We are always itching to get out of the cold by April and this year was no exception. Our destination: sunny
Newport Beach California.
We left after the first conference session ended
on Sunday April 6, 2014. We picked up Grandma Donna from Mark’s in Orem so Matt
could drive her van while the rest of us followed in ours. The rest of us minus
Katrina, who had too busy of a week to steal away. She wasn't really a fan of the LA area when were there last year. Her spring break was to enjoy a
quiet house to herself. She wasn't completely by herself though since the creepy clowns were in the closet. I wrote out some basic instructions of things to tend to while we were away.
We stayed in Vegas for the night at the same place we stayed two years ago, the Marriott with the airplanes.
We stayed in Vegas for the night at the same place we stayed two years ago, the Marriott with the airplanes.
Grandma is always fun to have around. At IHOP that night she
ordered breakfast with bacon and eggs. She told the waitress, “I want the bacon
crispy, if it isn’t crispy don’t even bother bringing it out.” This made us
laugh because she wasn’t saying it rudely, just as a matter of fact. When they brought out her plate and she noted there wasn't bacon she just nodded, "No bacon." The waitress smiled, "They will bring it out to you, it's still cooking."
The next day she headed out earlier than we did to get home to Grandpa Mike and the rest of us traveled to Calico Ghost Town.
The last time we stopped here was in 1997 when we only had 9-mo-old baby Katrina with us.
Not much has changed!
It was a lovely day and we enjoyed walking around and getting lunch. Matt saw someone walk by with a hotdog and asked, "Does anybody want a hotdog?" We all ordered and sat on the terrace to eat. Matt sat down with a big juicy burger. I mimicked him, "Anyone want a hot dog?" This became the catch phrase of the trip. Whenever someone offered someone something of lesser quality than what they would be having,"Anyone want a hot dog?" Ha!
Marbles are real popular right now with the kiddos at school. We found some in the gift shop. They were handy to have at the Villa as well. Just marbelous.
Above Left: No Kick Me sign needed.
I was glad we chose to stop here on our way TO California rather than on our way home. On the way TO a vacation everyone is fresh and ready to have fun. On the way home everyone isn't quite so accommodating...
The roads were less crowded than we thought they would be....until we got into the LA area, which is always congested. Then all of the sudden we were the only ones on the road. Niiiice. We soon learned it was a toll road, that's why.
We made it to Newport sooner than we expected and the day was warm and lovely. I was glad to see so many families walking around the resort. We lucked out weather wise. It is unusual for it to be that warm in early April on the coast. The day we were at the pool and beach reached 90 degrees!
After settling in in the spacious villa we headed to the local supermarket to stock the kitchen with food for our three day stay. That night I accidentally set 8 places and texted Katrina a picture of her empty spot. :(
Mallerie joined me the next morning for a Zumba class out on the front lawn. It was glorious with the ocean behind us. I've never done Zumba before and neither has Mall. After some quality time at the pool we came in for lunch then headed to the beach, which was only ACROSS THE STREET.
Crystal Cove
The second we got out of the shuttle van I felt like we were in a movie. The quaint shops were one thing, but it was the cliffs lined with charming beach cottages from the 1920's that made it so picturesque. I later learned that this was the setting for movies such as Treasure Island and Beaches. No wonder it felt like a movie. We so enjoyed our time by the ocean.
A wedding party walked past us. We saw them walk down a ways and then get married right in the sand with random strangers perched on the rocks to watch.
I am a little jumpy at the ocean. I don't like the uncertainty of what is in the water. I know I saw a fin. Matt and Mallerie went on a jog down the beach and they said they heard people saying they had seen dolphins. However, unless I knew for sure what that fin was attached to I didn't want to get in the water. I think I scared the kids from getting too adventurous. Safety first.
Callie had too much fun in the sun and suffered from a fever and sunburn that night. I hadn't brought any Motrin so Matt went to the store. Our van light was left on and so the battery was dead. A gent from the front desk came and gave him a jumpstart. What a night. Oh and Graham had lost his hat at Crystal Cove:(
I texted Kat to check in with her and see how she and the bunnies were faring. She said, "Fine, I just don't know what you mean when you say they need have to have pellets, What are pellets?" I wrote back, "That is their main source of food darling. They are in a bag by the cage. They look like...well pellets!"I had to smile that here it was three days into the trip and she is wondering where their food is? She is not an animal person ;)
The next morning Mallerie and I went on a group Beach Walk that took us down to the beach in the misty morning. Our guide said Crystal Cove is always misty in the morning. I can't tell you how picturesque that was. I enjoyed visiting with a woman vacationing from Martha's Vineyard named Janeen. Where do people vacation that live on Martha's Vineyard? I guess Newport Beach! Mallerie took Ava the next morning to get some misty photos.
The Villa was great for the fact that it provided activities for the kids. Matt took them while I went to my classes. They made easter bunnies, painted with shaving cream, and made jewelry. One thing that was not on the schedule was that we got to experience a real live California earthquake.
We were able to spread out so we weren't on top of each other. From our balcony we had a view of the ocean and the breezes it brought with it. I feel like the midget on Elf when I say, "Every room had it's own flat screen TV."
One day we had our own adventure by driving into Long Beach to go whale watching. We were pushing it time wise because of those darn LA freeway's. When we reached the port everything was a mess. All the roads were blocked so that a Daytona speedway could be built for a televised race the following Saturday. We had to valet the van and run down the board walk. It was a good thing Matt had discovered the dead battery the night before or we never would have made it.
Long Beach is where the famous Queen Mary resides.
Mallerie instagramed the picture of her on the boat "Whale Watching" she called it. She had like 133 "likes" in a matter of minutes. I don't think I even know that many people.
As we waited for the boat to set sail we saw a seat lion in the water. That was the only up close water life we would see. We saw some dolphins in the distance but other than that we just looked at the open sea. It got really choppy and was too much for Ava and Grayson who both lost it over the side of the boat. The kids giddy spirits deflated as the boat ride was much longer than we expected. Ironically it was back in the harbor that we finally got a glimpse of the whales. We could see them blowing water and one came up close enough to the boat that you could see the barnacles attached to it's skin.
We were sad to check out the next day and felt like we could have used one more day at the resort to take advantage of all it has to offer. We headed to Fashion Island to find Mallerie a hat. I had realized on the boat ride also that Gray needed to some new shoes. I had just been thinking to myself how great his basketball shoes have held up. But as he laid on the floor of the boat I realized he had huge holes and I could see his socks. We put his old shoes in the box to see the cashiers reaction. She was great. She also told me that if I took a survey I could get $10 off my next purchase. I hurried and took it on my phone so Mallerie got ten bucks off her hat. Graham is a funny fella to shop with. He loves to browse and ALWAYS finds something HE CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT. He came up with a snorkel, a baseball bat, and bike pedals. This is our challenge with that kid.
Us girls split up for a bit so we could clothes shop and met up with the boys later to head to LA to see Uncle Roy and Aunt Celia. They were rearin' and ready for us. First off was a confetti egg hunt. This is a Mexican tradition that they do faithfully and were excited to introduce it to us. Poor Callie. She had the easiest head to crack an egg on and took the most hits.
Ava helped decorate a sunflower cake with peeps and chocolate chips. Adorable. Celia really had thought of everything. Uncle Roy had the biggest pile of taquito's for frying that I've ever seen. He served them with fresh avocado from his tree. Some family friends came over and we sat by the pool and visited after dinner.
Matt and I slept in their motor home that night with the little kids while Mallerie and Ava slept in the house. We get a kick out of their Great Dane Josh. He sleeps in the family room on a big dog bed with a blanket and everything. Roy said that if his blanket comes off Josh will bark and Roy gets up in the night to put his blanket back on.
The next day they treated us to a day at Knott's Berry Farm. When I told my sister Sadie that we would be in Southern CA for spring break she asked if we were going to Disneyland, I told her, "I think Knott's." Get it?
It was coincidental that we had stopped at Calico Ghost town on our way to California because the guy who rebuilt it is also the guy who started Knott's. Mr. Knott himself. At Knott's Berry Farm there is a miniature Calico Ghost town as well. All connected. While we were waiting to go into the mystery show Graham pointed to the Ghost Rider Roller Coaster and said he wanted to go on that. I think Mallerie was itching to go on some big rides as well so she offered to take him. He was scared to death the entire time. Aunt Celia had extra hats and sunscreen for everyone. Then when we got to the park she realized she had forgotten her hat. She truly puts others before herself.
We broke away for part of the day, Mallerie, Willie, and I and went on the big fast and furious rides, like Montezuma's Revenge. One ride goes from a dead stand still to 82 mph in a nano second. Whoa.
Ava, Grayson, and Graham went on the Pony Express over and over and over since there wasn't a line. They figured out where the camera was and would race off the ride to see their silly faces on the screen. We had gotten a kick earlier in the day when we all went to see our pictures after the log ride to see Uncle Roy's and Aunt Celia's photo blurred out. The employee said it was inappropriate. This left them both bewildered and the rest of us giggling.
Mallerie is in a jam craaaaaze right now. She can can go through a jar in no time. We made sure we stopped at the gift shop on the way out to get some Knott's Berry Farm jam. Mallerie reminds me of that book, "Bread and Jam for Francis." Jam in the morning, Jam at noon, Bread and Jam by the light of the moon! That's Mallerie.
Graham was having a hard time seeing the light sabers and guns for sale. He started crying. Grrrr. Uncle Roy said, "Do you want me to get you a candy apple?" I interceded, "No!" He has got to learn to be happy with what he haaaaaas. Here we had spent a fun filled day at an amusement park and he leaves crying because of a silly toy. It's a work in progress.
We picked up divine pizzas on the way home and sat around the dining table talking about our fun day and trying to get to the bottom of the perplexing mystery show. It was so sweet of them to treat us to Knott's and provide lunch and everything. We feel like royalty around them!
We took our time getting on the road the next day. There was a lot of rock band going on that morning. Rock band doesn't interest me, but everyone else seemed to be enjoying it so I didn't interfere.
They wanted to send us with leftover food and so much more. We showed them how packed our van already was. The only place for the leftover pizza was the dashboard. We did enjoy it for lunch though.
In Vegas the kids had time to swim before dinner. You never know what odd things you'll see in Vegas.
That night we ordered Chinese for the kids while Matt and I enjoyed a quiet dinner at Mi Mi's. This seems to be our tradition on vacation. By the last night we are ready for a lil' break ;) The kids were absorbed in the food network, which I agree can be very absorbing. We watched the rest of Chopped snug in bed when we got back.
The day was warm as we were packing up albeit a bit windy. I suggested that on our way through Utah we stop at Cove Fort since we haven't before and we needed something churchy to do. As we drove north the wind picked up and the temperatures dropped. I was quickly changing my mind. Matt decided to pull into Cove Fort anyway and we wrapped in blankets for the tour. It was great though and I am glad he stopped.
The tour was educational and we felt the spirit there as a senior missionary took us around.
We stopped for gas at a Flying J and there were some great Indiana Jones looking hats. I was curious how much they were since Graham's ended up missing at Crystal Cove. There was a family swarming them trying on every single one. Matt and I asked how much they were. The mom went on a five minute speech about how they found a similar one at Zion's gift shop but it was four dollars more....and on and on and she went..."So you might want to wait till you get there." She just assumed we were on our way to Zion's? Odd. But it gave us some fresh material for the next several miles till we reached Home Sweet Home.
The next day she headed out earlier than we did to get home to Grandpa Mike and the rest of us traveled to Calico Ghost Town.
The last time we stopped here was in 1997 when we only had 9-mo-old baby Katrina with us.
It was a lovely day and we enjoyed walking around and getting lunch. Matt saw someone walk by with a hotdog and asked, "Does anybody want a hotdog?" We all ordered and sat on the terrace to eat. Matt sat down with a big juicy burger. I mimicked him, "Anyone want a hot dog?" This became the catch phrase of the trip. Whenever someone offered someone something of lesser quality than what they would be having,"Anyone want a hot dog?" Ha!
I was glad we chose to stop here on our way TO California rather than on our way home. On the way TO a vacation everyone is fresh and ready to have fun. On the way home everyone isn't quite so accommodating...
The roads were less crowded than we thought they would be....until we got into the LA area, which is always congested. Then all of the sudden we were the only ones on the road. Niiiice. We soon learned it was a toll road, that's why.
We made it to Newport sooner than we expected and the day was warm and lovely. I was glad to see so many families walking around the resort. We lucked out weather wise. It is unusual for it to be that warm in early April on the coast. The day we were at the pool and beach reached 90 degrees!
After settling in in the spacious villa we headed to the local supermarket to stock the kitchen with food for our three day stay. That night I accidentally set 8 places and texted Katrina a picture of her empty spot. :(
Crystal Cove
The second we got out of the shuttle van I felt like we were in a movie. The quaint shops were one thing, but it was the cliffs lined with charming beach cottages from the 1920's that made it so picturesque. I later learned that this was the setting for movies such as Treasure Island and Beaches. No wonder it felt like a movie. We so enjoyed our time by the ocean.
 |
| The last time the Indy hat was seen. This was a fun little shovel. I was kind of bummed Graham beat it to a pulp on the driveway when we got home. |
A wedding party walked past us. We saw them walk down a ways and then get married right in the sand with random strangers perched on the rocks to watch.
I am a little jumpy at the ocean. I don't like the uncertainty of what is in the water. I know I saw a fin. Matt and Mallerie went on a jog down the beach and they said they heard people saying they had seen dolphins. However, unless I knew for sure what that fin was attached to I didn't want to get in the water. I think I scared the kids from getting too adventurous. Safety first.
Callie had too much fun in the sun and suffered from a fever and sunburn that night. I hadn't brought any Motrin so Matt went to the store. Our van light was left on and so the battery was dead. A gent from the front desk came and gave him a jumpstart. What a night. Oh and Graham had lost his hat at Crystal Cove:(
I texted Kat to check in with her and see how she and the bunnies were faring. She said, "Fine, I just don't know what you mean when you say they need have to have pellets, What are pellets?" I wrote back, "That is their main source of food darling. They are in a bag by the cage. They look like...well pellets!"I had to smile that here it was three days into the trip and she is wondering where their food is? She is not an animal person ;)
The next morning Mallerie and I went on a group Beach Walk that took us down to the beach in the misty morning. Our guide said Crystal Cove is always misty in the morning. I can't tell you how picturesque that was. I enjoyed visiting with a woman vacationing from Martha's Vineyard named Janeen. Where do people vacation that live on Martha's Vineyard? I guess Newport Beach! Mallerie took Ava the next morning to get some misty photos.
 |
| Did I ever tell you you're my hero?...You are the wind beneath my wings.. |
The Villa was great for the fact that it provided activities for the kids. Matt took them while I went to my classes. They made easter bunnies, painted with shaving cream, and made jewelry. One thing that was not on the schedule was that we got to experience a real live California earthquake.
One day we had our own adventure by driving into Long Beach to go whale watching. We were pushing it time wise because of those darn LA freeway's. When we reached the port everything was a mess. All the roads were blocked so that a Daytona speedway could be built for a televised race the following Saturday. We had to valet the van and run down the board walk. It was a good thing Matt had discovered the dead battery the night before or we never would have made it.
Mallerie instagramed the picture of her on the boat "Whale Watching" she called it. She had like 133 "likes" in a matter of minutes. I don't think I even know that many people.
What the boat ride did for me was put me in the mood for sea food. There was a Bubba Gump's just off the doc. All the kids ordered from the kids menu and their food came in a paper boat. Gray couldn't eat a thing and lay there with his head down. There were signs on each table we could use for a waiter. One was Red and said, "Stop Forrest Stop!" The other was green and said, "Run Forest Run!" Graham thought he'd be funny and turned it to Red. We couldn't believe how fast we had someone at our table asking what they could get us. Graham busted a gut. It was fun to eat out once like that on our trip but I spent the same amount on that one meal as I did at the grocery store for all the other meals combined.
We were sad to check out the next day and felt like we could have used one more day at the resort to take advantage of all it has to offer. We headed to Fashion Island to find Mallerie a hat. I had realized on the boat ride also that Gray needed to some new shoes. I had just been thinking to myself how great his basketball shoes have held up. But as he laid on the floor of the boat I realized he had huge holes and I could see his socks. We put his old shoes in the box to see the cashiers reaction. She was great. She also told me that if I took a survey I could get $10 off my next purchase. I hurried and took it on my phone so Mallerie got ten bucks off her hat. Graham is a funny fella to shop with. He loves to browse and ALWAYS finds something HE CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT. He came up with a snorkel, a baseball bat, and bike pedals. This is our challenge with that kid.
Us girls split up for a bit so we could clothes shop and met up with the boys later to head to LA to see Uncle Roy and Aunt Celia. They were rearin' and ready for us. First off was a confetti egg hunt. This is a Mexican tradition that they do faithfully and were excited to introduce it to us. Poor Callie. She had the easiest head to crack an egg on and took the most hits.
Matt and I slept in their motor home that night with the little kids while Mallerie and Ava slept in the house. We get a kick out of their Great Dane Josh. He sleeps in the family room on a big dog bed with a blanket and everything. Roy said that if his blanket comes off Josh will bark and Roy gets up in the night to put his blanket back on.
Ava, Grayson, and Graham went on the Pony Express over and over and over since there wasn't a line. They figured out where the camera was and would race off the ride to see their silly faces on the screen. We had gotten a kick earlier in the day when we all went to see our pictures after the log ride to see Uncle Roy's and Aunt Celia's photo blurred out. The employee said it was inappropriate. This left them both bewildered and the rest of us giggling.
Graham was having a hard time seeing the light sabers and guns for sale. He started crying. Grrrr. Uncle Roy said, "Do you want me to get you a candy apple?" I interceded, "No!" He has got to learn to be happy with what he haaaaaas. Here we had spent a fun filled day at an amusement park and he leaves crying because of a silly toy. It's a work in progress.
We picked up divine pizzas on the way home and sat around the dining table talking about our fun day and trying to get to the bottom of the perplexing mystery show. It was so sweet of them to treat us to Knott's and provide lunch and everything. We feel like royalty around them!
We took our time getting on the road the next day. There was a lot of rock band going on that morning. Rock band doesn't interest me, but everyone else seemed to be enjoying it so I didn't interfere.
They wanted to send us with leftover food and so much more. We showed them how packed our van already was. The only place for the leftover pizza was the dashboard. We did enjoy it for lunch though.
In Vegas the kids had time to swim before dinner. You never know what odd things you'll see in Vegas.
That night we ordered Chinese for the kids while Matt and I enjoyed a quiet dinner at Mi Mi's. This seems to be our tradition on vacation. By the last night we are ready for a lil' break ;) The kids were absorbed in the food network, which I agree can be very absorbing. We watched the rest of Chopped snug in bed when we got back.
The day was warm as we were packing up albeit a bit windy. I suggested that on our way through Utah we stop at Cove Fort since we haven't before and we needed something churchy to do. As we drove north the wind picked up and the temperatures dropped. I was quickly changing my mind. Matt decided to pull into Cove Fort anyway and we wrapped in blankets for the tour. It was great though and I am glad he stopped.
We stopped for gas at a Flying J and there were some great Indiana Jones looking hats. I was curious how much they were since Graham's ended up missing at Crystal Cove. There was a family swarming them trying on every single one. Matt and I asked how much they were. The mom went on a five minute speech about how they found a similar one at Zion's gift shop but it was four dollars more....and on and on and she went..."So you might want to wait till you get there." She just assumed we were on our way to Zion's? Odd. But it gave us some fresh material for the next several miles till we reached Home Sweet Home.
