Family Trip

Andrew, James, and I spent Wednesday-Sunday of last week in California. My mom flew there with us and my dad was already in California working. We had a wonderful time!

We left for the airport on Wednesday morning at 4:45am. We arrived in Long Beach at 7:50am and immediately went to my parents' condo to drop off our luggage. Andrew and I then headed to Disneyland. My mom watched James, so we could enjoy Disney alone. 

We got to spend time together as a couple and it felt like we were dating again. We had a blast walking (over 6 miles) together through the parks. Andrew's one request was that we ride the new Guardians of the Galaxy ride. We did and it definitely kept my heart racing. Andrew said I was gripping his hand and knee pretty intensely throughout the ride. 

Cars Ride

Toy Story Mania

Andrew won

We also did the following: (I'm sure I'm forgetting stuff.)

• Space Mountain
• Thunder Mountain
• Indiana Jones
• Soarin
• "Frozen" the play-- It felt like we were on Broadway. 

The park wasn't too crowded. In fact, the tickets were a little cheaper because according to Disney's calendar it wasn't a "popular" day. Splash mountain was closed for part of the day and CA screamin is closed for several months. Andrew wanted to stay for the fireworks, but we ended up leaving around 6:45pm. I guess we're getting old. We were exhausted from waking up so early and both had headaches.  We picked up Round Table Pizza on our way home which didn't disappoint.

Thursday morning was spent lounging around recuperating from all of our fun. In the afternoon we strolled down Main Street in Seal Beach. We also went for a walk in Naples which I really enjoyed. The homes there are worth several million dollars and all have spectacular water views and docks. (We ended up doing this same exact walk again Saturday night.) Andrew said that is where he would want to live if he was a famous author, so his desk could look out over such a beautiful area. We ended the afternoon by seeing my dad's office, meeting his co-workers and getting burgers.

Seal Beach

Walk

Friday morning, James, Andrew, and I went shopping at the Toys R Us and Babies R Us which are within walking distance of the condo. Because these stores are closing, everything is discounted. James ended up with some play food and a new outfit. We also found a Petco and showed James the fish and cats there. He saw some dogs and started barking with an extremely deep, raspy voice. His bark his hilarious.

My dad got off work early and we headed to the Newport Beach temple. It was so kind of my dad to babysit James while Andrew, my mom, and I did a session. What a gorgeous temple! After the session, we went to the Newport Beach Pier where we rented bikes and rode on the beach. James rode on the back of Andrew's bike and was not a big fan of the helmet that covered his eyes. (We're bad parents and finally just took it off.) 

Saturday morning my mom and I went for a run on the beach. What a view! We did encounter some ocean water and our shoes ended up getting soaked, but our socks were almost dry by the time we were done with our run. We brought Nick's burritos home for breakfast.

Saturday was the warmest day and we wanted to bring James to experience the ocean. By the time we got back to Seal Beach the wind had really picked up which was disappointing. I was kind of a wimp and wrapped myself in 2 towels to stay warm while we were on the beach. James adored the beach! He loved playing in the sand with toys and as predicted, he ate sand. He liked standing in the ocean water and watching the waves cover his feet. At one point, we had to snuggle him in a towel because he was shivering. You never would have known though because he was all smiles. 

James loves Papa!

We cleaned off from the ocean in the pool and James loved splashing around. I took a needed dip in the hot-tub.

Saturday evening Jill and Rob came which was nice because it's about an hour drive for them. We met for dinner at an authentic Mexican place in a not-so-good area. All the girls ordered Carne Asada fries which were divine. After dinner, we walked Naples (again), but this time we showed Jill, Rob, and my dad the neighborhood. We went back to the condo and the boys watched some basketball while the girls went shopping at Target. (Which we can walk to from the condo.) I got a new pair of shoes! We brought back pie from Polly's for everyone.

Mom is taking the pic

Naples Walk #2

Sunday morning we went to church and then to the airport. I love the ward by the condo. It's always refreshing to hear from different church members and their experiences. I was able to attend Relief Society which is rare for me because I'm in primary. The spirit was so strong! 

James slept on our way to Long Beach and on our way home which is why we look so happy.

I'll always remember this trip and the time we were able to spend as a family. I'm really blessed with the best and can't thank my parents enough. They babysat for us multiple times, let us stay in their nice condo for free, and even let us use my dad's car, so we didn't have to rent one. 

Reality came quickly once we got home and hit us like a ton of bricks. Massive amounts of laundry needed attending to, our empty fridge needed to be filled, and Andrew's new class began. I think it's time for another vacation! 

I Ran Away to CA

My older sister, Jill, got asked to speak in stake women's conference. My mom thought it would be a nice surprise to fly in and surprise her by attending the conference. Jessica and I were on board, but unfortunately Lindsey couldn't make it.

With the passing of my grandpa, things didn't quite turn out the way we anticipated. His funeral was Thursday morning in UT and Jill spoke on Saturday morning in CA. We decided to still go on the trip because we all wanted a break. We had to tell Jill we were coming though, so she could arrange her travel plans for the funeral.

When we arrived in Long Beach on Friday afternoon, we immediately wanted food and went to Roscoe's. Chicken and waffles is such a weird combination, but it's comfort food and it hit the spot. (Especially after a jerky Uber ride.) We then did lots of shopping at a second-hand store. I ended up coming home with twice as many clothes as I came with. I even bought heels. 

These dresses weren't quite as cute as we hoped

We went to Seal Beach for the sunset. It was chilly and windy, but that didn't stop us from walking around the cute main street.

My dad works in Long Beach and has a condo near there. I have never been to the condo before, and it was cool to finally be able to see it. It has 2 pools and a hot-tub which we utilized! The condo is within walking distance of lots of shopping and tasty restaurants.

Friday evening after our parents went to bed, Jessica and I went to Target. We both found clothes. (typical) We also did some grocery shopping. I'm not used to having to bring in my own grocery bags. We're spoiled here in UT because we don't have to pay for grocery bags. Apparently straws are on the outs in CA now as well, so we didn't have those at any of the restaurants we went to.

Saturday morning, my mom and I worked out which felt nice after eating so much good food. There are never enough meals when you're on vacation! My dad, mom, Jess, and I then drove about 45 minutes to Jill's church. Rob, Jill's husband, also came to hear her speak. Jill did a fantastic job and spoken on perfectionism. She gave a beautiful tribute to my grandpa at the end.

We took a quick tour of Jill and Rob's apartment. I need to hire Jill to decorate my house. Although their place is small, Jill has maximized every space while making the space feel bright, beautiful, and comfortable. She has her book collection organized by colors of the rainbow. We also got to see Dolly, their new cat, for a split second before she ran into the kitchen cupboard because we're terrifying. 

Jill and Rob followed us back to Seal Beach and we hit lots of traffic. I could never live in California for this reason. We stopped and got salads at a place near the condo, did a little shopping, and rested. Later, we went to Duke's, a restaurant on the water at Huntington Beach. Once again, it was cold. The wind was biting, but Rob came to the rescue with some blankets from his car.

Worth freezing our buns off

We ended the night by playing rook and warming up in the hot tub. Sunday we went to church. I love to be outside of UT because it reminds me that not everyone is the same which I like! I loved the ward and enjoyed the fabulous Sunday school teacher. We walked on the beach in the afternoon before we flew home. 

It was refreshing to get away from reality for a bit. This trip came at the perfect time and James was in the best hands at home with his dad. I don't think he even missed me.