The End

We spent our last afternoon and evening at the beach. This was the most time Hugh got to spend relaxing without working, driving, going to theme parks, or waiting in line. We had an awesome time.

It was fun to be there together as a family.......
It was fun to watch Hugh play with Houston. And he is so good at it.

Hugh said he especially loved this ocean this year. He was like an old man walking the shore and collecting shells, which are now in a jar on his desk. Hmmmmm.

Time to pack up and head out-Houston loves to ride these hotel carts. We just prayed we were still under the weight limit for our bags and we could get our hats, shovel, and 3-string guitar home that we bought at Goodwill. No problems-we all arrived safe and sound. Here's to California 2010!!

Pink's and Family

While we were out in California, we had the awesome chance to spend one evening with some of Hugh's cousins, who happened to live only about 20 minutes from us. We got to visit with most of the last year, but some new ones this year as well. We laughed, told stories, and had good Italian food. Thanks guys the hospitality!

Pink's is a world famous chili dog stand to the stars. It is located on Melrose Avenue in Hollywood. You can get a hot dog ANY way you can imagine, and they probably offer them ways you have never thought of. This hot dog stand has been featured on the Food Network several times and shows like The View, Jay Leno, and Good Morning America. We must have had perfect timing because we only had to wait 15 minutes for our chili dogs, but when we left, the wait was over 1 1/2 hours!!
But they were SO yummy!!!

Even Houston ate his entire hot dog (hold the chili). We were on vacation, but momma's not silly.

Hugh got to enjoy the day with us which we were grateful for-he did all the driving and parking in Hollywood which can be a chore for sure. We ended the day with the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the big Hollywood sign. We walked down Santa Monica Blvd. and Hollywood Blvd., then we were off to the beach.

Knott's Berry Farm

We were about 5 miles from both Knott's Berry Farm and Disneyland. We decided to go with Knott's Berry Farm because we figured the lines would be shorter (plus it was about $50 cheaper per person). We made the BEST choice. The longest we had to wait in line for Houston to ride a ride was about 10 minutes. After the first few of riding with Hugh or I, he gained lots of confidence and rode several by himself. He loved it and asked to go over and over.

On this race car ride, it whipped you around the end turn and it made him laugh so hard he could barely catch his breath before the next turn and it would happen again.
I couldn't resist this picture because he looks like a true truck driver with his arm hanging out the window and one hand on the steering wheel. Funny stuff.

This was the Knott's Berry Express, which is an actual steam engine we rode around the park. Of course anything train related and lil' man was all about it.

Hugh's request for the day was filled with this picture of Snoopy.

And like I said in a previous post, Houston has now fallen in love with "Poopy". We actually saw Snoopy on Ice while we were there and it was a great show. All the peanuts characters were on ice skates and they were wonderful. Poopy is now Soopy, so we are getting there.

This is THE Life!

Last year, the beach wasn't a disaster, but it wasn't great either. Houston had only been walking for a few weeks and we didn't bring enough supplies to be prepared. But this year, oh man was it different. We LOVED it! The water, the sand, the sky, the sun, the breeze, the temperature. Everything was perfect. We had toys, snacks, water, towels-you name it and we looked like beach pros. This was our first of 3 days spent in the sand. AWESOME!!!!

Houston loved the sand. And he loved the water, too, as long as you were holding him. He didn't want to get in own his own, but he entertained himself for hours digging and making sandcastles.

We enjoyed our time so much we decided we had to come back a few times before we left. Hugh did get to enjoy one day with us and I will post those pics later. We tried Seal Beach, but our favorite spot was Huntington Beach.

I love this picture of Houston and my mom. It was also great to see her have such a good time walking the shore and collecting shells (which I hope don't end up on the back of the toilet). This day was good stuff.

I Zoo Any Chance I Get.....

If you know me very well, you know that I love to find a zoo in any new town we travel to and check it out. And, L.A. was no different. I had heard good and bad things about it but it was only $11 and that's not bad for a full day's worth of entertainment in California. I have to say, initially, we were disappointed. The Children's Zoo was closed and the train was not working, both big strikes with Houston. But, as we got further into the zoo, we did get to see lots of animals, had ice cream, and ending up making a fabulous day of it. And, I can cross another zoo off the list.

Each trip Houston gets more and more into the animals-he can find them easier on their own and he can name most of them now. It always makes momma happy when her baby enjoys himself.

They had a baby giraffe there-he was 6 feet tall when he was born in April.

Of course he can make any day a good one with his nana.

And he found a new love on our trip this year that was waiting for him on the bed when we got back from the zoo. He is now a "Poopy" lover. He's actually gotten better and now calls him "Soopy".

Reagan Library

I was young when Reagan was in office, so I don't know a lot about his presidency. I remember learning about the assassination attempt on his life, that he was in movies before going into politics, he was Governor of California, and that he was an accomplished athlete. My friend, Dana, suggested we spend a day at the library while out in California. I have to say, regardless of your public affiliation or personal feelings to this man, it was an awesome experience, and ended up being one of my favorite things about the whole trip (besides the beach, of course!).

Secret service greet you at the door, give you the rules, and then you are pretty much on your way to explore. We got to see really fascinating things-presidential seals used at the White House, the clothes he was wearing (and the x-rays) when he was shot, his inaugural suit, a replica of the oval office with pieces he actually used while there, but my favorite was......

getting on board Air Force One. We learned how they bought/prepared meals, the football he carried with him with secret codes on it, his office, the "Situation Room" on plane. It was really cool. This plane actually carried Reagan, Bush, and 5 other presidents. We weren't allowed to take pictures on board. For the time the technology was very advanced, it would be considered "archaic" even in one of our homes today. Very, very cool experience.

Another thing I loved about it was the setting. The library is in Simi Valley and the landscape and view is amazing.

If we ever get to go back to California, I will be making another stop here for sure.

California 2009

We had another great trip to California this year and we found something different to do every day this year from our trip last year. We arrived about 10:30 L.A. time, ate at In-N-Out Burger, and then checked in to our hotel. We decided it was the day for a quick trip down to San Diego, about an 1 1/2 away. The scenery was beautiful and since we went to the zoo last year, we went to Old Towne San Diego for some authentic atmosphere.

Old Towne was a quaint little village with homemade salsa, olive oil, desserts, and souvenirs. We ate a restaurant called Coyote Cantina that had amazing food. It was an open restaurant and we enjoyed the activities on the street and the awesome weather while we ate.

I loved this picture-the sky was beautiful and it was right by our table where we sat for the folk dancing.

This was one of Hugh's favorite parts while in San Diego because the music, costumes, and dancing were so unique. They did about 8 different dances, all with different traditional costumes and music. Houston clapped and danced along, it was awesome. After a LONG day, we made it back home about 11:30, which is really 1:30 to our bodies. We brought back 2 of our 3 souvenirs for family here-I'm so glad we got to experience and learn more about this culture.

It really was a fun day.

Batter up & Buddies

It's official that Houston is destined to be a baseball player. A legend. A total mess. He got his first glove, tee, and bat a few weeks ago. Hugh says like a natural, he picks the bat up and starts swinging from the left side. It's amazing how much he LOVES this and how much we don't have to encourage him. Wiffle balls are constantly flying around the living room, and almost everyday, he runs and grabs his stuff and proclaims, "I wanna hit!" He loves going to games and watching it on TV. What can I say? It's in his blood.

Meet Corey. Houston's BFF. Corey came over a couple of weeks ago to swim and play with Houston and you would think these 2 were separated at birth in Houston's eyes. He LOVES Corey. He talks about Corey. He calls Corey on the pretend phone. He asks for him almost daily. The two hit it off right from the beginning and I see a long friendship ahead of them.

Oh, and they like to play trains in their diapers. Just wait til this one comes out when they're 16! Thank you Lewis and Kara for sharing your Corey with us!!

Humor Me & First Fishing Trip

Houston's big thing now is putting his toys to "sleep" for naptime and patting them, like I do him. Today's victim: the tricycle.

Poppy took Houston and Barrett fishing 4th of July weekend. It was the first time Houston went and was actually able to hold his own pole, reel the fish in, and have some sort of understanding what was going on.

He was serious about holding his purple and gold Dora fishing pole in the water and keeping his eye on the "bopper".

His very first fish-he sure looks proud of himself!

And momma was proud of him, too! Thanks Poppy for taking us fishing.

Minnesota, Day 4, and other goodness

We rounded out day four with some beautiful sight-seeing. We went to several beautiful lakes, played at the park, and enjoyed the beautiful weather.

The water was amazingly blue and there were literally lakes everywhere, hence the name "Land of a Thousand Lakes."

The day ended in a pillow fight, where I must say, Houston was victorious.

Better later than never, a shout out to Hugh, an awesome husband, father, and friend. Happy Father's Day.

4th of July was busy for us like it was most people. We were in Memphis working with Hugh at some games, came home to cookout and swim with my mom and dad, and made it to fireworks just in time. And like his past "freak out" moments of loud noises, dancing animals, and costumed people, Houston did not like the loud fireworks, but he endured and 4th of July 2009 is in the books.

Minnesota, Day 2 and 3

On the second and third day of our trip, Hugh had to work, so mom, Houston, and I set out to be entertained. Our first stop was Como Zoo and Amusement Park-day 2. On day 3, we went to the Minneapolis Zoo. These rides were right up Houston's alley, so we got to ride them over and over and over and over.........

Here in his own little chariot.........

and here breaking the speed of light.........

This may be my ALL time favorite of us (thanks mom) except for some newborn pictures (thanks dana). Mom took this picture of us on train. And after cropping out the ugly little blonde haired girl behind us, the lighting is perfect, the feeling was sincere, and I couldn't be happier right at that moment.

At the Minneapolis Zoo, they took you on a tractor ride to the "farm" which was Houston's favorite part I think. They were animals more recognizable to him, so we spent lots of time here petting the pigs and feeding the goats. He would get down and peer through the fences to talk to the animals....so cute.

This is another favorite one where he had climbed on the fence to get a better look. Love this kid and everything he exploring and learning right now.