Jelly Belly Factory

L to R, D, Hubby, A and J...today we had our first school field trip. And yes! There will be homework! LOL We live about an hour from the Jelly Belly Factory. Hubby and I had gone when we were first married and that was fun. Part of what we are learning in school is that things don't just magically appear in our home or even the store shelves. A candy factory is a good place to see that happening because even four and almost six year olds can pay attention to candy being made! LOL

Here is the outside of the visitor center where the tours are given.

This was airbrushed on an SUV. When Hubby and I went BK (before kids) there was a cute little VW bug painted with jelly beans but they don't have that anymore.

We are always trying to get a good picture of the kids to put on the Christmas card...I don't think it's going to happen! (Stop laughing Aunt Shelley! LOL) This is J, D, A

Here they are again with a giant Jelly Belly, A, D and J. They are wearing the paper hats which health regulations require you to wear on the tour.

Mr. D. in his paper hat, all smiles! :o)

Even the wallpaper was giant Jelly Belly beans! It sparked my creative juices...I'm thinking about a Jelly Bean sweater for the girls maybe...Loved all the colors!

Most people know that President Reagan was a HUGE fan of Jelly Beans and it was Jelly Belly beans in particular that he liked, in licorice. He took him to the capitol in Sacramento when he was governor and they followed with him to the White House and even on Air Force One.

These Jelly Bean pictures are done just like mosaics and were pretty cool. Here he is with his wife Nancy.

Another "portrait" of Ronald Reagan in Jelly Belly Beans.

They even had a museum like display of Reagan memorabilia and letters from him to the coporation.

This is what was airbrushed on the back of the SUV. Shelley, notice it says "Bad to the Bean"! :o)

The Goelitz Company was famous for its Candy Corn, long before Jelly Bellies came into existence.

And here is a portrait of our current "Governator" Arnold Schwarzenegger!

Princess Diana...I took this picture to show my cousin Wendy. The giant Jelly Bean was hanging in front of, not on the picture.

They had NASCAR race cars, bicycles and even this hydroplane which they sponsor. This picture is for you too Wendy!

Overlooking the foyer...some serious Jelly Belly decorating! I hope the kids don't have dreams of giant Jelly Beans tonight! :o)

Looking down after the factory tour. Even the carpet had Jelly Beans woven into it!

Afterwards we ate lunch in Fairfield at El Azteca Restaurant. It was not the classiest joint but the food was good. It was so nice to eat a meal without any drama! Any parent of toddlers can tell you how restaurants are on the top of the Verboten list! Well, they aren't toddlers anymore, but even passing that stage still doesn't guarantee peaceful meals. We were a little shocked and happy at the nice time we had with our meal.

On the way home we overheard J talking about Luke 6:31. In our family devotions with school we have been learning The Golden Rule. We have not started having J and A memorize yet because we didn't think they could. She did fumble a bit on the words, but it is always amazing how much she picks up when we don't think she is paying attention. She has the shortest attention span of the three and a wiggly bottom, but often times she really grasps and remembers things we teach. I haven't totally figured out her learning style yet. It was so sweet to hear her little voice saying scripture.

A short while later the girls were "fighting" and whining and we told them that that wasn't following the Golden Rule. I told J that she should treat her sister kindly, that she was blessed to have a sister. I always wanted one, but never had one. I told her that she and Allie were a special kind of sisters; they are twin sisters. J said, "I'm a twin sister!" I asked her, "Do you know what a twin is?" "Yes" "Tell me please." J answered " A twin is when the wind comes up in the sky and...Oh! I just can't tell you what it is now!" We had a chuckle over that. Then I told her in age appropriate terminology that twins are when a Mommy carries two babies in her tummy instead of one, like when I had D. J retorted, "Yes! When Mommy has lots of babies get in her tummy and then her tummy gets really big!" LOL Oh, if she only knew! :o)