10 days of Adventure....and I'm exhausted!

A few days before SPRING BREAK, we surprised our kids and told them we were going on a road trip and that Disneyland would be one of our stops! Of course the girls were jumping up and down....and well, Rem had to think about it a little. (He was worried about missing his 4-H Pig Meeting. I tell you....this kid is a wonder sometimes. LOL!!! I don't know very many kids who would even think to miss Disneyland to stay home for a pig meeting.)

Day 1
We left on a Friday afternoon and spent the night with Markel and Blaze. Auntie Markel really knows how to spoil everyone...especially her nieces and nephews! She had a mini-birthday celebration for Brooklyn and Brooki loved her new sunglasses, stickers, LIP GLOSS and little cake truffles. YUM!

Day 2
The next morning we headed to St. George and toured the beautiful Red Rocks of Zion's Canyon. The kids were so fascinated and loved it. We even saw some mountain goats and their babies. They couldn't get enough of hiking up the rock trails. It was a little scary at times. Remington's slick cowboy boots made me nervous because of course he was not at all careful about going up or coming down. They especially loved the long tunnel and were sad that we couldn't go back through it. Instead, we kept going and made our way to Kanab, UT where we spent the night.

Day 3
We attended sacrament meeting at a ward in Kanab on Sunday morning and then we were on our way to Vegas where we celebrated Brooklyn's 3rd birthday (a day early) with Jonathan and Mindi and their four kids and Kendra. Mindi helped with all the arrangements and had previously bought a cake and ice-cream from Smith's. (I think I could get used to store bought cakes. A lot less work. LOL!) I had found a cute little plastic purse at the Dollar Store as a cake topper and brought some party favors for the kids. They had a blast. Brooklyn loved her cake. The hardest part was keeping the candles lit long enough to sing Happy Birthday. (I can't believe my baby is 3!)

Day 4
After a yummy strawberry pancake breakfast, we were on our way to California! We arrived around 4:30 p.m. Sad to say it was not the sunny California weather we had hoped for but the kids didn't mind. Despite the wind and rain they were ready to hop in the pool. We stayed at the Crown Plaza Resort and it was perfect. Although a little chilly, the kids loved the heated outdoor pool and jacuzzi! Eloy and I watched! (I think kids lose all their senses when they see a sparkling blue swimming pool. It could have been snowing and they would've still dove in!)
Day 5
Gratefully, we woke up to a sunny day on Tuesday morning and we caught the shuttle about 9 a.m. and headed to Disneyland! It was definitely Spring Break...the crowds were unbelievable...but we managed. After we finally figured out the fast passes...it wasn't too bad. We stuck together for most of the day and then eventually split up. The girls and I went to see Minnie and Mickey while the boys went on some more adventurous rides :) Brooklyn was so fascinated with Minnie's house. But, after waiting for an hour in line to see Mickey, Brooki was sound asleep on my shoulder. Oh well, at least we got a picture! My only regret about Disneyland was not getting to ride Space Mountain. However, we crammed as much as we could in. We didn't leave the park until 11:30 p.m. and boy were we beat!


Day 6
Wednesday we slept in! Ahhh! Now that's my kind of vacation! Even the kids were exhausted. Again, the weather cooperated and we headed to California Adventure about 11 a.m. Gratefully, the weather held out until about 4 p.m. and then the rain started coming down. (Luckily, I had packed our 2 for $1 rain ponchos and umbrellas. Sure felt good staying dry and even better not having to buy the $20 ones in the souvenir shops :) I love a good deal!) Our favorite adventures were the Hollywood Tower of Terror and the Screamin' California roller-coaster. Ember opted out on the roller-coaster and surprisingly she didn't faint on the Tower of Terror. Now that is a wild ride. Elevators seem just a little more errie now. LOL! Poor Brooklyn didn't have a choice...she was too short, but I think that was a good thing. On second thought, she probably would have loved it and asked to do it again. She's a lot like her older brother!

Day 7
Thursday we said goodbye to Disneyland and headed north for Los Angeles! We drove around Hollywood and through the winding roads of Bel Air. We had hoped to make it as far as San Francisco, but the kiddos were getting tired of our sightseeing so we stopped in Santa Maria and stayed at the Historic Santa Maria Inn...and boy was it historic. I felt like we had stepped back in time. Not quite as terrifying as the Hollywood Tower of Terror but close. LOL! I guess they say this Historic Inn has housed such celebrities as Clark Gable and Charlie Chaplin...our door even had a gold star with Doris Day's name on it. I had to tell myself that if it was good enough for them than I ought to be satisfied. (Sometimes Priceline.com doesn't turn out as nice as you'd hoped.) I was grateful to be back on the road.

Day 8
Friday morning we headed north once more stopping at Pismo Beach. We ate at a yummy restaurant called Huckleberry's and then headed to the sand. It was a little breezy and overcast but the kids didn't hesitate to get their feet wet. It was fun watching them follow the tide as it washed out and then racing for their lives as the waves came crashing in. I let go of my ocean anxiety and let them be kids for a little while. Of course there were a few anxious moments when Rem seemed to wander a little to far. It was all fun and games until the sand caught up with both Rem and Em and they got a mouthful of salt water and sandy bath. They were both drenched. Ember had collected some sea shells beforehand, but decided the ocean had betrayed her and was grateful to be gone and leave those treasures behind. Eloy and I couldn't help but giggle. It was pretty funny! Brooklyn on the other hand was completely happy to sink her chubby toes into the sand. Her hair was the only problem. As you can see it's a little hard to search for shells when your hair is blowing in your face!

Well, we survived the beach and headed on to San Francisco. Eloy says we stayed long enough to see the Golden Gate bridge and then I was all for getting out of there. Once we crossed the bridge there was no heading back. Poor guy! I'm sure he would have found a place for us to stay right downtown if it hadn't been for me. I think if we hadn't had the kids, I would have enjoyed myself a little more. But, hey, it was a little creepy. Sometimes my imagination just gets the better of me. And, though it is a wonderful quality to possess such calmness and ease such as is the case for Eloy in most any situation, I'm just not that gifted. Perhaps if we had blended in a little it would have helped but anyone could guess that we were tourists who didn't have a clue where we were going. Oh well, maybe someday we'll return! Yikes! Luckily, Eloy was very accomodating and found a safer option a few miles north at the Best Western Novoto Inn. What relief! They had a heated jacuzzi and outdoor pool and it felt like heaven after a long day.

Day 9
Saturday we headed out early in hopes of making it to Winnemucca, NV. Well it didn't quite turn out that way. After passing through Sacramento, we made our way up and over Donnor pass, however when what should have taken us only 1 hour turned into 5, we knew we were in for a long day. Crazy thing, the roads over Donnor were completely wet but they made everyone who didn't have 4-wheel drive take the exit at a gas station where we were pretty much forced to buy chains. To make a long story short, $70 dollars later we had chains that were not the best fit for our tires and the racket as we clumped down the road was about all we could take. It was truly ridiculous. If we hadn't paid the $70 bucks it would have been quite hilarious. Seriously....no wonder their roads are soooooooooo terrible. (It must be a money making scheme to repair their roads for all the cars and trucks they force to chain up on when they are completely bare. Ahhhhh! OK, I'll stop venting. There is a time and place for chains, but I'm telling you that day was not the time!) I just feel sorry for all the poor people who have to pay for their chains and then pay someone to help put them on at the start and pay someone else to take them off at the end of the road because they don't know how. Gosh, Eloy sure comes in handy. (LOL!) Like I've said many times....I'm pretty darn lucky!
We didn't make it to Winnemucca, but we did find a pretty nice place in Reno called Atlantis. We made it just in time to check in, eat dinner and catch an hour of swimming before hitting the pillow!

Day 10
Apologies to anyone who is still reading this forever, long, rambling post. I promise, the details of this vacation are almost over. You see, we actually made it home on Sunday. Hallejuhah! It's great to get away, but it's even more wonderful to return home. Boy did I miss my own pillow. (I knew I should have taken it with me!) Now, if I could just catch up on all the happenings here. I'm up to my ears in laundry.............but, the tulips are coming up in the garden and spring is just around the corner. I think I'm content to stay home and watch them bloom from my own window! I'm happy right where I am!