We're back . . .

We just got back from a whirlwind vacation that has left me a little breathless. We spent the first week with  John's dad who lives in Houston. We don't get to see Grandpa and Nana very often, so having them around is always a treat. Grandpa wanted to take all of his grandkids to Disneyland, so we spent a couple of days at the magical kingdom . . .

We got to spend some time with Rayn, a cousin from Houston who just charmed us with her sweetness. She and Annie are two weeks apart in age, and they became very fast buddies. They went on almost every ride together and were such good companions for one another during all the long lines. Here they are with their sparkly ears - so cute.

 Grandpa spun all of the grandkids around on the teacups. They loved that he wanted to spin them faster and faster. I took the opportunity to point out that I was pregnant, and that pregnant women shouldn't be spun. Everyone agreed.

 We went to Disneyland on Monday and Wednesday and on Tuesday we went to Palm Springs and we were lifted up on the tram to a pretty cool view of the city and a "cute" hike that turned out to be a little more than the expected nature walk. Our little troupers did well, though. They hugged the trees and everything.

After Disneyland, Palm Springs and just hanging out - we went back home to Phoenix. Annie had her dance recital on Saturday (pictures will have to come later) so we came home to do laundry, re-pack for the next week and get her all primped and proper for her ballet debut. After about 36 hours home, we headed straight back to California. We had rented a lovely little beach house in San Diego and spent a fun week with the other side of John's family.

We toured the U.S.S. Midway, which is a decommissioned aircraft carrier. It was terribly interesting and because someone was smart, they made it very, very fun for the kids. One of the things they did was have flight simulators that even very small children could control. Here is a picture of the black and white screen they showed us while  the simulator was running. Annie is on the left and her cousin was on the right. They actually flipped over a couple of times. She said that it was fun.

We, of course, went to the beach. It just so happens that Annie and her cousin have matching swimsuits. Everyone should  have cousins with matching swimsuits.

 We also climbed some walls - it looks like Annie is doing better than she actually is. She is only about a foot off the ground. She said she still had a good time:)

 We also dangled our child up on a tightrope contraption. No worries, she was completely harnessed in.

 Auntie Meridith showed her worth to us when she dug up a huge clam on the beach. That's a talent that would be valuable if we ever got attacked by zombies. It also made us laugh.

 I was the crazy mommy who dressed her child up in a white dress and took pictures of her on the beach, just to be cute. I think my daughter is way cute, and maybe I can edit these pictures so they show how cute it actually was.

 

The biggest success of the week was that we didn't turn my red-head into a crispy critter. We missed her ears the first day at the beach and a little bit of her back on the second day. It could have been a lot worse. 

That was pretty much it. We had so much fun. It's nice to be able to get away - and since this will be the last time we travel until the baby is born, it was really nice.