Trip to Cali

We made a somewhat last minute trip back home to see my family a couple of weeks ago. The weather there and back was perfect. The weather there...not so much. Of course they get the first rain of the season while we are there! We didn't let it stop us from having a ton of fun with the family. We ate and ate, which is what our family does best. We had gracious hosts wherever we went. I got to visit with one of my dearest friends from growing up. Steph was a saint to visit with me while my kids ran around the mall play place. We saw neighbors from my home growing up and got to see my old house, which had been recently renovated from a terrible fire. Most of all we got to let our kids rediscover their cousins. Although, Dave has pretty much declared that we need to visit again in the summer to make up for the bad weather. No complaints here!

Our top ten of the California trip (in no particular order):

1) Watching my dad wrestle with his grandkids. He still has the strongest grip of anyone I know. He can hold on to an ankle for an hour while a kid is squirming and kicking and trying to get away.
2) Seeing Scout fall in love with Libby, my sister Natalie's dog. I've never been so tempted to surprise my family with a dog for Christmas.
3) Eating my favorite pie at my favorite pie place in the world. Nostalgia and good food always go hand in hand.
4) Making sugar cookies with Natalie. I'm not sure who ate more frosting...the kids or Libby.
5) Tasting Robynn's home-made noodle soup, with home-made noodles! Delicious!
6) Hanging out with my family.
7) Visiting with dear friends.
8) Our visit to San Francisco: riding the street car, seeing the window displays at San Francisco's Macy's (the most adorable little kittens), watching the sea lions lounge in the bay, riding the carousel, eating at Rainforest Cafe, and later watching Lincoln sit on Santa's lap.
9) Listening to Scout imitate the sea lions from SF Bay the whole car trip home.
10) Buying a new dual DVD player for the car before we left. Truly a life-saver for the in between time of the array of things I had cooked up for doing in the car.


Lincoln's favorite thing:riding the street cars which we told him were trolleys.
Abbie loved the adoration from cousin Abbie.
Scout and Lincoln took over Natalie's birthday dessert.
The dozens of aquariums were the only thing that kept my kids at the restaurant.
A cold, cold day in front of the sea lions.
Brooke finally winning Scout over on the last night we were there. Scout's a tough nut to crack.
Ben and Linc wrestling. Lincoln was actually having fun in this picture, although it doesn't look like it.
Hanging out with cousins.


Lincoln and Santa.
Lincoln and Scout writing letters to Santa Claus to drop in the cute big red mail box inside Macy's.