Plane tickets were less expensive between holidays and so we decided to take advantage and finally go visit Andrea in California. I was a little nervous about traveling by myself with two kids but they did great. The airports have made getting through security with kids so much easier and people were so helpful. Our flight to CA we had an empty seat next to us, so we were able to pile a bunch of stuff there for easy access. James pooped twice (within 10 minutes of each other) and so I had to have the flight attendant sit with Elizabeth while I changed him. Both kids did great and James only cried for a few minutes while I wrestled him to sleep. On our flight back we had someone sitting next to us but the plane was bigger/nicer so we had room. This was an evening flight (7-10:30) so I thought Elizabeth would fall asleep, making getting off the plane hard, but she stayed awake the entire time. On this flight James got hit in the head by the tray table but other than that, they both did so good!
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| Asleep on the plane |
It was so fun seeing everyone and introducing them to James.
Andrea and the kids had to go to work and school while we were there so we had nice relaxing days and fun busy nights. Our first full day (Thursday) in CA we went to Disneyland with Taylor and Page (Read the Disneyland Post). We spent Friday with Michael, Taylor and Page (who came to spend the weekend with us). Michael David and Michael Angelo went and got us donuts from San Clemente Donuts in the morning (my favorite) and we spent time at the park and hung out until Andrea got home. Elizabeth then got to go to the beach for the first time. She walked in the sand, waded in the water and got pushed around by some waves (thanks Michael for holding her upright). She searched for shells and chased seagulls. The only difference from her experience and most others is that it was cold and windy. Even through the cold she loved it.
The night we went to Emma's performance of Grease at the Arts Project of Orange County. She played a cheerleader (the second night, that we weren't at, she was the understudy for the teacher) and it was her first experience in theater. (Andrea helped with the set and costuming.) I was worried that Elizabeth might get bored or be uninterested but she loved it; there was so much singing and dancing that she was enthralled. Emma did fantastic, I can not believe how big she is getting, and it was so fun watching her. The little girls think that she is the best and they were a little star struck when they took her flowers. (The only mishap that night was after the play, when the girls went up on stage and as they were running to the back scenery Elizabeth fell off the side and into a hole. I am not sure if she was hurt or just really shaken but she had a really rough time.
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| Now you see her- now you don't. Page looking down in the hole where Elizabeth disappeared. Poor Girl. |
The next day (Saturday) we got up early and went to Andrea's Ward Christmas Breakfast with Santa. We were late so we had just enough time to eat before Santa came. This was the first Santa that Elizabeth got to sit with and she was very excited. Our good friends the Gibson's re in Andrea's ward and so we saw them at this and James got a picture with their little girl Molly (they are destined to be best friends- or more if Ben and Danny get their way).
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| James decided to eat Michael's nose instead of smile for the picture. |
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| James and Molly |
After the ward Christmas Party we drove across base to go to a Unit Christmas Party. Ben's Unit in the Marines is deployed and a church adopted them and threw a party for all of the families. There was an amazing meal with so much food, a wonderful Santa and a raffle for gift cards and gifts (we won three times and Spencer picked out a cute hand carved truck for James). There was a room of crafts for the kids to do; making picture frames, necklaces, cards, ornaments and putting their hand prints on a flag for the troops. They also had a room full of toys that each of the kids got to go and pick; Elizabeth at first picked a huge baby doll (bigger than James) but we were able to talk her down to something more reasonable that we could take on an airplane. As the party was ending they invited the kids in again to get presents, I felt bad taking these things that were donated for the Military families but, with insistence from the people running it, was able to find a couple more things that I hid in my suitcase to bring home for Elizabeth.
I was so overwhelmed with the love and generosity of this church and the people serving in it. They not only donated all of the food, money and gifts for the families but they also donated their time. It was wonderful to see the true love of Christ shine through these people and the selfless service they gave to these people. Even now, thinking of it makes me choke up at the love that I felt.
That night (while Andrea and Emma were at the play), we went to the Boat Parade of Lights at Dana Point. This is where you sit on the docks and boats go by decorated for Christmas (this years theme was Star Wars). It was cold and the little girls quickly lost interest (and wrestled) but it was fun to sit sipping hot chocolate and watching all the boats go by. James fell asleep so Spencer got to hold him all snugly in the blankets- keeping them both warm.
On Sunday morning we decorated sugar cookies before church.
We then went to church and then went and walked up and down the Pier. We showed Elizabeth the surfers and she thought they were so fascinating and could have sat and watched them for hours. She also liked laying on the Pier and looking through the cracks at the water. We got to see a fisherman pull up a fish and we took lots of fun pictures.
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| GQ |
That night we had some people come over for a delicious chili dinner (the Gibsons and the Stephens). In the evening, after Michael and Taylor left, we went to a multi-faith concert of the Messiah; it was so beautiful and the music was amazing. We got there a little late and so we were in the back, which was good because Elizabeth was a little crazy. Andrea went out to the foyer with her and said that she ran around the Christmas tree about 100 times and then, as people were leaving at the end, stood in the middle of the foyer and handed out pass along cards (inviting people to the event that had just ended) and telling everyone "Thank you for joining us!"- she sure is a character. Leaving the concert it was raining hard and it was funny seeing the shock on everyone's faces we were definitely not in CO, where that amount of shock would have only come from a blizzard.
Monday morning Andrea stole the kids from my room and let me sleep in- wonderful. We went to the school for lunch with Spencer (Andrea is the lunch lady) and it was special for Spencer to have us there and so fun for Elizabeth to have lunch in a cafeteria. That night one of Andrea's old friends came to see the kids and me.
We were going to leave Tuesday afternoon but there was a huge snow storm in CO (a foot of snow) and so our flight was cancelled. We were able to get another flight the next evening but were able to stay one more day! YAY! So Tuesday night Andrea and I stayed up and cut out 112 red felt elf shoes and white felt elf shoe ruffles for another play that Andrea was helping with.
On Wednesday, Emma and Spencer came with the kids and I to the beach one more time. It was a fun way to end our trip, with the beautiful view. It was sad leaving CA and the Dawson's, I wish we could have stayed longer; it was so relaxing and fun. Elizabeth loved to spend time with her cousins and I think James was a big hit. We loved our time there and can't wait until we can go back!
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