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McCrary & Company 2016

Showing posts with label FAMILY. Show all posts
Showing posts with label FAMILY. Show all posts
DAY 8 & 9 | NEWPORT TEMPLE - HOME

DAY 8 & 9 | NEWPORT TEMPLE - HOME

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We woke up with heavy hearts as we had to pack to start the drive back home. I know lots of people get excited to finally be back home, we are not those people. Vacations Forever! After the car was all loaded and ready to go, we ran to the mall to see one of the Ecco accounts that Josh's mom manages. I'm not going to lie, I had never heard of Ecco's before she got this job, but they sure felt amazing on our feet! Josh and I both left with a new pair of shoes. We had already said our goodbyes from home, but did another quick round of goodbyes as we went our separate ways from the mall parking lot. As we were leaving I mentioned to Josh that I had really wanted to go walk around the Newport Temple, so he drove us there instead of starting our way home just yet.


It was beautiful! Of course, all the temples are, but this one was just so different from the other temples in Utah that it made it so uniquely stunning! I was amazed at how tiny it was! All the ones we have at home felt so big compared to this little guy, but it still took our breath away. The kids loved the fountains, and that the nativity scene was still set up. Josh and I loved its beautiful architecture that resembled the early Spanish Missions.   


This is how our family selfies turn out 99% of the time. I am always ready, Piper is hiding from the camera in some way or form, and Josh and Hudson are always playing some kind of games. It just makes me laugh at how many of these I have, but it is just so us. 


Goodbye, Newport Temple! I will definitely be seeing you again!

From here we really started our way home. We took the toll roads to avoid some pretty heavy traffic and then had a wonderful drive to St. George which consisted of feeling bad for everyone who was driving into California, the post holiday traffic was terrible! We got to St. George late since we had taken our morning/afternoon so slowly, and went straight to bed. We spent the morning with Josh's grandma, and as she headed off to church we re-packed the car to go home. Josh's sisters were in St. George for New Years so we grabbed lunch with them before we left. 



From St. George on was pretty easy and relaxing, The kids slept nearly the entire drive, which is always such a life saver. The weather was beautiful until we hit Ceder City, at that point until we arrived how was snowy and dreary. Josh and I kept ourselves occupied by recounting and rating our favorite things we had done over the vacation. When we finally arrived home, it was around 6 o'clock so we quickly unpacked, gave the kiddies in the bath and got everyone ready for bed. The first hour of being home was such a bitter sweet moment. We were all so excited to sleep in our own beds, but we missed the beauty of California and all of our family we had just spent 9 days with! Josh and I made a late but heart felt New Year's resolution.......MORE VACATIONS! 
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CALIFORNIA TRIP | DAY 7 - NEWPORT BEACH

CALIFORNIA TRIP | DAY 7 - NEWPORT BEACH

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When we had first planned our trip we were going to leave California on Friday so we would get home Saturday and then have a day to recuperate from a week long vacation and mentally prepare ourselves for restarting the new week. However, Thursday night we couldn't stand the thought of leaving the next day, so we vetoed it. We decided to have one more day and spend it the way we started our vacation... at the Beach!


Newport Beach was our destination spot for the day. This was the fourth beach we had gone to while in California and still never bought Piper a shovel and a bucket. We had gathered her quite the amount of odd and ends to play with though. Our personal favorite being the funnel from the car. :)


Hudson was on bird duty. He kindly would chase away all the birds, he loved them, and we loved him chasing them because they were crazy! At one point after hiding our food under a blanket from them, they pulled the blanket off and all tried swarming our food! They even stole tissues right out of my diaper bag! 


Aside from the birds though, it was a beautiful relaxing day at the beach.





My daring Josh was even brave enough to go swim in the water... which was extremely cold seeing as it was January 1st! Here's the thing about the Josh though... I'm 100% positive that his single man dream would be living as a homeless person on the beach. He would seriously find that delightful, his heart belongs at the beach and in the water.


One good thing about the beach in January though, was this it was always pretty empty. We didn't have to wait for a fire pit to open up. In fact we were the only ones using one. We roasted hot dogs and made smores. Some how they both always taste better over an open flame! 





Literally seconds of that last picture of Piper dancing she fell completely off the lifeguard station! I thought for sure we would be leaving the beach with broken bones or something. It was at least a seven foot drop, but the sand softened her fall and she only lefts with cuts on her legs from hitting the ladder on her way down. 
From the beach we went and dropped Josh, Steve, Piper and Hudson off at the train station. The last thing on Josh's and Piper's list of things to do in California was to ride the Amtrak. They all rode the train from Irvine, CA to San Juan Capistrano, CA which was only a 12 minute ride but Josh said the kids had a lot of fun, although they were more interested in the reclining seats. Josh mentioned that the conductor on board was very sweet to the kids and gave them a Junior Conductor's Guidebook and some crayons. Anna and I drove to meet them at the next stop to pick them up, we beat the train by 20 minutes, so we poked our heads into a few fun stores and stole a quick glance at The Mission San Juan Capistrano! I hope to take a tour of that next time we go back, it looked amazing! Even though their train ride was short Piper became a Junior Conductor! She was very proud!


After the train ride for the kids and the boys, Grandma and Grandpa took the kids home and Josh's and I went on a little mini date to get some fish and chips at the pier. 


They were delicious! It was so fun to walk along the marina and listen to the sea lions barking as they were hunting and socializing. I wanted to stay and smell the ocean breeze longer, but it was so cold. Josh and I drove back to Grandma and Grandpa's house to put the kids to bed. We were sad that this would be our last night in California so we took the slow way back home. As we drove we tried to remember all of our favorite moments and the the things we would miss the most. For me, it was just the combination of everything I could not for the life of me pick a favorite, and for Josh it was the beach!
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CALIFORNIA TRIP | DAY 5 - IRVINE SPECTRUM CENTER & DANA POINT

CALIFORNIA TRIP | DAY 5 - IRVINE SPECTRUM CENTER & DANA POINT

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This was our last day getting to be with Josh's sisters before they made their way to St. George for New Years, so we decided to stay close and spend the day with them. Our first stop of the day was the Irvine Spectrum Center. This was a outdoor mall that consisted of a awesome variety of stores, a Ferris wheel, carousal, and even an ice rink! We started with the Ferris wheel, Piper had been begging to go on one since she saw the High Roller in Vegas, so this was the perfect compromise for a three year old!




Josh's sister Kara attempted to teach Piper how to hold up two fingers to do the "peace" sign in a picture, which Piper thought was the same as holding up three fingers since she is three after all. This became the new peace sign for a week! We then did some shopping! Josh even found a new favorite store called Active Ride Shop, which says a lot because Josh is usually let down by the stores they have in malls. The I.S.C was a blast! It had such a good atmosphere about it, with so many great places to shop, and an equal amount of fun things for the children.



After shopping for a little while, we then went and let the kids ride the carousal to help keep the peace. Piper had been keeping her eye on it and was determined to ride one of the unicorns. Lucky for her we were first in line so that was exactly what she got, with a bear right beside her for our little Hudson Bear. 



After the mall we went back home and ate lunch, dressed into some warm clothes that we really didn't mind getting wet, and headed out to the beach to catch the last bit of sunlight and finally see a California sunset! We went to the closest beach to us which was the Dana Point beach, it was freezing but so worth it. I could have relived watching the sunset and the waves every night for the rest of my life and died a happy girl. It was beautiful. There were several real conversations on this trip where Josh and I would talk about what we would have to do to move out here. Which always led back to my deep love for the mountains and everything we would also have to give up, but right at this moment I was torn! 





Hudson was excited and set out straight to the water this time around. I was able to talk Piper into coming to the water if we agreed to look for seashells for yet another sand castle and she spent the other half of her time jumping onto whoever was closest to her when the water made its way up to us. After we a had a sufficient supply of rocks and seashells Piper went off to make a sand castle with Grandma, and Hudson went exploring on Grandpa's shoulders. Which left Kassie, Josh, and I (Kara had to go to work) some time to explore and enjoy the beautiful surroundings!





Steve and Hudson came and got us after a little while and took us to see some tide pools they had found over by the rocks. We found so many little sea urchins and many more seashells to take back to Piper who was still going strong with her sand castle building. 



We called it a night once the sun was almost gone and started our walk back to the car. Once we had rinsed off our feet and shoes and made it to the top of the hill, we all looked back at the beach and the last little bit of the sunset. It was magnificent! Pictures didn't even give it an ounce of justice so we didn't even try, just soaking it all in was enough. This was one of those moments where we were so enthralled by the beauty, that we hardly noticed how cold the beach is on December 31! By the time we reached our cars, we were all beyond freezing and were grateful to be headed home. When we got home Steve made the yummiest chicken Alfredo and we shared our dinner with the local missionaries who shared the sweetest little message about forgiving yourself and allowing yourself to start the new year without the pain and baggage we had collected the year before. Another perfect end to a beautiful vacation day!
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CALIFORNIA TRIP | DAY 4 - DANA WHARF WHALE WATCHING & DOWNTOWN DISNEY

CALIFORNIA TRIP | DAY 4 - DANA WHARF WHALE WATCHING & DOWNTOWN DISNEY

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Tuesday was so much fun! It was probably the only day that we had actually planned an event ahead of time. I found a little company online called Dana Wharf Whale Watching out of Dana Point, CA that offered a 1/2 off Tuesdays special for whale watching! My dream come true! This sounded like the perfect family activity to do. I was able to quickly got everyone else on board, even Josh's sisters decided they wanted to join which was a huge bonus, mainly because we were worried that we wouldn't be able to spend much time with them. Our tickets were for noon, and as per the norm on any vacation, we had a little trouble finding where to park. I thought the boat was going to leave without us for sure! but we made it just in time. We ended up only standing in line for about five minutes and then it was time to take to the seas. Before boarding I had been talking to Josh's sisters about how we understood that not everyone gets to see whales on these tours and how bad we hoped we got lucky enough to see one, but once we got out and moving on the boat it was perfect. At that point I could have cared less if we saw one or not, because it was just perfect being able to watch the water. We found out pretty quick that I don't have very good sea legs, and neither did little Hudson. I didn't trust myself to hold either of the children while on the boat, and I think the little guy entertained half the boat with his cute little wobbly, unbalanced walk!



Hudson enjoyed pointing at everything! I was a little nervous that one of us would get sea sick, but we didn't! If fact, both Piper and Hudson snacked pretty much the whole boat ride. I'm not sure exactly how long we had been on the boat when one of the other boats radioed in and mentioned that there had been a whale spotting, so we headed that way. It turned out to be a California Gray Whale and we got extra lucky because it turned out to be a cow/calf combo (mommy and her baby)! Fun Fact: according to our guide for the day, a whale's mommy milk is as thick as cottage cheese! I'm glad we didn't see that part, but because the mom was nursing we were able to watch them pretty much the whole time. The whales kept going in circles instead of following their normal migration patterns, which was awesome and so rewarding for us on board. It was just truly amazing and I can't wait to go again!



It was so fun to learn about these amazing creatures and to hear a little bit about the whales we were seeing!  The guide that had was so knowledgeable and had nearly a million different whale facts. He mentioned that there are two very distinct things to watch for when seeking out a whale. One, is a puff of mist from their blowhole and two, is a very smooth, almost silky layer on the water. It was almost surreal to grasp just how big these animals are, and how different and dangerous their life is in comparison to ours. The crazy part is that all of this was happening just a mile or two from where we parked our car! it's humbling to find a moment in life that helps me remember just how small I really am in this amazingly beautiful and mysterious world. :) 




What felt like ten minutes on a boat was somehow two hours, it came and went all to fast! On the way out of the marina, and on the way back in, we got to see so many sea lions just sleeping, and soaking up the sunshine. 


After whale watching we went back home for a small break and some lunch! Josh's step-dad made the most amazing nachos. After we had eaten and said our "good-byes" to Kara, who needed to leave for work, we decided to go check out Downtown Disney! This turned out to be not the greatest of experience for us. Our kids were so tired from not getting naps the past couple days, that they fell asleep on the drive there and then were grumpy the entire time! We kept teasing Piper saying "how can you be so grumpy when you are literally right next to the happiest place on earth?" She wasn't impressed. We did get a few smiles from her at the Anna and Elsa Boutique. What girl wouldn't smile in a store dedicated to one of their favorite movies?! We asked her if she wanted to take a picture with Anna and Elsa ice skating, which we honestly did not think she would go for, but surprisingly she said "YES!" although, she did make it very clear that she would not pretend to "icee- skyte". It didn't take long for her to change her mind, she just couldn't help herself! We told her that she could pick out anything she wanted from the store!....... and she picked one of those smashed pennies with a picture on them! Both Josh's and I thought for sure we would regret that decision, but it was a small reminder from a sweet little child that sometimes it's the little things in life that make us the happiest. 



She was so happy to have her new penny that we actually got a smile! She even asked to go back and take a picture with Beauty and Beast at the Lego store. Which, of course I said "yes" to, because I think it was my favorite store, although Josh argues that the Star Wars store was best.



Our night came to a quick end after that though, Piper started dancing around like she was Bell and tripped on her blanket! It was the saddest thing ever because her penny bounced a few feet away and she didn't know what to care more about, her penny or her scuffed up knees. She tripped right next to this little group of cute Asian girls that spoke no English, but really wanted to help her up. They were so sweet and caring for her even though they didn't know how to vocalize their concern. Needless to say, after that our night was done. We carried Piper to the car, cleaned off the blood and the dirt, went home and all went straight to bed! Such a fun day deserved a good nights sleep for all of us.
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CALIFORNIA TRIP | DAY 3 - LAGUNA BEACH

CALIFORNIA TRIP | DAY 3 - LAGUNA BEACH

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Our third day of vacation was actually our first official day in California. We enjoyed taking the morning slow, we had a delicious breakfast and enjoyed visiting with Josh's mom, step-dad, and his two sisters. After a few hours of lounging, we decided that we had to start our trip out right, with a trip to the beach! Josh's family lives in Aliso Viejo, which is only about a 10 minute drive from Laguna beach, so we picked that as our first official destination. Piper was in awe! She had been talking about the "big water" for weeks, and it was just priceless to watch her take in just how big the water was!





I'm not sure if we were just clueless or lazy, but from where we parked it led to this cute little overlook but there weren't any actual stairs or a path that led to the beach! So we all jumped/climbed down. The weather that day was overcast and cold, but we weren't complaining. Anything is better then the snow boots and winter coats we have been rocking at home. In fact it almost made it better because no one was there! We pretty much had the whole place to ourselves, with some wonderful lighting, and the clouds made it a whole different kind of beautiful!


Piper got right to work doing what she does best, convincing everyone that what she wants to do is really the best option for everyone! :) Really though, Piper has been planning on making sand castles at the beach for months! (Well since August when Josh's mom moved to California. We would take trips to a local park by us so she could practice for the real deal.) Then you know what we went ahead and did?!.... we forgot to bring her a bucket and shovel! That fact didn't even phase her though! Who needs a shovel and bucket when you are born with two hands? Her little castles turned out darling. She would walk up and down the shoreline and find tiny seashells and rocks to decorate with! 


Hudson wasn't sure what he thought of the beach. He isn't the biggest fan of being dirty and the loud sounds of the waves terrified him! He was happiest up by the bushes playing with sticks, and yelling every time he saw a bird or a plane!



Steve or "Chocolate Grandpa" as Piper calls him, dug her a little home out of a sand hill. Piper instantly decorated the place and moved on in! She spent the majority of our time at this beach in that hole! 


Eventually, Hudson started to get a little curious about the water and started to work his way down towards it. 



Auntie Kassie, took pity on our curious explorer and taught him how to run from the waves! He was in love! An endless game of back and forth, a little man's dream! 





After a few hours of playing, we decided to go walk the shops along Highway 1. They were all just so uniquely cute! We started to get hungry and saw a sign for "worlds best cookies" and for $.50, no one could say no. They were delicious! In fact we ended up buying all the cookies the cute little lady had prepared that day. The cookies helped hold off our hunger for a little while, as we tried to agree on a place to eat, we threw so many coins into a fountain with some really cute dolphin sculptures, Piper and Hudson instantly fell in love with them. 


Once we decided that we were too hungry to care and really didn't want to wait in a restaurant with two starving little's, we decided on Blaze Pizzeria and a movie at home :). It was a beautiful and delicious first day spent with loved ones!
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