Our California Adventure: Part 5 - Huntington Beach

After we left Universal Studios, we headed to Huntington Beach.  We got a little lost and turned around, but we found it.  We knew if we drove towards the ocean, we'd have to finally bump into it.  And once we did...... beautiful.  Just beautiful.  The smog was no longer an issue and you could see out forever.  The ocean and the sky seemed to meet in the middle and you couldn't tell where one ended and the other began (isn't that a line from Forrest Gump?).  It was just gorgeous.

 We all ran out through the sand and towards the water.  The waves came crashing in and the Pacific ocean water rolled across the tops of our feet.  We then promptly ran back towards the dry beach.  It was FREEZING!!  Gabe and Alyssa hung back while Brayden and I went for it.  That little boy has no fear.  He wanted to go as deep as possible and wanted the waves to knock him down.  So that's what we did. We didn't bring our swimsuits (SWIM in that water?  Are you kidding me?!), so we just rolled up our shorts and went for it.  It was so much fun.


Looking back, we should have planned for one whole day at the beach rather than just a couple hours.  I've never seen the kids have so much fun and be so happy just sitting and being somewhere.  There were no televisions or cool rides or fancy electronics.  It was just mother nature and they were soaking it in.  We played in the frigid water for quite awhile.  The waves were getting bigger and bigger as the sun started to go down.  We built sand castles on the beach.  Alyssa kept squealing with delight every time the waves pulled back to expose lots of new seashells to collect.  Her pockets were overflowing with them.  We sat on the beach for a little while and watched the seagulls.  They sure are funny little things.  We couldn't help but do lame "Finding Nemo" jokes.  Then we walked down the beach and under the pier.  We had to literally drag the kids back to the car - they didn't want to leave.  It was so beautiful and peaceful.  I definitely want to live on the beach some day. 

Our California Adventure: Part 4 - Universal Studios Hollywood

Third full day in California.  As a part of our "City Pass" entertainment package, it came with tickets to Universal Studios Hollywood.  I actually wasn't too keen on going there, I didn't think the kids would like it, but since it was essentially free we decided to go anyway.  I am so very glad that we did!  Actually getting to Hollywood was..... an experience.  You haven't driven in traffic until you've drive in California traffic.  I wasn't even the one driving and I'm still a little traumatized by it. 

There's a big, open shopping area before you actually get up to the theme park.  Full of great restaurants and stores that we don't see very often back home.  Particularly, "Dark Horse Comics".  My sweet husband was like a kid in a.... well, comic store, but it's cuter than it sounds.  Especially when I stood back and just watched him.  He was in full tourist mode and was so giddy when he saw the wall full of Captain America comics and paraphernalia. I love that man.  He's just so cute.  Please note the sunglass tan line and the backpack stocked with sunscreen & aloe gel with lidocaine.  I think I forgot to mention that Billy, Alyssa and I got a really bad sunburn at Sea World.  It prompted the purchase of all the floppy hats you'll see in the rest of the photos.

As expected, the kids were not down for any of the rides at Universal.  It's also a relatively small park, so we went through it pretty quickly.  We did "Shrek" in 4D, but it freaked the kids out and they didn't want to do anymore.  We were all really stoked to ride Jurassic park, but once we actually got down to it, everyone chickened out.  After the "Journey to Atlantis" ride, I learned that I don't handle rides as well as I used to.  And the boys realized they weren't as adventurous as they though.  Alyssa has never liked that stuff and Billy prefers to keep his feet on solid ground, so..... yeah, no Jurassic Park ride for us. 

We DID get to see Bumblebee though!  That was pretty neat.  Brayden seemed to be the most adventurous when it came to meeting characters, so he was the only one that went up to say hello (with Daddy in tow of course).  I don't know if he'd admit it, but even Billy was pretty stoked to be interacting with Bumblebee.  It's not everyday that you get to say hello to a Transformer. 

After we walked around some more and saw what there was to see, I begged for us to stay a little longer and catch the "Animal Actors" show.  It was a really cute show full of animals (almost all are rescues!) that have appeared in shows and movies.  I recognized a few.  Particularly the dog from "Marley & Me" .His real name is Jonah and he was quite the entertainment.  I'll get to that part in a minute.  You know who else was entertaining?  Brayden.  Literally!  He got called on stage and got to interact with the animals.  He was probably on the stage longer than most animals were.  I think we might have a star on our hands. 

I had to cut that part a little short because my camera battery was getting low and I didn't want to miss anything.  I wasn't sure how long they were going to "prep", so  just paused the camera.  Which I regret, because I missed the part towards the end where she introduces Jonah and talks about how he was in "Marley & Me".  Anywho, so they set up the little obstacle course and Brayden becomes one of the hurdles they have to jump over.  Super cute.  First dog?  First dog did great.  Good job.

Then it was Jonah's turn.  And in true "Marley & Me" form, Jonah decided to just do his own thing. 

It was all part of the show, of course, but even animal actors can surprise us sometimes.  Sweet Jonah was supposed to ACT like he was peeing..... not actually do it.  I guess maybe it's an honor to get a little animal actor tinkle on you?  Who knows.  Brayden didn't mind too much..... and we promptly left the theater to go wash his hands.  lol  He laughed and boasted about that all day long.  You would have thought he won the lottery. 

All in all, I'm super glad that we ended up going.  Getting to be on stage with those animals is something he'll remember forever.  And so will I.  Nothing boosts the confidence of a 6-year-old like being up on stage and having a crowd of people clap, cheer and tell you how good you did.  It makes my heart smile just thinking about it.

One last little side note about Universal Studios.  They were filming an episode of "Extra" out in front of the main gates.  Apparently it's a game in California to see how many famous people you can spot.  The set of "Extra" was my best bet.  I stared and looked and couldn't quite figure out who was on stage, but I snapped a photo anyway.  That's when Billy, quite loudly!, told me that it was Jack Black.  So here ya go.  My only celebrity spotting - the back of Jack Black. Oh, and that's Maria Menounos standing with him.  So technically, two celebrities?  Is she a celebrity?  I don't know these things. 

Our Califnornia Adventure: Part 3 - Sea World

The second full day in California consisted of another drive up the coast (down the coast?) to San Diego to SeaWorld!  I love SeaWorld.  I think I was more excited for that than the zoo.  I knew what to expect and how to navigate it, so I was pumped.  It was definitely everything I love about SeaWorld.  Animals, rides, exhibits, rare sea animals that we never get to see anywhere else..... I loved it.  All three kids really loved it.  Dare I say, even Billy loved it.

The boys and I rode "Journey to Atlantis".  Their first pretty major roller coaster/water ride.  They dragged me to it and almost ran through the riders line to get up to the loading dock.  The ride takes you up high, then immediately sends you down the water chute.  None of us were expecting the drop that soon.  Of course, that's where the camera was.  I wish I had bought it, because it was so funny.  I was holding on for dear life, but laughing my butt off; Gabe had grabbed his face and his hair was standing straight up; and poor little Brayden was holding on to the bar in front of him and had a look of sheer panic on his face.  It was pretty epic.  After the water drop, it took us up over to a roller coast portion of the ride where we zipped around tight corners and did a few of those drops where your stomach goes up into your throat.  The boys couldn't get off that ride fast enough.  They liked it and said it was cool, but they had no interest in riding it again.  I was quite amused.

We spent the rest of the day playing at the Sesame Street area where there were climbing ropes, slides, jumping platforms and a few rides.  The kids really loved it.  We saw the shows with dolphins, Shamu and rescued land animals.  All were great shows.  We walked through all the exhibits.  I think the kids liked the sharks the best.  Alyssa was scared at first, but once she realized that the sharks stayed safely behind the glass, she loved it.  The boys couldn't stop talking about all the different species.  I was impressed with how much Gabe knew about sharks already.  He's so smart. 

After a fun-filled day at SeaWorld, we knew it was time for the beach!  We had heard that La Jolla was amazing, so that's where we headed.  It was one of the few things Gabe was REALLY excited about.  As we came around the corner and found the beach, it was just a wall of people.  We circled for about two hours trying to find a place to park, or at least get out for a few minutes.  Nothing.  You just couldn't move.  All three kids were really disappointed, but it was getting late and we needed to get back to Anaheim.  First attempt at the beach was definitely a bust. 

Our California Adventure: Part 2 - The San Diego Zoo

As we walked out of the airport (ALL of our luggage in hand, I might add), Alyssa squealed with delight and said, "Look!  It's our first palm tree!"  It was so cute.  We were all giddy and overwhelmed with all the sights to see.  I know it wasn't some exotic foreign country, but to us, it mine as well have been.  It was so exciting to be somewhere new.

We got our rental car and got out of the airport without a hitch.  Our hotel was very close.  As we pulled our bags out of the trunk, that's when I looked across the parking lot and realized that we were directly behind "Cars Land" at Disney California Adventure.  When we got to the 3rd floor to find our room, that's when I could look out and see the big giant ferris wheel with Mickey's face on it.  It was really real!  Disney was literally feet away from us.  I know for a fact I was happier and more excited than the kids were. 

Our first evening consisted of getting unpacked and walking over to a strip mall to grab some dinner . We ate outside and just stared at the mountains.  Well, what we could see of the mountains through the smog.  That was one thing I wasn't really prepared for.  I thought it was just "hazy" or cloudy at first.  Nope, it's smog.  Lots and lots of smog.  It was still a beautiful first evening in California though.  I was reading facebook posts about it being 100+ degrees back at home.  We were sitting outside in 65 degree weather wishing we had grabbed a jacket before we left the hotel room.  It was perfection!

Our first full day in California was designated "zoo" day.  We drove to San Diego to experience the world-renowned zoo.  We drove down the coast and saw the ocean.  The air smelled so fresh.  I wish I could have bottled it and taken it home.  Alyssa swears she saw a shark out the window.  Brayden insisted he saw a killer whale.  Gabe, on the other hand, insisted he couldn't even see the water.  He was quite the sour puss on much of the vacation. 

We finally arrived at the zoo and..... wow.  Wow, oh, wow.  It was MASSIVE.  We walked and walked and walked.  We rode the sky-tram.  We walked and walked and walked some more.  Then we rode the double decker bus.  I still don't think we saw even half of the zoo.  We were there for hours upon hours.  There was just so much to see.  I don't really have anything to say about the zoo, unfortunately.  It was a zoo.  It had animals.  Really cool animals and the exhibits were amazing, but it was still just a zoo.  I was so overwhelmed that I don't think I could really appreciate it.  I would definitely recommend it, but I don't think you can really see all of it in one day.  You need to live there and have a membership to see everything there is to see.

The kids were getting exhausted, cranky and bored so we wrapped up the zoo a couple hours before closing.  The change in climate must have finally caught up with them, because Alyssa had a nose bleed as we left the zoo.  She never has nose bleeds.  Then when we got to the car, Brayden had a nose bleed.  It looked like a murder scene in the backseat of that car.  It gushed everywhere and we couldn't get it to stop.  Ugh.  He went through an entire package of kleenex before it finally stopped.  The San Diego Zoo and epic nose bleeds.  That's how we roll.

Our California Adventure: Part 1 - The Journey Begins

I can't believe I haven't blogged about this yet!  Eeek!  We had the most fantastic vacation ever.  It was so much fun!  I'll start at the beginning.  I refuse to leave out any detail, so sit down and get comfortable.  This is going to be a novel. 

I know people have crazy stories of getting to the airport late or cars breaking down or whatever, but we were really lucky that the whole "morning of" process went really smooth.  We got to the airport in plenty of time, got a great parking spot and got our boarding passes no problem.  We were even pleasantly surprised that the airline didn't charge us any baggage claim fees because Billy was a disabled veteran.  PERK! 

First flight was fine..... until we descended into Houston.  The captain came on the speakers and warned us that it was going to be a little bumpy because there were storms all around.  He wasn't kidding.  It was very bumpy.  We survived though - no worse for wear.  Gabe was a little green, but we were all okay.  We had a short layover in Houston, so we headed off to find our gate before grabbing lunch.  Houston airport is much bigger than we realized, so it took us several moving sidewalks and a subway-type train to get to where we needed to be.  We found the gate without any major problems and grabbed lunch.

20 minutes before our flight, I sat down at our gate while Billy grabbed some snacks for the plane.  It took me a few moments to realize it, but not a single other person was at the gate...... empty flight?  Then I realized that the gate said that the flight was going to San Fransisco.  "No, that's not us."  I wandered over to the big digital flight board to see what the deal was.  Without any notice, they had changed the gate that our flight was leaving from.  I hollered at Billy and he clarified with someone at the airport.  Yup, gate change - and it might as well have been on the other side of the planet from where we were.  We had 15 minutes until our flight left at that point.

We hightailed it out of there as quickly as possible.  Several more moving sidewalks, another ride on the subway-type train, a few more moving sidewalks and we could see the sign pointing towards where our gate was..... at the far end of the airport.  We were quite literally that family running through the airport like maniacs.  I still am not sure how, but we made it. 

At that point all those Houston storms had settled near the airport.  The captain warned us that the seatbelt lights would be on the entire flight because it was going to be a rough one.  Great.  This was our longest leg of the trip.  Several hours in the air.  Shouldn't the air be smooth and lovely?  Well, it's not.  I still can't figure that part out, but it was like driving down a gravel road full of potholes.  It was terrible and I was miserable.  Going up and coming back down were the worst parts.  Once we were cruising above the clouds, it wasn't so bad.  Oh gosh the descent into Anaheim though.  Ugh.  That was the worst.  Bumpiest ride of my life and then I swear we bounced a couple times when we landed.  Alyssa had her hands up saying, "Weeeee!", Brayden had a concerned look on his face but was quiet, while Gabe and I were green and clenching our barf bags.  I wanted to kiss the ground when we landed.

All of that quickly melted away though as we walked through the airport.  We were finally in California.  Over a year and a half of planning and we were looking out into beautiful, sunny, smoggy California!!

Letting Go

Letting go is so hard to do.  I've gotten pretty good at letting go of stress and anger and things like that, but letting go of a friendship that was so near and dear to my heart?  It's a really difficult thing to do.  Once you realize that there's quite literally nothing that you can ever say or do to mend what's broken though - letting go becomes the only option.  I'm trying to find peace and comfort in leaving it all up to God, but I have to admit that it's still not really helping.  I'm heartbroken.  I'm devastated.  I still had so much hope that maybe, just maybe, the friendship would survive. 

We've been friends for several years and supported each other through some heavy stuff.  I was getting very uncomfortable about a certain situation in her life and, instead of talking to her about it, I held my feelings in.  She needed support and understanding.  It was about her, not me.  Telling her how I felt about the situation rather than just listening to her would have hurt her feelings.  So I kept it all to myself.  The problem was that I kept it in too long.  It festered and grew into this frustration and disgust that I couldn't contain anymore.  It probably never would have even gotten to that level had I talked to her about it weeks prior.  I didn't though.  That was the first half of my mistake.  The other half is the part where I finally blew up and vented to "the enemy" about the situation.  The very last person I should have said anything to, and that's the person that I spilled my guts to.  Huge, huge mistake.  I knew what I had said would hurt her.  I knew that the words I chose were not loving, kind nor constructive.  It was a verbal diarrhea rant that she never should have to see/hear.  When you "chat" all those words online though, it's inevitable that they'll be seen.  And they were.  And they hurt.  And that sucks. 

Despite my best efforts to explain that it wasn't an intentional attack, my countless apologies, and doing whatever I could think of to prove that it was just a moment of weakness on my part that won't happen again..... I don't think our friendship is going to make it.  Which, for lack of a better word, sucks.  It royally sucks, actually.  It sucks because I hurt my dear friend so deeply.  It sucks because I'm hurt too, but because I'm the bad guy in all of this, I "deserve" it.  Years of friendship; years of telling each other our deepest, darkest secrets; years of trust, support and encouragement; years of dropping whatever I was doing to be there for her at a moment's notice - all of those things are overshadowed by one really screwed up incident.  It makes me feel like I'm easily disposed of.  I feel abandoned.  I feel like nothing I ever did prior to that mistake meant anything.  One bad cancels out millions of good.  That's a really, really crappy feeling.  Maybe it's not supposed to be about me, but always putting my friends' feelings first and completely ignoring my own are what got me into this predicament in the first place.  So I'm letting myself feel it.

I have to accept the fact that it's time to let go.  I hate to, but I have to.  I still want to have so much hope.  She'll never forget the pain I caused though.  I can't keep beating myself up and trying to fix something that I alone can't fix.  We're either in it together or we aren't.  At this point, we aren't.  The optimistic side of me wants to hold onto that small glimmer of hope that maybe someday soon the tides will change.  I just really don't see it happening though.  I have to just let it all go and let it be whatever it's going to be.  Dear God, I don't want to though.  It's like losing a sister.  It's like losing a friend-soul-mate.  Even when she got on my very last nerve and annoyed the holy hell out of me - she was still my best friend.  I don't want to have to say goodbye to that.

Disney Time

It's here!  It's here!  It's finally, really here!  A year and a half of educating myself and making our plans.  Months upon months of saving so that we can have a really great time and do all the thing we want to do.  Countless hours spent online making reservations, dealing with airline changes, driving people crazy with my Disney status updates and questions.  Not only am I truly 100% ready to go, but it's safe to say that everyone else is too - just so that I'll finally shut up about it.

After what seems like a lifetime of waiting - it's finally time.  We're going.  We're really, really going.  And it's going to be fantastic!