Valencia

{7.02.13}

We went to Valencia to see my Nana's new house,
and my Aunt Cathy and Uncle Bruce's new place.

Mabel loved looking at all of Nana's pretty things...
especially this puppy.

It was fun to relax at chat at my Aunt Cathy's house.

Dinner at Don Cuco:

More singing and celebrating the birthday girl!

Ocean Air & Salty Hair

The drive from Vegas to California was exhausting.

We were hoping since it was around nap time that maybe the stars would 

align and she would close her eyes for a little while. Nope. No way.

Here are a few things from my surprise bag that she really liked:

A gazelle whistle 

Pop rocks candy

After she was done with every.single.toy AND treat, AND coloring book 

AND movie she just started screaming. 

She was done. We all were.

Nothing says welcome to California quite like

TRAFFIC.

SOOOOooooo happy it wasn't on our side.

We got to our hotel in Costa Mesa 

and it was much more exciting than we expected...

the "lobby" was a tropical wonderland.

"Mommy! Turtles! Fish!"

She was so happy to be out of the car, and to see turtles that 

she went crazy running around saying, "Mama! My turtles!"

From our balcony we could keep 

an eye on the turtles at all times.

I love watching these two play.

Jacob is so sweet with her.

Every time we would ride the elevator Mabel would

walk in and sit down in her elevator spot. 

I didn't get any pictures but the complimentary breakfast 

each morning was insane. So much food.

Nate had a made to order omelet, hashbrowns, pancakes, bacon, and a pastry 

every morning. We definitely gained some weight on this trip.

It didn't help that the hotel also had a free happy hour - 

drinks, soda, nachos, pretzels, chex mix 

AND

the little restaurant at the hotel was really tasty. 

Grandpa Kraig got Mabel an "ah-do" treat!

We can't figure out why she calls ice cream ah do.

My two favorite faces.

{6.29.13}

Mabel's First Time at the Beach

Corona Del Mar

The fog usually burns off around noon but that day it didn't.

My mom said it really was an odd day because Corona is known as a really

kid friendly beach with small waves and that day they were huge!

Sand. Everywhere.

She had issues with it at first then thankfully she realized it

was just part of the beach experience and she dealt with it.

 

My mom and Jacob went out for a swim...

Crazy waves!

Mabel and Grandpa built some sandcastles.

Nate decided to head out with my mom and Jacob.

My mom came to shore I went out.

Nate, Jacob, Me, 

and some random kid front and center.

Bye beach - see you again in a few days!

{6.30.13}

My Mumsie's Birthday!

Lazy morning by the hotel pool...

Nate got the spa treatment with a hair washing 

and deep condition by Mabel.

We went to dinner at El Torito Grill..

They made fresh guacamole at your table and it was divine!

I usually don't wear eye shadow but I did put some on for the wedding.

Mabel must have been watching me get ready that day because after that

she wanted me to pretend like I was putting makeup on her eyes.

Yes, I keep a paintbrush in the diaper bag - 

she loves to "paint" with water so I made sure I 

brought a few paintbrushes on the trip.

Happy Birthday Nana!

I am a fan of flan and this was the best flan I have ever tasted!

After dinner we stopped to visit some family friends, The Powers, 

that were in our ward when my mom and Kraig were first married.

Side note: When Nate was on his mission he sent me a picture

that had some of the sister missionaries in it and I recognized Mae!

I wrote him back and said, that is Mae Powers, I know her from California!

Small world.

It was fun to catch up, and Nate was in heaven talking about the mission,

in Portuguese of course. He would have stayed there the rest of the trip..

My mom got to love on Camilla's new baby Claire.

After my mom was baptized one of her first callings was with the Young Women.

Camilla was one of her beehives way back in the day!

(I should have gotten a picture of my mom and Camilla - rats.)

{7.01.13}
Corona Del Mar

Day Dos
Since our first beach day was so overcast we decided
to give Corona another shot.
It ended up being perfect!

My Nana and Aunt Cathy drove down from Valencia and met us there.

Jacob and Nate spent hours boogie boarding.

(I decided to join them and caught the best wave of my life! I rode it all 

the way to the shore but the momentum of the water pulled my swimsuit

bottoms down around my knees! This nice couple who saw it all happen

helped hold my board while I pulled my bottoms up. They were laughing pretty hard!)

This is how Mabel like to play in the water.

Sitting on Nate's lap, not really in the water, plugging her ears?

Mabel would always say, 

"Bye Beach!"

Viva Las Vegas!

When my cousin Meagan (who lives in Washington) announced that she was getting married in Las Vegas we were excited to join my family, and my extended family for the wedding at the Juno Garden in Caesar's Palace.  We decided to make a vacation out of it and stay in Vegas for a few days and then drive on to California for a week.

Yes, I said drive. 

With our two year old Mabel whose relationship 

with her car seat is like nails on a chalkboard.

Luckily our neighbors let us borrow their headrest DVD player which was our saving grace.

She was already sick of the car when we pulled out of our driveway so we popped in the first DVD and

she was clapping and saying, "YAY!"

We are going to have to purchase one of these babies.

(there is no such thing as too much screen time on a road trip right?)

We met up with my mom, Kraig, and Jacob in Beaver, Utah.

The minute Mabel saw my mom out the window she got the biggest smile

on her face and starting screaming NANA!!! 

I was majorly prepared for this road trip.

I had treasures, toys, stickers, stamps, whistles (not my best idea), 

treats, and snacks for this girl.

She actually did a lot better than I thought she would and loved all the new stuff

I would pull out of my surprise bag.

We talked a lot about how we had to drive for a looooooong time

and even though she DID NOT FALL ASLEEP at all (EVER) we survived.

I think she yawned a few times but would never shut her eyes.

And we calculated we were in the car for about 25 hours over the course of the whole trip.

This kid is stubborn. 

Just like her mom.

There was one casualty however, I got a kink in my neck that ran down my 

shoulder blade from turning around every five seconds.  

Next time I will just sit in the back with her.

We made it!

Welcome to 100 degree heat...
and that was at about 8pm.

Our condo was perfect...Mabel had her own nook in the closet of our room

and we could see one of the big pools from our balcony. 

Mabel promptly made herself at home by jumping on all the beds.

A little bit happy to be out of the car I would say!

On our way to the wedding the next day we walked through Ceasar's Palace.

Mabel was slightly obsessed with the statues.

This one really concerned her.

She kept saying, "POKE! Elbow." 

Kinda looks like the trident is poking the guys elbow right?

 

THEN she saw David.
First words out of her mouth, "Mama, bum! BiiiiiiiiG bum!"
Except she says bib instead of big.
She talked about it for days.

We were just happy she was fixated on his bum
and not his front.

 

A little pre wedding grape snack:

My nana and her husband Arnold.

My mom and her sisters. 

Aunt Cyndi on the right is the oldest, then my mom,

then my Aunt Cathy.

Introducing:

Mr. and Mrs. Goff

Meagan was such a beautiful bride!

Meg with 6 out of 9 cousins:

I love these peeps.

Me and my Nana.

Also known as MOTU.

Matriarch of the Universe. :)

Our A/C couldn't barely keep up with the heat...

slow cooking in our car on the way to the luncheon.
115!

Casa di Amore

These two were inseparable.

There should be a law against living far away from family.

Such polite bite givers....

no cake on the face for these two.

Yes, using the teeth!

Mabel LOVED my cousin Eric's girlfriend.

She kept asking for "Ebee" later that night. :)

After the luncheon there was only one thing to do 

to escape the blistering heat:

SWIM

Lazy River

Later that night my mom and Kraig stayed with Mabel while
Nate, Jacob, and I went out on the town.

We met up with my cousins for dinner 

and it was so great chatting and catching up. 

I didn't get a picture at dinner so this one will have to do.

It was Jacob's first time on the strip and it was CRAY CRAY.
So many people, soooo hot, so loud, so bright, so shiny,
and lots of people in odd costumes.
There was a line of people in costumes, just standing there,
with a tip jar in front of each one. Is that new in Vegas?
I did get a picture with Elmo for Mabel.


We watched the Bellagio fountain show.

Next up: CALIFORNIA