California, Califooooooorrrrrrrnnnnniiiiiiiiiiaaaaaaaa!!!

Hello Dear Friends & Family!

You know you love looking at other people's vacation photos.  You just know it.  Come, live vicariously through ours.  Until I run out of room on my camera.  Then we'll have to rely on Aunt Adrianne & Grandma Diana to upload their photos from so we can live vicariously through them.  

Our trip began with Poppa Randy & Nana Joy.  We forced ourselves on them for 4 days.  YOU WILL ENJOY OUR COMPANY.  We had fun.  We hung out with them on the boat, took the girls to the cute little aquarium right near the harbor, and went to the beach.  Well, at least we had fun once the drive was over.  I felt a migraine sneaking up on me in Bishop, CA.  I forgot my Extra Strength Excedrin.  The last hour was HORRIBLE.  It was dark, I had 4 freeway changes and I was gripping the steering wheel in an effort to not to throw up.  OMG.  But we survived.  I rolled out of the car, said, "Asprin, please." and then buried myself in the bed.  Nanna and Poppa stepped in and took care of the girls.  Heavens to Betsy, that sucked.  But it was worth it, because look!  Vacation pictures! 

Hooray for the tide-pool exhibit (only open for 15 minutes at a time to keep the fish from getting exhausted.  Smart aquarium.)

 

 

Did you know that Grunions are real fish?  Am I the only one that thought they were fake?  Yeah, they're not.  Snipe hunt = fake.  Grunion = real.  (Stupid camp tricks have kept me from embracing life.  Now all I see are lies.  LIES.  Even where there aren't any.) 

Gretchen is taking her volunteer Grunion Photo Holder responsibilities very seriously. 

No seriously, Grandpa, give me the nuts.  I will chop you.  I'll chop your FACE. (He doesn't believe her.)

LOOK OUT BELOW

Ella pretending she's driving the boat to Catalina.

BLAHHHH!

When I can get Ella to make a normal face on camera, she sure is lovely....

The best part about this photo is that literally 30 seconds later she fell asleep

Ella said she's calling her mom.  What? I'm right here!  Seriously, I'M ALWAYS RIGHT HERE!

All sailors should wear bloomers

Hey Grandpa, is that heavy?  Ha ha.

Pensive beach gazing.

Spastic wave screaming.

Nana Joy helps build the most awesome sand castles in the sand.

 After our jaunt with Poppa and Nana, we went to visit our peeps in Temecula.  FANTASTIC TIME.  Well, at least for us.  We enjoyed the Dollar Movies, lunch outings, splash park and playing playing NON STOP PLAYING with cousins.

Anticipation.  It's what brings us back to the Splash Park.  The water is coming.  IT'S COMING!

 I'm not sure if Alisa's family enjoyed the time quite as much, what with the walking pneumonia (Christian) and 103.5 fever (Teagan).  But we were thoroughly entertained.  Not by their illness.  By their hospitality. 


Grandma Diana graciously watched the girls while my dear friend Julie & I went to the ALA Conference.  OMG, SO AMAZING.  Seriously, it was a crazy awesome conference.  I HEART LIBRARIANS!!!!  I left feeling so motivated.  Julie gave me fantastic suggestions on my dummy book, hooked me up with some new contacts, and we got to meet and hear from tons of successful and inspiring people.  Hooray!

Colby flew down Saturday night so that Sunday we could go to....DISNEYLAND!!!  (Here's the part where we ask Adrianne & Mom to upload all their photos since my camera ran out of room.  Please?  Thanks!)  (Luckily Dan already emailed these from our MOST AMAZING LUNCH OF ALL TIME EVER!!!)  We met our dear friends Dan & Sue at the Magical Kingdom.  And then we had magical times.

"Guys, play it cool.  PLAY IT COOL!"

No seriously guys, I am SUPER SOPHISTICATED.   

Quick!  Before they see us taking pictures!

Colby looking down on people.

Super Dramatic Moment on the balcony outside the club.

Me calling no one in the fanciest phone booth I've ever been in because I wanted my picture in there, but didn't have anyone local to call.

Why yes, I DID sneak out two Exclusive Cookies for the girls.  And then pull them out in the line for Star Tours and pose for photos with them.

So the Fancy Lunch was pretty much the highlight or our very magical and ridiculously expensive day, but the other thing that I loved?  GRETCHEN ON ROLLER COASTERS!  Here we are on space mountain, Colby remembering how he totally puked after riding it that one time, Dan getting a mouthful of my hair, my shirt literally flying up off me, and there sits Gretchen.  "Ain't no thang, mom.  Ain't no thang..." 

When I asked what she thought at the end, she said, "AGAIN!"

This ride was a little more Ella's speed.  Now all it needs is the theme to It's A Small World and it'd be perfect.

We finished out our time in SoCal at Uncle Aaron and Aunt B's house of leisure.  I fell asleep in the pool cabanna for most of Tuesday afternoon.  Then Wednesday.  Then Thursday we went to see Grandma Liz....

91.5 years old and STILL BEAUTIFUL.  My Grandma rocks!

Fattest, smooshiest, most adorable baby in the WORLD!!!  Drake Danger, you steal our hearts.  And then spit them back up.  5 months and 20 lbs.  That's what a Superior Baby looks like.

5 points if you can tell me what doesn't belong here....

 And we wrapped up our trip with a lovely baby shower for Auntie Adrianne.  She is so cute and pregnant.  Awww.  (No, seriously, you have to upload photos of the shower.) 


But the fun did not end there.  Then Dad and Nana Joy drove in for an evening.  We took them In & Out and then downtown to the river for our favorite Ice Cream.


Then we did 4th of July with Auntie Amber & Uncle Dan.  (Pretend you're looking at cute pictures of the girls playing with baby Lucy in the splash pool.)

Then Sue came over with her kids and we went to the river AGAIN because we LOVE IT SO.



Then Ken & Janeece came for two amazing and fun filled days.  First we took them to Virginia City STEP BACK IN TIME.  We went on a mine tour, got Janeece out of the mine tour as quickly as possible (yeah, it's a little claustrophobic...)  Then we donned super nasty photo props that left us feeling dirty (dirtier than the fact that we let our children hold guns while we dressed as Scarlet Ladies.  Cause it's fun!) (But look at this!  So worth it!)

 

Then yesterday we took them to the river.  BECAUSE SERIOUSLY, WE LOVE IT!  It was really fun hanging out with them.  We wish we all lived on the same street again.  Gretchen and Ella knew they'd love their boys before they even got here.  As soon as Gretchen opened the door for them, she told their oldest, "You're sleeping with me, ok?"  (That's only cute to say when you're four.)

Now we are all partied out.  I'm actually looking forward to the pile of work I have ahead of me.  And looking forward to cooking and cleaning again.  Because we only have 2 weeks before we go on the next road trip.  Sigh.  ;)