hero). Still, the surprise was a hit. The kids lit up. Military Freebies, Dolphins, and Dodging Splash Zones We loaded up and rolled out to  SeaWorld , and that’s when the lightbulbs started going off— so that’s why we’ve been hearing fireworks every night! Big PSA for military families: SeaWorld’s  Waves of Honor   program gives you up to  five free tickets  with a military or veteran ID. Yup—B, the kids, and I got in for free. Only ha...

 If you’ve followed me for a bit, you know I’m all about family time, fun memories, and making the most out of military discounts. So when our 18th wedding anniversary rolled around, instead of planning a fancy getaway for just B and me, we decided to pack up the whole crew,including our nephew, and take off on a surprise family road trip to San Diego. The kids thought we were just going out for lunch. We kept throwing out wild guesses like “we’re going to the moon,” “Jupiter,” or “just going crazy,” which honestly wasn’t too far from the truth with how fast we had to pack. Pro tip: If you’re road-tripping with kids, grab one of those big rooftop cargo bags. Total game-changer. It freed up so much space inside the car, especially with all the chaos of beach towels, snacks, and Minecraft toys (aka bribes for potty training). Potty Training Victory Lap Special shoutout to our youngest, who’s deep in potty training. No sticker charts here, just M&Ms and Minecraft magnet blocks for...