California

Last week was one full of firsts for us! My brother Clint and his wife Erin are living in Marina California right now (he is in the Navy Post Graduate School and will be done in September) and will be moving to Washington (the Seattle area) in a few months (as long as everything goes as planned) so they wanted to go check out the housing situation and get a house started, but taking 3 rambunctious kids with them would not have been too fun, or productive, so they called and asked if they could fly me and Lucy out to stay with their kids while they went. I haven't seen them since June, so of course I jumped at the opportunity to see them! We had a week to get ready, then we got to go on the big huge plan all the way to California! That was the first of our firsts! Lucy had never been on a plane, and I had never traveled on a plane with a baby! I was very nervous, but things went really well!

California was beautiful, and the time with family was great! Clint and Erin were able to get to Washington and started the process to have a house built (that will be beautiful,) the kids are still alive and their house was still standing when they got home, so I would say that overall the trip was a huge success!

Some of the hi lites of the trip:

• Lucy laughing when the plane landed because she thought it felt funny
• seeing the kids and Clint and Erin
• Listening to Cambria talk (she has the cutest lisp) and hearing her sing songs ALL day!
• going to the beach - that was another first - Lucy has never seen the ocean or been in sand - she really could have cared less about the water, but she was very excited about the sand - it was hard for me not to keep trying to clean her off (I hate that dirty feeling) but she loved every minute of playing there - and got many comments from others on how good she was in the sand - other kids were crying when they were put in the sand - not Lucy though!
• seeing artichoke fields - they really just look like huge weeds - but hey - who cares when they produce such yummy things for me to eat?
• Driving through Gilroy and smelling the garlic growing - Gilroy is the garlic capitol and you can actually smell the garlic as you are driving through - yum!
• going for walks with the kids and dog and seeing Cambria, Carson and Gavin fight over who got to push Lucy in the stroller
• seeing Lucy play with her cousins - they were soooo good with her and she was so laid back and would let them hold her - well, most of the time - and carry her and play with her - it was great!
• being able to spend time with the kids with no parents around - call me crazy, but I think it is great fun!
• seeing Lucy get excited when she would get to talk to her daddy on the phone
• making clippies with Erin (she is extremely talented and creative, and she showed me some of the things she has been doing and making and then how to make them myself - and I am now addicted!)
• Listening to the kids laugh and them getting Lucy to laugh
• getting to finally try In 'N Out burgers - they were pretty tasty
• seeing Lucy go down the slide for the first time - I thought it was great, she however, didn't... we'll give it a few months and try again!
• having an early birthday party for Gavin since I couldn't stay a few extra weeks for his birthday
• almost missing my flight home (I had exactly 20 minutes to get from the car to my plane seat!!)
• coming home and getting a HUGE hug and kiss from my loving husband!