We got to spend some time with my family! My dad had a 2.5 week vacation from Afghanistan and spent the first portion in California where Marty went to his old Stake's Youth Conference and my family attended their old ward's Ward Camp out. Unlike our ward who does a one nighter, they reserved El Capitan Beach for the whole week. Todd and I really wanted to see my family, especially since Lainey always has to re-learn who they are when she sees them. My parents arrived at Levi's apt. in LA on Thursday. We didn't leave Fruitland until Saturday because Todd's brother, Chase is getting married soon and had his bachelor's party Friday night. So we packed up the car Friday (the 30th) during the day, Todd went to Chase's bachelor party that night, then we left at 6:00 the next morning to start the 14 hour drive to California.
Normally I like looking at how the scenery changes as we drive to far away places. But maybe that's because we've really only driven to Washington, Oregon, or Salt Lake City. But this drive's scenery was sadly very blah! We took a mental note to look at prettier routes for the drive home. But inside the car things went well! The kids played with leap frogs, colored, and listened to Harry Potter on CD for most of the drive. We broke out the portable DVD player only in the very end. I got the idea to do books on CD for road trips from my friend, Ryanne's blog and it was so much fun!
We listened to most of the first book on the drive down.
We stayed the first two nights in Palmdale, where my parents lived for 3 years, and moved from 1 year ago. They were staying with old friends. We got a motel room. We attended my parents' old ward with them on Sunday and were invited to dinner by the friends they were staying with, the Fasts. The missionaries and a few other friends of theirs were also invited and it was a great feast. Such a nice family.
Lainey warming up to Grandma.
My dad was pretty tired the first couple days from having his days/nights backwards. We caught him napping several times. I hope he doesn't have a heck of a time re-adjusting to Afghanistan's time zone, but I'm sure he will. It's 11.5 hours different. I have no idea where the .5 came from. But he was plenty rested to play hard at the beach.
Ashton loves his uncle, Marty. He followed him
around and horsed around with him all day.
This was about the only moment I saw Brielle at the Fasts house, outside of the actual dinner. The Fasts daughter has tons of barbies and a room full of barbie accessories. So she had a blast with her and Aunt April hidden away in that room.
Monday morning we went to IHOP and enjoyed a fabulous breakfast! This was actually my favorite restaurant the first few years after being married. I love breakfast for any meal.
After breakfast my mom and I hit a Wal-Mart and bought food to eat during the day at the camp grounds. Then we all started the 2 hr. 45 min. drive to El Capitan beach. It's a beautiful beach at the base of cliffs. Steps up the cliff lead to a large camp ground where the ward pitched tents and set up picnic tables/fire pits.
Monday was such a nice day until about the time we hit the coast. I thought it was so strange when we neared the beach how it was suddenly grey skied and foggy. Standing on the beach, it looked as if the sky was grey across all of California! It didn't last long- just until about lunch time and then lifted and was gorgeous out. It actually did that all three mornings we were there for. We were glad it was nice during the hours we wanted to swim. Temperatures in the 80's and beautiful blue skies.
This is us checking out the beach when we first got there.
Doesn't it look like it must be raining in the distance for miles???
My baby sister, April is growing up so fast! It was so fun to watch her and Brielle play together. They are 4 years apart. It's a great blessing for our family that my parents had children later in life because there are no cousins on my side of the family. It's just my 3. But thanks to April, they have one other kid to play with when they want to be with other kids. Brielle asks me all the time when we get to see her again. At least once a week, every week of the year.
Here the fog is starting to lift.
Grandpa playing the sea weed monster!
Porpoises!
We actually saw a lot of porpoises and a seal.
Marty. He's 16 now! Time is flying!
The view from atop the cliffs.
Heading back to the beach with swimsuits.
The water was cool, but not cold. I expected it to be hard to get in- the kind of water you have to get used to. El Capitan is quite a bit North of the other California beaches we'd ever been to. But it wasn't bad at all. The kids liked to wade in and run back up the bank screaming when the waves came crashing after them.
Marty with his age group. Poor guy is the only priest
in his priest quorum at home in Alaska.
The kids especially loved playing in the sand.
ESPECIALLY when Uncle Levi came.
That's his specialty.
Mom and Dad with their friends, the Buttlers.
The Buttlers were kind enough to offer camping equipments to my parents to use for eating while there. My parents stayed at a hotel like we did the first two nights to make sure the ward had enough room for their actual ward members. Which they did have. So my parents were able to camp there a couple nights in the end.
The rocks were warm, it was nice to relax on them.
Levi's tunnel.
This chica LOVES to eat sand.
Lainey really took to Nicholas. She kept trying to tease him while he was napping and they had some good conversation when he woke up.
Perfecting their sand castle.
Grandpa teaching Brielle to boogie board.
Dad trying out a surf board in shallow water.
Todd on the boogie board.
The start of the play pen I dug out for Lainey. She hated it until everyone else wanted in. It got bigger and bigger to accommodate the expanding crowd. The pit ended up being about the size of two play pens. And she ended up voluntarily spending most of day 2 in it.
Ultimate Frisbee
Brielle likes the constant adventures Grandpa offers. She really had a great time, and as always, had a hard time leaving to come home. The only thing that held back the tears was me telling her I wanted her to come to Jenny's bridal shower when we got back, and that it was the bridal shower that we were rushing home for. She was really excited to go to it. But really sad to leave everyone there.
We stayed 2 nights in the El Capitan area and left late Wednesday morning to drive home.
I'm sorry but I just don't get what everyone likes about this place!
The strawberry milkshake was good, but there was nothing special about the burger and the fries were nasty! I wouldn't normally take the time to care about how great my burger and fries were or bash it on my blog, but this place is supposed to be so famous! We had a lot of fast food on this trip (gag) so I think this makes me something of an "expert". But we HAD to go here because.... because it's famous for being famous!
We loved our time with my family and wished we could have had more time. It stinks how little we get to see of them now that they live in Alaska. We were tired enough to not want to make the whole drive in one day like we did getting there. So we split it over two days, which gave us enough time to take the Yosemite route home. It was a much prettier route than the way there. A lot of beach frontage and then beautiful forest and mountains. Just gorgeous. I love forests. I love the energy in them. It makes me feel at home.
We stopped to see the giant Sequoias.
We watched the sunset with the view of El Capitan (not the beach).
The kids liked driving through these tunnels in Yosemite.
We made a lot of calls for a hotel/motel in Yosemite on our way there, but everything in the entire park and surrounding areas was completely full. We crossed our fingers that if we stayed up a little late, we'd find a tiny town further along with a place to stay in it. We went a long way without seeing as much as an abandoned barn! So when we got to Yerrington, Nevada around midnight (so small we didn't realize we were in a town until we had driven halfway through it- it's about the size of the one motel/casino on the side of the road so if you blink you'll miss it) we turned around and got a room.
At the front desk, the lady read my home town on my ID and mocked it saying it with such a smirk, "Fruit... LAND, huh?" She made a few comments about finally getting out and seeing the world, trying to be funny, though it was much more annoying than I think she meant it to be. After she laughed, I could NOT help myself. I asked what the name of her town was saying I didn't even see a sign to mark it and had no idea anything existed here (though I was glad it did). She said, "touche", and smiled. Just because I live in a town called "Fruitland", doesn't mean I don't know a thing or two about the world. I've lived in big cities and small, slept in snow caves in Alaskan mountains and in a 5 start hotel. I've lived in and seen several developing countries. I'll take my Fruitland, Idaho.
We finished the first Harry Potter and listened to all of the second one on the drive home.
I LOVED listening to the Harry Potters. Jim Dale is such an INCREDIBLE narrator. Seriously just blew Todd and I away. What a talent. He does every single voice himself and each is different and unique and consistent throughout the stories. The kids were in and out of them while sometimes napping or watching a movie. I doubt Ashton got much out of them, though he occasionally would mimic a funny voice from the narrator.
We got home just in time for Brielle and I to attend Jenny's shower which was fun. Todd took this picture of Lainey while we were gone. We've now been back 5 days and it's taken that long to feel fully adjusted.
My parents left California today and are in Alaska now. I wish I could be there! My brother, Scott is there too. But traveling really does throw me out of whack. For me, such a long road trip was not only tiring but I gained about 6 pounds from all the junk food and fast food! Just in time for Todd's side of the family to get family pictures next week =( Oh well. I'm trying to be good to fit back into the jeans I was supposed to wear for it!
