Last Wednesday, we hitched a ride with Continental Airlines and headed to California. To our suprise Haley (sitting in my lap for 3 hours) and Hunter did wonderful during the flight and all was smooth. After checking into the hotel 2 miles from Chuck and Pam's house our tour guide led us to La Jolla shores for some evening beach play, watching the sunset, and making smores on a beach campfire.
It was very different from the usual Texas trip to the beach or what we are used to in Mexico. Shorts until the sun goes down then bundle up under the moon. What a perfect start to our trip!!! We were all loving it! Due to time zone differences, etc..Haley fell asleep in my lap by the campfire..nothing out of the ordinary..after having a great time that evening. However...when loading up the cars to go...Haley vomits out of nowhere! Ahhh!!!! Only to spike a fever in the hotel later in the night...what is happening!!!??? After quite a panic over a ruined trip and what to do to protect our new little Benjamin from getting sick...we decided to move on and take it moment by moment. Haley woke up fine...no fever...we attempted the beach at Coronado Island. It was a beautiful day! Haley was so excited to go to the beach...as well as the rest of us. As soon as we sat down on the beach Haley wrapped her legs around my waist and WOULD NOT LET GO! The fever was back and she wasn't letting go of Mommy. No sharing time with Daddy/Hunter..Mommy getting a chance to play on the beach with Hunter...Haley wanted ONLY MOMMY! She slept in my arms most of the day and much to her objection even slept in Daddy's arms too. Hunter on the other hand had a BLAST!!! He was in and out of the water (freezing) and digging in the sand.
Mommy and Daddy took turns playing with him and well as Uncle Chuck. We had a picnic on the beach and watched fighter jets and all kinds of military helicopters landing right on top of us at a military air base with the runway at the end of our beach! It was AWESOME!!! We've never heard the fighter jets SO CLOSE before...literally just over our heads. Then we packed it up and went to a park right on the shore of the San Diego bay..under the Coronado bridge. Chuck grilled fajitas and we had a good ol fashion tailgaiting session right there in the park...like old times when they were in Austin with us.
Fever again at night and grumpy as all get out...WOW..WHO BROUGHT THIS KID??? So Friday, we pushed on thinking Haley will be spending most of the day in a stroller and we can make it work. We went down to the bay again and toured the USS Midway..a retired naval aircraft carrier. Both of the kids LOVED it as well as all the adults too! This was Hunter's favorite day and favorite place! We toured through the sleeping quarters, the ready rooms (like on Top Gun..where they get their assignments or mission instructions), Chuck told us his old navy stories and how it really is THAT CRAMMED down there. Thomas bumped his head about 10 times walking below the ship stepping through the knee knocking doorways while bent over to avoid the low ceiling. We spent most of our time on the deck with all the jets and helicopters. Hunter really enjoyed sitting in a fighter jet and didn't want to get out and let others have a turn. Haley loved going in the front/side door of a helicopter and running out the back..only to go back in and out several times.
Here are Haley and Hunter getting their first Top Gun assignment!
By the way...Benjamin was a trooper throughout the trip! He went everywhere and just slept, hung out, ate, and slept. He did it all! So after the ship tour we went back to La Jolla on a different stretch of the beach and saw the seal lions swimming in a little cove and tanning on the beach. That was pretty neat for all as well! The waves were really crashing in over there and the water was a beautiful deep blue there. Such a cute area too. Kind of near a La Jolla version of Rodeo drive. Then it was on to "Old Town" San Diego...for what they call Mexican food. It was fun...beautiful eating outside...but had nothing on our Mexican food here. It was good..a little different though. Probably more authentic? That night Hunter hit the hotel pool/hot tub with Mommy, Uncle Chuck, and Aunt Pam while Benny and Haley got there sleep on. Now onto the 4th of July! Chuck and Pam took us to a wonderful park around Poway Lake (about 20 minutes inland) where we hung out for about 9 hours...beautiful...perfect weather...comfortable, relaxing 9 hours. We grilled brauts and burgers for both lunch and dinner, took turns taking Hunter fishing in a small motor boat in the lake, watched the kids roll down the steep hills, Haley and Benny talked a little on a blanket in the shade...both napped a lot too. Then after dark watched the fireworks with a background similar to the hills/mountains you saw on the movie ET. So beautiful! It was the best 4th of July I've ever experienced! Not too mention only 60-80 degrees the whole day and night.
So Sunday morning...Haley's fever finally gone..without the help of Motrin! She's still a bear...but starting to have more fun...and her parents were at their WITS END with her....but we really wanted her to have some fun the last day. We went to Del Mar Beach about a mile from Chucks place. Pretty cool set up there...a strip of soft grass to set up camp on...and the sandy beach is just below it. So when you sit down, dry off, snack or whatever..the kids don't get sand all over them and in their eyes. A nice beach as well..warmer water too..much more tolerable...but still cold. Haley had some fun...but still wanted to hang on Mommy like a monkey. She played independently in the sand for a short while with Hunter. There was also a commuter train that passed back and forth often just above the grass strip (gated off for safety) so the kids loved seeing that every few minutes.
After a little beach riot we decided to head back to the hotel to wind down by the pool and get some last minute quality time in with Chuck, Pam, and Benjamin. We made it back to Houston Monday evening and again...the kids were amazing on the plane. Haley was never so happy to see her bed at home! She got her 13 hours of beauty sleep in and we are all still on California time unfortunately today. Poor Thomas had to head back to work this morning and wake up at what felt like 4:30am for him. I'm sure we'll come around soon. Anyone wanna help with my laundry???
Here is the link to the rest of the pics!
