Get in My Jelly Belly!

Last year I took the kids to the Jelly Belly factory and they loved it. They loved it so much I decided to do it again this year. It's kind of a drive to get up there (1.5 hours from our house), but it's a free tour and they give you free samples at the end of the tour.

We got there right around lunch time, so I treated the kids to a bean-shaped pizza before we got in line for the tour.

Hannah looks ravenous.

They don't allow you to take pictures inside the factory. I think they're afraid of spies or something. I'm sure you've all read Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and know what went down in Willy Wonka's place. I suppose that's why Jelly Belly would be wary of cameras in the factory. But we still got this neat photo (though I was unwilling to give them my fourth-born for the physical souvenirs, I still get the digital copy):

I got my cheap bag of Belly Flops and we are sending Hannah home with a surprise pack of beans for her parents. We're also sending a couple small surprise packs of beans to Elder Wecker and his companion (Jake, you have to share) in the Philippines. I can't tell you all what kind, in case my in-laws happen to actually read this post.

On our way home, we stopped by the Oakland Temple to walk around on the grounds and go up on the terrace. It was a perfectly lovely day to do such a thing.

View from atop the terrace. Downtown Oakland in the forefront and San Francisco across the bay. Gorgeous day.

I also took the opportunity to take pictures of my kids being adorable (because that's what they do best).

Moses is so handsome, I'm gonna die!

Can you believe how chubby this kid has gotten in the last 7 weeks? I can't.

Couldn't decide which I liked more. This...

... or this.

Goofy goober.

I accidentally took a tour through Oakland, trying to find Moses a Sprite (he was so thirsty!). Oakland, for as big of a city as it is, has the fewest grocery stores per capita than any other city its size. Sprite, apparently, is very hard to find. I found plenty of places that would sell us an alternate choice of beverage, but that would have not been appropriate for a four year old. Eventually I succeeded in my quest, but Hannah and I saw some very interesting things and some of them we wish we hadn't seen. Oakland is a place like no other (though I have seen worse). I think I'll just stick to the temple grounds when I visit there from here on out.