I don't even know where to begin with posting about our trip, ha! It's been very busy, and it's pretty overwhelming to think about. But I will start from the beginning and see how things go! I will certainly be leaving out lots of details, and there are (of course) a billion pictures, but such is life!
We started our journey very, VERY early in the morning on Saturday, December 20th. Our plan wasn't to wake up until 6am, but the kids were just way too excited for that! Maya woke us up at 1am, asking if it was time to leave. She snuggled in bed with us for a bit, then stomped back to her own bed in a huff. Around that time, Niko woke up and announced that he could hear a monster in his room (the baseboard heaters were on, since we had already turned the pellet stove off). He went back to bed, but then BOTH kids were up and dressed at 3am. That is not a typo. Three o'clock in the morning!! Anyway, we made it out of the house on time, and had an uneventful trip to the airport. It was a looooooong day of traveling, and we made it to Orange County at about 5:30pm. My dad collected us, we drove back to my parents' house, and the kids ate a very quick pizza dinner before basically collapsing from exhaustion. We followed suit not long after!
The next morning, the kids were up and ready to play at a little after 5am. Not bad, considering some of our previous experiences (5am is much better than 3am!). They helped Grandma finish decorating the Christmas tree, and went to the park with Grandpa.
And the NEXT day, Monday, the kids and I drove down to good old Poway, our old town! I had told my old coworkers that I'd be at a particular Starbucks at a certain time, and quite a few familiar faces showed up. It was great! We had a very nice visit, and I even got to hold baby Sara (the first of four new babies we'd meet on this trip). :)
After we were done visiting, we drove by the old house. It's still there! Looks pretty much the same. And then I rewarded the kiddos for their patience with the thing they wanted most-- In-N-Out! Niko's first time since he discovered his love of burgers!
On Tuesday, it was warm and sunny. We went for a hike up through the neighborhood and to the top of a nearby hill where a radio tower is located. The kids love hiking, and they were happy to get out and get moving!
After lunch, we went to the Western Science Center. It's a cool little museum in the desert, next to Diamond Valley Lake, where tons of ice age fossils were uncovered when the lake was being excavated in the 1990s. Mammoths, giant sloths, dire wolves-- you name it, they've got it. It's a pretty neat place! We'd been before, but it's close enough that it was worth another visit.
The next day was Christmas Eve, which meant that we were eagerly awaiting the arrival of not only Santa Claus, but also my brother and his family! The kids were beside themselves waiting for their cousins. Who were, of course, stuck in traffic. So we killed some time by sprinkling reindeer food in the back yard. We'd also done it at home before we left. We covered all our bases. :)
But around 7:30, they arrived! Baby Cooper was sound asleep in his carseat, and the other kiddos promptly followed suit in their beds. But the stockings were hung, and there were a lot of them!
The next morning was a blur... the kids were up early wanting to see if Santa had come, of course. They opened presents and we all had a nice time. I made snickerdoodle (basically a coffee cake) and my mom made bacon and eggs. Oh, and we had mimosas! It was quite lovely. The kids all had a great time together, and we enjoyed getting to meet little two-week-old Cooper. So... here are a ton of pictures from that day and the next morning.
And that was our visit! It flew by way too quickly, but we had to leave on the morning of the 26th because of a close family friend's wedding. So Gus' mom came to get us at 11am, and we were off on the next portion of our adventure. The kids were devastated to say goodbye to their cousins, especially Colton, but we hope we will see them again soon... maybe even in Massachusetts! :)
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