California...knows how to party!

We packed up the treats, Doritos, and yummy treats and...
We had an AMAZING family vacation to my home state of California! It was a much needed vacation and we made the most of it. The boys are at a great age to travel and sleep wherever so we took advantage of that and house hopped the whole time.
We started by staying with Tim and his family so we could spend a "pre-birthday" day with him and see his kids play baseball/softball. It was a blast and Sam and James loved being at the baseball games and running and playing around.
Sam is definitely at that stage where he is trying to understand the world around him and express what he sees. Taylor, Tim's oldest, was in the dug out with her team and Sam saw her and said, "Oh no! Taylor's stuck in the cage!" It was so cute! There was also a little black girl that was riding a little scooter around that Sam kept chasing. He kept calling her "sister". We don't know why, but it was cute to hear him chase her and say, "Hey, come back here sister!" :)


We then drove down to my parents to celebrate a late birthday with Logan, Mike's daughter. It was fun. Amy, Nate's wife, was there with her girls. Nate couldn't come, but we were glad to have some time with them. Lucy, their oldest, and Sam just fought and fought. They both had the attitude, of, hey, this is MY grandma's house. It was pretty funny, but I think that Sam got a little dramatized by it because he had nightmares the next night where he would cry, "No Lucy, that's mine."
Sunday we got to go to church with my parents and listen to my dad speak. He was just released from his 7 year service as an Area Authority 70. He said he had given over 1600 talks in those 7 years and I finally got to hear one! It was great. I love my parents so much and I am so glad for how they raised me and for the fact that I always knew where they stood and what they believed!
We headed up to Dave's for a dinner/party for Tim. It was fun. I love hanging at their house. They definitely have the model family and home that Seth and I strive for.
We then headed over to Jon's for 2 nights. It was fun to stay there again. We hadn't stayed with them since we were first married. When I called them to see if we could stay with them I heard the boys in the background chant, "We want Sam, we want Sam." When I told Jon to ask them if I could come with him I just heard a pause and then, "We want Seth, we want Seth!" So much love! :) It made me so happy that my family is loved so much! Sam and James had a blast there. Jon's boys are awesome and Sam and James had so much fun playing with them.





Monday we had a great day at Disneyland. We did the promotion Disney was offering of "Give a Day, Get a Day." It was awesome Seth and I were able to go bowling with some disabled people. We had a blast and got a free day at Disneyland for it. It didn't seem quite fair, but we took it and loved it. It was cute to see how in to it James was this time. When we went to Disney world last September we had a good time, but this time he really got it and it was cute. Sam and James were just into everything and I wish we wouldn't have tired out so quickly because there was hardly anyone there.

Tuesday morning we headed back to my parents for a day to just hang out and rest and to get some of Seth's favorite doughnuts! We took Sam and James in for the first time. We usually just have them stay in the car. When Sam walked in and say the display cases with the doughnuts he said, "Wow, it's so beautiful!" It was so cute. Like father, like son! :)

Wednesday we went to the Zoo compliments of Tressa, Dave's oldest. She worked at Sea World last year and for my birthday gave us tickets. We hadn't used them yet and we were so excited to go. I LOVE the Zoo, and so to the boys. We went first thing in the morning and the animals were great. We saw so much action. From polar bears eating carrots and playing in the water, to flamingos running and flapping their wings, to bears trying to get food out of bags and trees, to jaguars pouncing, to pandas wake and playing, to snakes slithering around there cages....it was so awesome. I felt so spoiled.

Wednesday night my parents with Clay and Logan's help watched Sam and James so that Seth and I could have a night out. We always seem to plan our vacations around the Brave's schedule! :) We went to a Padres/Brave's game and had a blast. It was so fun to go out and actually do something, not just running to a movie really quickly. The Brave's won which made it even sweeter! :)

Thursday we headed back to Dave's. We caught Braden's tennis match. That was fun. Then we just hung out with them and played games.
Sam and James LOVED all the time they had with cousins and would always ask if we were going to another cousin's house. It was fun. Sam had forgotten Bryce's (Dave's youngest) name and he was trying to figure out how to ask him his name, so he just pointed to him, looked at me and said, "Hey, what's that?" It was so cute. We all had a good laugh at that and his one track mindedness as he really wanted "cheese toast" (a grilled cheese sandwich) for dinner and only said that for about an hour no matter what you talked to him about or asked him about! :)
Friday we headed to St. George to stop over with some good friend's of ours and celebrate Dave's birthday. It was nice to stop and hang with them and break up our trip. And Saturday we finally got home. It was nice, but sad. It was such a great time that I didn't want it to end....