Our California Roadtrip
When Bron and I first decided we were going to put 2,280 miles under the tires of our car with two small children in the backseat, I was a little apprehensive. Luckily, there was no need for worry: Jed and Levi turned out to be two of the country's best travelers under four feet tall.
Our trip to see my dad and family in California was an absolute blast! We were gone a week. Bron and I decided to break up the trip down and back with overnight stops in southern Utah to make it easier on the boys. It was the best decision we made. Quality hotel pool time with my two little fishies actually lands right up there with the best of our trip's memories.
I love family, every single one of you! And I miss you all already. Family is a special bond. The shared histories coupled with the array of personalities, opinions, and talents keeps things fun! And I really mean it. I had a good time. Let's do it again. And again. And again. And never stop. Okay?
Some of our trip's highlights included (but were not limited to):
:: An afternoon playing with the kids at Pretend City
:: Setting eyes on Joe's infamous Porsche for the first time
:: Taking Jed to his very first big screen movie: Planes. Jed loved it and is still talking about it. He alternated between the seat and my lap and even gave me a sweet peck on the cheek. Awww!
:: Late night ice cream sundaes
:: Talking and philosophizing late into the evening
(Oh yeah, plus ridiculous YouTube videos! haha)
:: A day at the beach, soaking in the sun and the sea
:: Celebrating my dad's birthday
bbq + cake + presents + volleyball = a successful celebration
:: Visiting my dad's boat and admiring its progress
(Er, more like imagining the beauty she'll be in five years. My dad has some amazing DIY talent.)
:: Family dinner (aka carb loading) at Pizza Nova.
Delicious and different pizza and pasta!
:: Running my first half marathon!
^^That's us! An attempt at a family picture, including the dogs which are like children to my dad. We're actually a blended family of two with three children each, except we Wade kids are a bit older. It's a good chaotic and fun kind of mix.^^
^^Carter just loungin'^^
^^Pretend City!^^
The boys had the chance to do art projects, dress up as firemen, "build" a house, perform on stage, go fishing, and much much more.
^^Fishing ultimately became Jed's favorite area. Play in water?!?^^
^^Carter talking on the phone. How does he know?^^
^^Do you like my new Beamer? Bron and Jed made a tall lego tower!^^
^^Jed test driving a fire engine. The thought of Levi behind the wheel is cute but scary!^^
^^Speaking of wheels, Joe's porsche^^
^^My dad plus my little family^^
^^The Wades^^
^^Sorry, Lauren, but this was too funny not to share! Way to bomb the photo, Carter.^^
^^Cousins playing quietly^^
The boys had the chance to do art projects, dress up as firemen, "build" a house, perform on stage, go fishing, and much much more.
Un-adventures included (just keeping it real here):
:: L.A. traffic
:: Jed throwing up all over the backseat after becoming car sick
:: Cranky kiddos.
Why is it that while on vacation we go out of our way to plan fun activities for our children but they're just too darn tired to truly enjoy it? Vacation was work sometimes.
*****
*****
I suppose if these were our lowlights then it wasn't too shabby a trip at all! Stay tuned for lots more pictures from our time in California.
P.S. Are you wondering just how I managed to entertain a one year old strapped into a car seat? Well, after fishing for lost toys in the abyss that is the car floor, reading books, and singing songs, my secret weapon is... candy. Yup, candy. A single piece of licorice kept Levi busy for ten minutes. The mess? What mess? It was obsolete at that point.
SD was our favorite city in California. Glad you had a successful trip, there is nothing wrong with a whole lot of candy!
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like you had such a great time!! Your pictures are incredible...my favorites here are the family portraits; it's rare when you can get everyone looking perfect together!
ReplyDeleteI sure know what you mean about planning activities and having tired kiddos. I'm known to try and cram in too many activities in one day; sometimes all this planning does backfire... Thankfully you still had a wonderful trip in between the tired moments!
you take such amazing photos. Makes my photos look like crap. I'm going to steal some of your pictures for my update which I'm in the middle of doing right now. I only took photos at the beach. I didn't realize Pretend City was so cool. I love the black and white photos;adds depth. Years later when Carter is grown, this picture will be shown around. I sure hope he was able to dig out whatever he wanted.
ReplyDeleteThe pictures are great! I can't wait to see more! I died laughing over the one of Carter picks his nose. He is so photogenic
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