California!

We're back from our wonderful vacay in California. We had a great time and Lucy couldn't have been a better traveler. Anyone who knows me know I love TR's (trip reports); a day by day detailed account of a trip. I love hearing about them but no one usually asks to hear mine :). I'll spare you every last detail but if you have some free time and want to hear about it grab a crisp drink and enjoy...

Saturday: Blake booked this trip for my birthday gift and so he made all the ressies and details. Our flight left this morning at 6:20 am which meant we were up at 3:30 am and off to the airport by 5:00. None of us are light packers and I insisted Lucy sleep in her own furniture so we hauled all 800 suitcases and her play yard/bassinet into the airport. Getting on the plane was easy peasy and the flight was great. There were a half dozen other babies and I thought it would be noisy but they all zonked out shortly after their parents (in our case Blake, since I'm terrified of flying and was too busy clutching the armrests during takeoff) forced down bottles to help their little ears pop. We flew JetBlue for the first time and it was so nice having tv to watch to get me easily through the flight.

We arrived in Long Beach early and got our rental and headed to Newport Beach. We went to Newport Pier and got donuts and coffee and introduced Lucy to one of our favorite things the ocean. Surfers were out and it was a beautiful day. She loved watching the waves crash and hearing the birds squawk. We walked in the sand and got acquainted with our surroundings and then checked into our hotel. Lucy loved the linens on the bed. It's so nice when you walk into a lovely hotel room with soft white linens and a balcony door that opens to a view of the ocean and a cool breeze. Normally I'm anti-naps but having Lucy has changed that opinion. We all took a long one and woke up ready for a Saturday night on the town. We went to the Crab Cooker in Newport and had some yummy seafood. This is where Lucy's celebrity status really kicked in. Now I don't mean to be an obnoxious mom but honestly, I have never seen such fanfare for one little girl. Halfway through the trip it was even annoying for Blake and me! We could hardly walk a block without being stopped for people to coo and visit with Lucy. People in restaurants gathered around our table, stopped us on the street, asked to take her home (not as creepy as it sounds) and she got "God bless her" from people from various states and countries. Lucy loved every minute of it. She's now really turning on her charm and waving and smiling and flirting back with her admirers.

Newport Pier

we weren't too sure about the cool ocean temps


let's vacay


lounging with dad - look at that cute smile!


waiting to eat at Crab Cooker



this pic is kind of blurry but look at how old she looks! She didn't eat half of this loaf of bread but about 18 single bites off of 18 single breadsticks.

Sunday: I don't know what my problem is but I'm still having back/leg problems. I woke up this morning in major pain so I scheduled a massage at the spa in our hotel. It was nice but it didn't really help the problem (I start physical therapy Monday). Anyway, I wasn't going to let it slow us down so after my massage we headed over to Balboa and took the ferry to Balboa Island. It's such a cute little island with a street of fun quaint shops and restaurants. We ate a yummy breakfast and Lucy had her own short stack of pancakes. We shopped, strolled and wished we had a cottage on the island. Later that afternoon we took advantage of the nice heated pool at the hotel. Lucy is such a fish! She cannot get enough of swimming. We had most of the pool to ourselves and then I was worried Lucy would get a chill after coming out of the water so the two of them went to nap and I lounged by the pool listening to my OC mix (yes, Blake and I both love the show the OC. I mean, Blake is obsessed with it! And we have all seasons on dvd if you're interested...Caitlin, that means you!) It was so relaxing and once again I have to thank Blake. He always makes sure I have time to myself. He knows I love swimming and pool lounging so he took care of Lucy while I could enjoy myself. And yes, it was his BIRTHDAY! I kind of dropped the ball this year for him. But he said he couldn't have had a better birthday than having the nice day we did. That night we celebrated his birthday at a Mexican restaurant near the hotel, and yes Lucy did her one woman act again much to the delight of half the restaurant.

on Balboa Island

swim champ

Monday: DISNEYLAND! We made it to the park shortly after opening and I teared up as we walked down Main Street USA. Disneyland is one of my favorite places in the world and to be there with Lucy and Blake was amazing. It was a perfect day for the park. Lucy rode on everything that she could which was almost all of the rides. Her favorites were Dumbo with Blake and the Jungle Cruise. She fell asleep on Pirates and didn't seem spooked at all on Haunted Mansion. It was a different experience than when Blake and I went a couple of years ago. We had to ride solo on the bigger rides and they're still fun but Matterhorn is not the same when you are woo-hooing alone. So we did the majority of rides as a family. Peter Pan is so much fun as an adult but watching Lucy's eyes as we flew over the city was such a delight. Lucy had her first churro in the park and the best treat ever, a dole whip while hanging out in the Tiki, Tiki, Tiki room. She only napped once and never fussed, cried or had a freak out. We had so much fun with her and we lasted until just before closing at ten. Blake and I saw the fireworks just outside the park as we waited for the tram but this little tinkerbell finally said goodnight.

on Jungle Cruise


napping after Pirates - look at that bottom lip!


you can't really tell but this is on Peter Pan Flight - Lucy's head was back and forth trying to take it all in


waiting to storm the castle



these two look a little nervous about the carousel

hold on bug girl!

the fave - Dumbo with daddy!

Jungle Cruise - Lucy watching the rhinos splash

this crazy girl had so much fun!

this was at night and all around the castle was dark and it was lit in pink - a nice shot as we prepared to say goodnight to the park

Tuesday: This was our last full day of vacation. We slept in after our busy day before and then got up and drove to Laguna Beach for breakfast. We then went to Aliso Beach in Laguna and spent a marvelous time in the sun and on the sand. Lucy loved the beach and surprisingly the sand in her toes. I'm amazed that she likes everything and isn't afraid of anything. Nothing on this trip from the plane, Disneyland, ocean scared her or made her uncomfortable. It's so nice having such an easy girl but in the future she's going to probably test my nerves on a daily basis because she's going to be a wild child! After the beach we got in some more pool time and then that evening went to our last dinner and some shopping at Fashion Island. We all snuggled together in bed that evening and I was so thankful that we had such an enjoyable, safe, happy trip as a family.

piggies in sand

Laguna beach bums

our little beach bunny

Wednesday: We got up around 9:00 and packed up our 800 bags and stuffed our souvenirs and drove back to Long Beach to catch our flight. Lucy stayed awake for the entire flight but was entertained by Blake and books and didn't make much of a peep. It was kind of hard flying into dark clouds and rain in Salt Lake after leaving mid 60's and sunny skies but we have great memories from our trip and as long as we have such an easy, happy traveler we'll be planning our next adventure soon!