Sunday, April 1, 2012

Spring Break!!

Spring Break!  Oh how those words mean something completely different now!  Although I was never the party animal, I did enjoy a week off to read, spend time with friends, shop and lay out at all the Spring Training games.  Now, since I work in the school system, I still get a spring break and a week to spend with my kids!  Luckily, Ryan always has some time saved up and decides he needs a break too.  About a month ago, friends of ours found a great deal on HotWire for the Hyatt at Huntington Beach.  That is our favorite place to go, and holds a special little place in our hearts because it was where we went on our very first trip together after I graduated high school, and also where Ryan proposed in August of 2004!  I was so excited to get out of town and hit the beach with the kids, plus this hotel is very nice and kid friendly! 
The weekend of Spring Break finally arrived, and we got one last big winter storm.  It was much needed in this dry desert of ours, esecially since our last measurable rainfall was in mid-December.  Yuck! (Add that to the list of reasons we don't like Phoenix!)  This also meant a big winter storm up north and lots of fresh snow!  We had been waiting all winter to be able to take the kids to play in the snow, but there simply wasn't any!  So, Ryan took the Monday of Spring Break off so we could make an impromptu trip up north.  Ryan's Grandma hadn't met Brooke yet either, so she was excited to have us come up for the day!  We gathered all of our snow gear and loaded up in the car for the drive.  Once packed, it looked like we were leaving for a week!  I seriously think Ryan was more excited than anyone else.  He was jumping up and down in his seat the entire drive-I haven't seen him that giddy in awhile!  It didn't disappoint...it has been a long time since Munds Park and Flagstaff got that much snow in such a short time!  We had a little lunch, visited a bit, and waiting for Ryan's sister and her two kiddos to arrive.  Once everyone was ready, which looked like the scene from "A Christmas Story", we all headed outside to play.  There were snowball fights, sledding, and fort building.  Connor absolutely loved it!  He had this look of amazement on his face looking at and feeling this cold white stuff all over.  He didn't like it when the breeze came and knocked some snow on top of him, but he lasted a lot longer than I thought without a nap!  Aunt Amy helped him build and throw snowballs, and he chased after his cousin BK (whom he admires more than anyone!) the best he could in the deep snow!  Brooke got to stay inside and keep warm with her Great Grandma, but I did bring her out briefly!  Here are some of the pictures from the trip:









Next up, the warmer weather and the beach!  I had Body Back the night before, but tried my best to plan ahead and get everyone packed.  My mom stayed to help so Ryan could load up the car since we were leaving at 5 am the next morning!  I was the giddy one now! 
We got the kids up and expected them to sleep on the drive, but Connor had other plans!  He must have been excited too, because he did not sleep a wink!  He was good though-played on the iPod, watched movies and ate some snacks.  Brooke did great and slept until she got hungry!  We got to the Hyatt at around lunch time, met up with our friends Joel and Chandra and their two kiddos and headed for my favortie burger place in the world: TK Burger!  So delicious! 


Then we went back and headed for the pool.  The hotel had 3 pools, and we spent most of our time at the one with the slides and baby wading pool.  They said the pools were heated, but once out of the water, you had to dash over the the fireplaces or into the hot tub to stay warm.  Ryan took Connor on the slides which they both loved!  By the time dinner rolled around, we were still too full from lunch.  We put Connor and Brooke to sleep in our room (Brooke in the pack and play and Connor in the bed with pillows and a rail) and enjoyed some beverages with our friends next door (thanks to bringing the baby monitor to keep an eye on our two!)



The next day, I had to get a run in so we loaded up the stroller and went for a family run.  It was chilly and beautiful!  I never got bored looking at the waves rolling in or smelling the ocean breezes.  Much different than my runs here!  When we were done, we took a walk on the pier and were in for a real surprise as a group of dolphins were jumping in and out of the water.  We even saw one of the catch a wave and jump right out of it!  Connor loved watching the sand volleyball players, and we even managed a family picture.  The rest of the day was spent at the pool and the beach!



On Saturday, we decided to take a break from the beach and pool and head to Long Beach to the Aquarium of the Pacific.  (Good planning on Ryan's part!).  It was a nice quick drive from the hotel, and we thought it would be something a little different than what we have in Phoenix.  It was awesome!  They had so many touch ponds and the exhibits were nice and close.  Connor had a blast going up to the glass to look at the fish and animals up close and personal.  He liked to watch the stingrays, but he and Ryan were both too chicken to touch them.  I'm weird and love that stuff, so I was elbows deep in the water!  Brooke just hung out in the stroller and took a little nap while Connor explored.  Highly recommend it!





Here are a few pics from the beach:





Before we knew it, it was time to leave!  Two of our favorite people, Ryan's aunt Sandy and Rhonda, live near the beach in Chino Hills, and we couldn't leave without spending some time with them!  We usually stay with them when we go to California, and it really is one of my favorite places to stay.  Good company and beautiful surroundings.  I missed sitting out in their backyard with them in the mornings drinking coffee, watching the birds and reading the paper. We had a great lunch and Connor had fun running up and down the stairs and played with Sandy's Lincoln Logs.

It was so nice not having an agenda or having to cook or decide what to do for fun.  We ate awesome food, played in the pool, built sandcastles, knocked them down, went for lots of walks enjoyed the fresh air and beautiful chilly mornings and evenings and spent time with some good friends.


Then, it was time to head back to reality. It was such a memorable trip, and although life has changed and vacations are more difficult, we realize how worth it it really is to do.  The memories we make outweigh the fear of traveling with two small children and I'm so excited for all of the vacations we take in the future!