"On such a winter's day..." California in Two Phases

WARNING: Uncharacteristically long post ahead. See slide shows for overview. (I guess this is what happens when I write a post before writing in my journal. I think I'll just print this out and paste it in. Two birds dead with one very large stone.)

We are finally connected to the internet in our new house. And just in time to post about our successful California trip! (I will post pictures of the house a little later, once we paint and all.) In order to not feel overwhelmed, I think I will go list-style on this one. I have a feeling I may be long-winded so I'll post the slide shows first so you can skip the rest or head straight to the days that may interest you. Upon reading the captions, you will get all the necessary information in a nutshell. Anyway, it all started at 4:30 on Thursday morning...


CA Phase 1: Disneyland and the Beach


CA Phase 2: Fun with the Mathews


Thursday:
-We tried to "transplant" Julia from crib to car seat without waking her. We were quite proud of our accomplishment until 5 miles from home we heard her giggling under the blanket. She was wide awake, happy, and had no intention of falling back to sleep. And she didn't until we were in our rental car and en route to Disneyland, about 5 hours later.
-Picked up Lili and Drew at the Park'n'Ride. Met the Pecks at the airport and boarded the 6:00 flight to LAX. Julia was extremely squirmy (now that she stands and cruises on things she really doesn't like to sit still) and quite fussy. I secretly considered flying right back home. But after a few tears in the bathroom (if you can call it a "room" on a plane - yikes, those things are small) I remembered Jonny's and my resolve to have fun, expect the worst as far as Julia's sleeping and behavior goes, and be pleasantly surprised if she did well. (She is an extremely happy child - when she is well rested. And she is very accustomed to a schedule so I had to throw out all expectations of trying to stick to that on the trip.) Luckily, it was a quick flight and I didn't purchase a ticket home. Julia was happy to be off the plane and the California sunshine quickly put me back into vacation mode.
-I told you this would be long. Anyway...
-DISNEYLAND! This was Jonny's and Julia's first time in "the happiest place on earth." Jonny loved it and was amazed at how extravagant each ride was (he went on "Pirates" first and couldn't believe how big it was). His favorites were all the roller coastery rides, but he loved them all!
-It was so fun to be with the Pecks, Lili, and Drew. I have learned that you should never go to Disneyland without Drili (Jake's term for the team). They are experts! They fetched fast passes throughout the day, while we worked on the stroller passes. All in all, we never waited longer than 20 minutes in a line. Usually less than five. Ha!
-Julia and I took advantage of the comfortable "Baby Care Center" for nursing and diaper changes. They think of everything at Disneyland.
-May or may not have terrorized Julia on the Haunted Mansion ride. Oops, Drew and Lili took her on it right after we did.
-Julia fell asleep in her stroller and even - get this- in my arms! She was so lethargic, probably from the heat and lack of sleep. Although my active child was not herself, I did enjoy snuggling my baby - something she rarely does.
-After a long, fun day at Disneyland and California Adventure, Todd, Ally, Jonny, Julia, and I turned in around 5 pm. Julia and Ally had a blast in the bathtub. Then Ally and I spent some quality time together soaking our feet in the hotel pool after Julia was asleep. The trip was worth it just for that time with Allyson. She cracks me up. (In the bathroom, she said, "And I need you to wipe my bum. I mean, I take Julia's diapers to the garbage for you." Yes, a fair trade, I suppose.)
-Todd babysat slumbering Julia while Jonny and I luxuriously soaked in the hot tub. With the whole pool to myself, I did a few laps. There's nothing like swimming under the palm trees and stars. I was perfectly content. Before retiring, we danced by the pool. Now that is a vacation.
-Mom and Dad arrived late that night. Never even heard them sneak into the hotel room! We were out.

Friday:
-Disneyland again! It was a hotter than Thursday, but a little breezy and very nice. Another successful day. Went on my favorite ride "Soarin' over California." It's magical how you really feel like you are flying.
-Decided to bring Julia along again. She napped well. Fell asleep during the Buzz Lightyear ride. I guess laser beams, flashing lights, and loud noises can have a soothing effect. ????
-Ate at the Blue Bayou restaurant inside the Pirates ride. Fancy and delicious! If you ever go, be sure to order the Monte Cristo sandwich. Oh, and it could easily feed four, as we found out too late!
-After leaving Julia at the hotel in the evening (thanks again for tending, Mom and Dad) Jonny and I headed back to experience Disney at night. We had fun on a few rides but didn't last long. I could hardly walk!
-Julia slept quite well both nights, waking once to nurse as usual. (Well, she had a hard time falling asleep the second night. I guess she just wanted to stay up and play with Nana.) Pleasantly surprised at every turn!

Saturday:
-Off to the Beach! This was another first for Jonny. He once swam in the Chesapeake Bay (yes, in his clothes) when we were in MD together and another time he walked on the Beach in CA while there for a the Mathews' wedding. But his time he was suited up and ready to dive in! Yikes. It was freezing. But as it turned out, we both braved the cold (with Lili too) and were very glad we did. Diving into the waves was more fun than any Disneyland ride. I am amazed by the ocean.
-Had a blast with all the fam on the beach. We were sad to leave early, but excited to begin the second part of our California trip.
-After rinsing and packing, we started the three hour drive to Los Alamos to stay with our long lost friends James and Danielle Mathews. (Jonny and James served in Poland together and were later roommates in college, James and Danielle were married a few months before us, we were lucky enough to be in the same ward, we spent two weeks in Poland together, and not long after that they moved back to CA. Boo! We miss our friends but are happy they are home again.)
-Julia and I fell asleep about 30 minutes into the drive. I remember waking up suddenly and being overwhelmed by the beauty of the landscape! I don't usually experience California beyond the big tourist cities so this was something else! The green hills dotted with purple flowers, trees by the thousands, picturesque vineyards, and then the ocean view for miles - it was almost too much for me to take in! It was then I understood why the Mathews were always so anxious to go back to California. It is gorgeous.
-We were graciously welcomed into the lovely new home of the Mathews. It was so good to see their faces after so long! They got acquainted with Julia and we met their dog Cocoa. Next we ordered delicious food from their favorite local restaurant, enjoyed catching up, toured their beautiful and spacious home, were showered with Christmas gifts, and slept on a comfortable bed with Julia in a room all her own. How luxurious!

Sunday:
-We joined the Mathews at church after Julia woke up from a nice nap. (She hopped right back onto her schedule. I was very pleasantly surprised at that one.)
-After Julia's second nap (so nice of them to work around her nap schedule! makes for a much happier Julia and Mommy) we spent time with James' family at their gorgeous home. Had fun soaking our feet in the pool and watching the puppies swim for the first time. We were fed a delicious meal and were even sent home with s'more makings!
-Julia went to sleep (she kept to her 7 pm bedtime) and we adults chatted and relaxed and prepared the Polish bigos for the next day. I am happy to say that too many cooks in the kitchen did not spoil this stew.

Monday:
-James and Danielle took us to one of their favorite stores (well, for Danielle, anyway!) Cost Plus World Market. We bought some of our favorite Polish candies and a few great accent items for our house. We were later very happy to learn the store is here in Utah as well! (After the cashier told me otherwise.)
-Naturally, we ate at In-N-Out Burger. Totally yummy.
-After Julia's second nap we were given tours of Danielle's hometown Buellton, "The Home of Split Pea Soup," and James' hometown Solvang, "The Danish Capital of America." Pretty fancy, I know. I loved strolling through charming Solvang. We ate danishes and ableskeevers, adored the old-world architecture, explored a Hans Christian Anderson museum in the attic of a used bookstore, and enjoyed the quaint village atmosphere.
-After visiting Danielle's lovely family and home, we headed back for bigos. And how. If you have never tried bigos, you definitely should. It is a cabbage, sour kraut, meat stew that is satisfying and delicious.
-We watched the inspirational Pursuit of Happyness and decided we finally had enough room in our stomachs for dessert. The boys were boring and and had ice cream while Danielle and I roasted marshmallows over the gas stove flame. While posing for a picture, my mallows caught on fire and we are extremely lucky the rest of the house didn't as well! I was laughing so hard I couldn't blow it out. James came to the rescue and after a second try, my s'more was ready. Yikes!

Tuesday:
-We were sad to leave our friends on Tuesday morning. They were the perfect host and hostess and we couldn't have felt more at home with them. Thanks for everything, James and Danielle!
-We left after Julia woke up from her morning nap. Imagine our surprise when she fell asleep less than 30 minutes into the 2 and 1/2 hour drive to the airport! She slept most of the trip and was delightful when she woke up.
-Danielle told me to keep my eyes peeled for Dolphins when we drove through Ventura. (I mentioned that I had never seen one in the wild and have always longed to.) Sure enough, we spotted a pair diving in the waves! Ocean life in the wild! That alone was enough the make the trip.
-We made it to LAX in plenty of time, thanks to Jonny's careful planning. Our flight was delayed a little but we were on our way back to Utah before too long. Julia was very antsy but didn't fuss. Lovely! She looked out the window for a long time (standing on the seat, of course), greedily ate ice pieces, played with the boy in row behind us (grabbed at him through the seats), stood on the seat and waved at the other passengers while smiling and laughing, and suddenly fell asleep during the descent. Phew! She kept us busy but we were happy that she wasn't a basket case, as she tends to be when overtired.
-In our sandals and t-shirts, we were welcomed back by one of Utah's inevitable spring snow storms. Home sweet home.
-So, the trip was a success - much better than we expected. There were a few hard times, but the fun definitely outweighed any inconveniences. Good work, traveling Julia. Maybe we'll take a break now. After all, she has visited 7 of the 50 United States since her birth 10 and 1/2 months ago.