California Trip Part I

So many firsts for this trip. This was our first road trip as a family, and my first time driving through the night. That was a good decision. Ryan and I switched every few hours and the kids slept on and off through most of the drive.

The first full day we were there the kids got to go to Legoland with their grandpa and auntie. They also got to go on their first roller coaster. It was a little traumatic for Ari at first, but she bawled after the first ride, but loved the rest. 

Collecting pinecones from grandpa'sback patio

While the kids were out getting spoiled rotten, Ryan and I enjoyed having the day to ourselves and exploring San Diego. We went to Sunset Cliffs and walked around a bit. It was beautiful and had wonderful views.

After Sunset Cliffs we went to Belmont Park. We did some shopping, and a warm up roller coaster. I have had vertigo on and off for the past few years, so I was a little nervous about how I would feel doing some of the rides at Disneyland. Thankfully I felt fine the entire time!

The next day we woke up early, packed up our things and drove to Disneyland. The kids were so excited. We spent the day riding rides, eating snacks and Ari even got to do some Jedi training.

Our little Jedi

She was a little sad and nervous at first going up in front of people she doesn't know. Luckily all of the actors and people helping out were so good and would go up and talk to her and comfort her.

She lit up and was happy the second she saw Darth Vader. Getting him with her light-saber was definitely a highlight. The actor playing the main Jedi trainer had some pretty great commentary, making the whole thing quite comical.

Mickey Boys!

Kids definitely loved the roller coasters. Any non-roller coaster ride just wasn't big enough or fast enough for them. Thunder Mountain was Ari's favorite and we did it multiple times. Space Mountain was Hunter's favorite.

We ended the day with the firework show and it didn't take long for the kids to fall asleep once we were back at our hotel.

The following day we did California Adventure. There were hardly any people there when we first arrived. We got to enjoy a lot of rides without waiting in line forever. The kids were a little disappointed that there weren't any big roller coasters they could go on, but they had a lot of fun exploring Car's Town and A Bug's Land. They insisted on riding the Ferris wheel. I don't mind Ferris wheels, however, they wanted to go in the swinging basket. It was pretty terrifying for me, and I will definitely not be doing that one again.

We cooled off on Soarin' Around the World and Grizzly River Run. We even got stuck on Goofy's Sky School. We were at the font of the line when someone's hat flew off and they had to shut the ride down to retrieve it. After they got it fixed we decided to try it again. We got through most of the ride when it stopped again. Luckily we got a FastPass for our wait and we did one more ride before heading home.

Ari + Mommy date

A few weeks ago Ari and I went on a little 'girls' date. This girl is growing up way too fast, so it was really nice to have the time together. Ari is definitely not a girly-girl. She enjoys getting her nails painted, playing in make up and dressing up, but most of the time she'd rather play outside in the dirt, play board games and color or draw. I thought it would be fun to sign her up for one of the classes offered at Home Depot. She loved it! She got her own apron, and did a great job making her own chalkboard hanger. She did most of the hammering, and all of the painting by herself.

While we were waiting for the paint to dry we walked around the store and looked at all of the flowers. Ari was fascinated watching the bees pollinating the flowers. 

After Home Depot we stopped by the pet store to look at the animals. Ari loves watching fish, birds and especially lizards. We came during feeding time. Ari was fascinated watching the lizards eat the crickets. The employee feeding the lizards even let Ari hold one of them. She loved it!

She's growing up, but she will always be my baby!

Jones Creek Day Trip

I grew up camping multiple times a year all of my childhood. We camped at the mountains, beaches and all over the place. Many childhood memories are from camping. My family always tells me that I was the messiest child when I was little, although, my brother told me that I'm the opposite now. I haven't gone camping nearly I as much since I've been married and had kids. 

My family was up camping at Jones Creek, one of my favorite places. There aren't any bathrooms, or cell phone reception, but it's so pretty and relaxing so of course we had to go up for the day. 

One of my favorite things to do when I was little was try to cross the creeks and streams by stepping over the rocks while trying not to fall in. 90% of the time, however, I did fall in. 

Much like my younger self, my kids enjoyed getting filthy and playing in the water.