Babymoon v. 2.0 ~ The Rest of the Weekend ~ April 1st-3rd

After 4 1/2 days in San Diego we drove to Encino to stay with my dad's cousin Liz for the weekend.  My Great Aunt's memorial service was Saturday at 11:00 with a lunch following.  Getting to Encino took FOREVER!  You have to drive through most of LA to get there and spend a lot of time sitting in traffic, which was not too fun for this pregnant girl in the far left lane. . . . oh well good thing I hadn't potty trained Abi yet.  We got to Encino, got settled in and enjoyed a great dinner with Liz and Alan.  Saturday morning we got up and ready and drove 45 minutes to Brea for the grave side service.  Lunch we a great time of sharing memories of my Aunt Linda and catching up with all the cousins.  Later that night most of us went to my Dad's Cousin Martha's house for dinner, more hanging out, dinner and games with the family.  It was a sad occasion to have to get together but we all had a wonderful time spending the day together.  

This was basically the end of our long vacation, Sunday we packed up had lunch with my parents and Liz and Alan and headed home that afternoon.  We had a great week exploring new things and places as a family of 3 but cannot wait to become a family of 4!

Babymoon v. 2.0 ~ San Diego March 31st ~ Sea World

Our last BIG day!
After a day of relaxing we spent an entire day at Sea World, 10:00am to 6:30pm!  It was a long day but we all had so much fun!  This is was also our most expensive day, parking alone was $12, and we chose this day to buy lunch in the park (but it was totally worth it!).
Sea World has a lot of shows and animal interactions so we needed to schedule out our day as soon as we got there.  Some shows are done quite a few times and others like the Shamu show is only done twice a day.  When figuring out the day you have to time the shows just right so you are not going back and forth from one end of the park to the other just to catch them.  We started with the penguins and it was feeding time which was fun to watch.  The exhibit was pretty cool (literally too) a few feet away from the glass was a moving sidewalk, a great way to get people moving through but also give you a chance to see the whole think.  Then raised above the side was a normal viewing area with benches so you could camp out and watch the penguins eat, swim and play.

We moved on to another cold weather exhibit and saw the polar bears, walrus, and belugas.  The polar bears were not as exciting as the ones at the zoo but the belugas were swimming around and the walrus was pretty cool and HUGE, we just had a hard time getting any good pictures of them under water.

By the time we finished these two arctic exhibits it was time for the first show.  I hadn't mentioned this before but Josh's favorite animal is a dolphin, always has been, so this show was a must see for him.  It was a mix of dolphins, trainers, black pilot whales, brightly colored birds, music and narration.  According to the Sea World web site it takes over 30 people and at least 70 animals to make each show happen.   Abi loved the show and seemed impressed with all the dolphins flying through the air.

While waiting for the show to start we could smell ribs being grilled at the restaurant next to the stadium.  We figured that it was too expensive to get them for lunch but wanted to check after the show.  A full rack of ribs was $16.99 and Josh and I decided to split the lunch, it smelled too good to pass up.  Along with our expensive ribs we got Abi a kids meal with souvenir plate and cup, and Josh and I splurged on a souvenir cup for us.  We learned at the Safari Park to spend the money on a souvenir cup, and you get free refills the whole day, we also just refilled with water since it was so warm that week.  The cup with a soda was $8.99!  But this was vacation and we chose to splurge just a bit!  After our delicious lunch we walked to the Shark Encounter Aquarium.  It was really cool to see so many different types of sharks but the lighting so too low to get any good pictures.  We walked through another aquarium then off to the next show, Sea Lions Live.  We got there early enough to watch the "pre-show", it was pretty funny and included some members of the audience.  The seals were amazing!  The trainers and seals were dancing to music and jumping off the 2nd level of the stage, pretty cool!

We figured after the sea lion show that Abi might be willing to nap in the stroller for a bit if we walked around.  It was looking pretty good but there was just too much that Abi wanted to see and experience.  In place of a nap as long as we keep Abi busy and she has snacks she does pretty well.  Next was the touch pool, where we could pick up and play with sea stars and other tide pool animals.

Abi kept saying as she would pick a sea star up "take home?".  She had so much fun and could have spend hours with her hands in the water.

After the touch pool we wondered over to the Dolphin Encounter.  We were not sure what to expect but when we got there they had a trainer available to answer questions and other trainers were out feeding the dolphins.  The pool was designed in a way that everyone who was close enough to the sides could reach in the water.  Parts of the wall were sloped towards the outside and the trainers said you could place smaller children on the sloped edge so they too could reach in the water.  We were not lucky enough to be able to touch a dolphin when they swam close to the wall but others were.  The dolphins seemed to be hanging out on the other side of the pool so we walked around to see if we could get a better look.  We got found the perfect spot to watch the dolphins doing tricks, flying through the air, playing and eating.  Abi loved watching th dolphins play and swim around.  Josh and I loved watching and taking a million pictures, believe me I wont post them all.

After an hour of dolphin watching it was time to find seats for the Shamu Show, our last show of the day!  At the stadium there is a "soak zone" that consists of the first 16 rows of benches!  Way, way, way back when I visited Sea World almost 20 years ago I sat in the "soak zone" and you do get wet.  Now it was a warm day but we didn't want to spend the rest of the night soaked.  Another great show, I watched in amazement as these HUGE killer whales fly 10 up in the air!  

Getting out of the stadium was tricky since it was full of thousands of people and we were trying to get over to the Sesame Street Bay of Play.  We used this as a reward for Abi if she behaved and listened to Josh and I during the day.  The best part about the Sesame Street area is there was a "Abbi" ride, Abbi is a character from Sesame Street and we kept telling Abi there was a ride named after her.  Also there was an Elmo's Flying Fish ride very similar to the Dumbo ride at Disneyland.  We got to the Elmo ride and Josh and Abi stood in line while I stayed back and took pictures.  While they were in line I looked at the Abbi Ride and decided that it probably wouldn't be the best ride for Abi, it was a Tea Cup ride and with Abi having the tendency to get motion sick, I thought it wouldn't be the best for all if she got sick.  Abi waited very patiently in line with Josh which was pretty surprising, she had her eyes on the prize and was so excited to finally be able to ride a flying fish.

While Josh and Abi were waiting in line I looked around the gift shop and was so excited to see a cup with Tanner's name on it!  I guess it is becoming a popular name but didn't think I would find something with his name on it.  We bought the cup as his souvenir from his first big trip.  When we left Sea World we had someone take a family picture in front of a really cool VW Beetle.  It was painted to look like a killer whale, top fin and tail fin.  Abi kept calling it "nene car" (Denise's car), every Beetle she sees is a nene car.  For 2 1/2 Abi sure knows her cars!

We finally got to the car around 6:30 and Abi was asleep before we even left the parking lot.  This had been the longest day so far and maybe the most fun and Abi sure showed it.  Our dinner plan was to try a place Jolie had told me about called Noodles and we really wanted Abi to get a little more sleep but Josh and I were super hungry.  Abi refused to wake up and continued to sleep during dinner, she had to tired to do that, Josh just held her and she ate a sandwich at the hotel.  This was a great last full day in San Diego, we had so much fun as a family and giving Abi new experiences!  Next we were off to Encino and Chino Hills area for the weekend.

Babymoon v. 2.0 ~ San Diego March 30th

This was our down day, being 6+ months pregnant and having a toddler we wanted to make sure during our week that we scheduled time to take it easy.  We debated about going to Balboa Park and visit some museums or go hang out at the beach but opted for a quiet morning at the hotel, a late breakfast and we just ran errands around San Diego.  We went to Frys Electronics, Target, had In and Out for lunch and promised Abi that we would find a play ground.  Josh found one on the GPS but since San Diego is so hilly it was tricky to find, on the map it looks like its on the side of the road but in fact it was up a hill and hard to find.  But we found a good play ground that was quiet and perfect for Abi to burn some energy and get good and tired for nap.  

It was a pretty boring day in comparison to the rest of the trip but was well needed.  Everyone took a good nap and got prepared for our next big day at Sea World!

Babymoon v. 2.0 ~ San Diego March 29th ~ San Diego Safari Park

The Safari Park is located about 30 minutes north of San Diego in Escondido and is an extension of the San Diego Zoo.  The Safari Park started as a research facility and eventually also turned into a tourist attraction.  we had been to the zoo before and kinda knew how we would map out our day but the Safari Park was new to both of us.  No matter how much research I had done we were still in a new place.  One thing I had read was as soon as you entered the park is to walk to the other end and take the free tram that takes you off the map and let you see the free grazing large animals of Africa.

The tram ride took about 30+ minutes and was a great way to see the large animals.  Most of these animals could only be seen by tram and are not on display in the main part of the Safari Park.  After the tram ride we walked around and saw a bunch of different plants and animals from Africa.

In the top collage is a picture of the Safari Park sign, when we drove into the park the sign only had the "k".  By the time we left the whole sign was complete.  The Safari Park was going through changing its from from "Wild Animal Park" to Safari park.  After our "tour of Africa" we went back to the elevators that get us back to the main level of the Safari Park, otherwise we would be hiking up a steep hill for a long distance.  At the top of the elevators was a gift shop, snack bar and patio tables.  We found a good table that had a great view of the tram route and animals.

After lunch we wondered through the Gorilla Forrest and was able to see some silver backed gorillas enjoying an afternoon snack.  Then we wondered to the other side of the park toward the elephants.  We didn't realize how far the walk would be or that we would again have to hike up a hill to get there.  Once we got there the view was amazing and so many elephants were out.  Some were drinking water, some were rolling in the mud, and others were wondering around the very large enclosure.  Abi loved all the baby elephants, they were so cute. 

All 3 of us were very tired after all the walking and hiking around the Safari Park, our goal was to find a nice place to rest in hopes that Abi would fall asleep in the stroller on our way.  Our wish came true, it didn't take Abi long to pass out and she seemed to be in a deep sleep.  Josh and I found a great sitting area in the shade close to a snack bar with cushioned patio chairs.  It was wonderful!  We had super comfortable benches and a coffee table to rest our feet on.  Abi slept for over an hour, Josh and I enjoyed our snacks and looking through the pictures we had taken that day.

After relaxing we walked around and saw a few more animals, rode the carousel and made our way out of the park.  We really enjoyed the Safari Park and loved that is was different than the zoo.  It was not nearly as busy and nice to see the large enclosures for the grazing animals, a bit closer to the wild.   Needles to say we were very tired and hungry we had dinner at a local Mexican place that we would always go to in high school and college when in San Diego for OGN.  After dinner we went to Sunset Cliffs Park to watch and take pictures of the Sunset.

Babymoon v. 2.0 ~ San Diego March 28th ~ San Diego Zoo

In 2005 Josh and I went to San Diego for a few days and visited the Zoo but didn't see the other big attractions in the area.  Abi loves animals and we really wanted to take her to the Zoo and Josh and I wanted to see the Safari Park and Sea World.
We first enjoyed breakfast at the hotel and were surprised by the number of families that stayed at the hotel, the breakfast room was full of kids.  We could get juice, fruit cereal and even make hot waffles.  When we got to the Zoo and bought our tickets we purchased  3-for-1 pass that got us into the Zoo, Safari Park and Sea World for $129 for each ticket, and Abi was free.  We also decided as a way to save some money to picnic our lunches for the week by making sandwiches and bringing fruit, in the park we would buy a soda or other snacks but we could spend soooo much money eating inside the parks.  Again the weather was great in San Diego that week and was definitely better than it would have been if we ended up there the week before, rain was expected the week before.  We first saw the flamingos and Abi and Josh were fighting over who got to carry the map, super cute!

When we first got into the zoo we read through the map and figured out where we would start and what shows or animal interactions we wanted to see.  First we headed to the reptile house, which is Abi's favorite exhibit at our zoo, she loves talking to the snakes and lizards, too funny!  After the reptile house it was time for the sea lion show.  It was pretty cute and Abi enjoyed watching the sea lions dance and perform.

After the sea lions we made our way to the monkeys.  The San Diego Zoo is so huge that it is easy to get lost or set on a path that leads you in an opposite direction, but luckily we know how to read maps.  The trails meander through quite a few monkey and gorilla exhibits.  We brought our umbrella stroller but had a hard time keeping Abi in it, she was so excited to see the next thing, which is hard with a toddler.  We didn't want to quench her thirst for exploring and excitement but had to work with her on obeying us and staying close.  Over all she did really well and it was great as parents to watch her get excited about seeing all these new things, and the best part was. . . we had a week full of new things!

We had our picnic lunch by a cafe in a tree house type building, it was a few stories up and had great views of the zoo.  To get Abi to eat her lunch we had to keep reminding her that we would be seeing the hippopotamus next or as she more properly says "stink-a-pot-amus" (thanks Mom!).  So off we went to find the hippos.  The funniest part about seeing the hippos was a monkey that was taunting one of them, it kept jumping on the back of the hippo and the hippo would try to reach and couldn't but would find a way to scare it off, but the monkey just kept jumping back on, poor hippo!

After the hippos we found our way to the pandas.  The line to get into the panda area was super long but looked like it was moving so we took our place in line and waited.  It was worth the wait.  When we first arrived at the zoo and tried to figure out all that we wanted to see we decided that for the most part we would skip the animals that we have at our own zoo or the animals that we would see at the Safari Park.  The pandas were at the top of our list.  They were not super active, just sitting there chewing on bamboo, with their backs turned.  After the pandas we took a hike and I mean a HIKE!  We knew that we wanted to see the polar bears and ride the gondolas and it took a hike up a hill to get us there.  Keep in mind that on this trip I was over 6 months pregnant and pushing a toddler up the hill a stroller was not for me, I carried the camera and the backpack and Josh pushed Abi.  At the top we got to see an awesome exhibit of the polar bears.  They were so active and playful!

The gondola ride was next.  We had to wait in another long line but Abi was able to watch all the "cars" leave the station and was excited to ride.  I was surprised that a 2 1/2 year old was able to ride the gondolas, open, free hanging cars flying across the zoo, but she was and she loved it!  It was a great way to relax and get back to the other end of the zoo.  The last animals on our list that we knew we wanted to see were the koalas.  Koalas are one of my favorite animals and I knew that Abi would love them too, since they are so cute and cuddly looking.  Along the way, as with all the large exhibits, there are other animals or gardens to see.  Abi loved her independence and being able to walk along the paths.  Of course the koalas were sleeping and not active but that is too be expected.  But they are so cute!!!!

By the time we got back to the car, about 4:30, we were all really tired.  Abi fell asleep before we even got out of the parking lot.  Before going back to the hotel we decided to drive around for a while to give Abi a chance to sleep.  She normally gets a 2 hour nap in the afternoon when we are home but when there is so much going on she typically wont sleep in the stroller.  She does remarkably well on little to no sleep while on vacation as long as we keep her busy but it only lasts so long. . . . 

Josh and I had never driven out to Coronado and decided it would be a good drive while Abi slept.  Coronado is a beautiful area, too far removed for me, but I imagine a great place to vacation.  We got dinner at Ikea and did a little shopping and went back to the hotel and crashed!

It is amazing to look back and see all that we did in one day, that wasn't even the whole zoo, we probably saw 2/3 of it!  

Stay tuned next we were off to the Safari Park!

Babymoon v. 2.0 ~ San Diego March 26th & 27th

This was our second Babymoon, but this time we included Abi in person and not just in the womb.  We wanted this trip to be a fun way to spend time as a family of three before Tanner arrives.  This trip had been in the making for almost ten months and was even put off by a week because Abi was hit with "the great flu of 2011".  After all that we were all in need of a vacation.  Our vacation started off with a night in Fountain Valley in the L.A. area with Josh's Mom's cousins, five nights in San Diego and two nights in Encino, Chino Hills and the Brea area.  We had planned on one night in Encino but my Great Aunt passed away the week before and the memorial service was the Saturday at the end of our trip.  We had a great time as a family; Abi was amazing and such a joy to be around as she experienced new and different things.
We hit the road about 9:30am Saturday morning, we wanted to get to Fountain Valley before Abi's nap time, since we were going out to dinner that night she would definitely need a nap.  For the first time that we can remember we saw snow on the Grapvine.  I know that they get snow every year but we haven't seen the mountains dusted with snow.  As the week before we left went on we kept thinking of more reasons why our trip had to be postponed, besides the fact that Abi was sick.  One major reason was that the Grapevine was closed the Saturday before because of snow, which would have meant a few hour detour.  Two other reasons why postponing was a great idea: the hotel was $70+ cheaper by changing weeks and my great aunt passed away and her service was at the end of the week. The drive was pretty uneventful and we made great time getting to Josh's family's home.  We learned that having a DVD player in the Traverse is pretty awesome.  When Abi was tired of playing with toys and coloring we could still keep her busy watching her favorite show, Curious George.  This was also the first long trip for the Traverse and we packed it full of all our needs and wants and still had plenty of room to add another child.  We enjoyed a great dinner with Josh's family and got ready to leave for San Diego the next morning.

We arrived in San Diego around lunch time and headed to Horton Plaza to find some food and walk around a bit.  After lunch we drove to the pier where the USS Midway is docked.  The Midway was commissioned in 1945 and was used in Vietnam and the first Gulf War.  Now it is a floating museum and showcases a lot of different aircraft and exhibits.  Abi had so much fun climbing in the airplanes and helicopters and kept saying "Abi take home?"

Tours of The USS Midway start below deck where planes would be stored or worked on.  The area is HUGE and so open.  Some cabin areas are open to walk through and the space is tight but they use any available inch for storage.  Below deck a few planes are open to climb into and play with all the controls, Abi loved this and didn't want to let the other kids have a turn.

On the flight deck are dozens of planes and helicopters and a few are open to be able to climb in.

It was a gorgeous afternoon to tour the Midway, we had beautiful views of downtown San Diego and really enjoyed the afternoon.  We then headed to the hotel to check in and get Abi down for a late nap.  I search long and hard for the right hotel for our family.  We do have minimum standards when it comes to hotels but most of all it needs to be a good price for what we get and where it is located.  On the first babymoon we tried a Comfort Inn in Manhattan and were pleasantly surprised, given that it was in New York the room was small but very clean and had just been remodeled.  I searched for one in San Diego that was close to everything that we wanted to visit, in a location that we were already familiar with, had breakfast included, king size bed for Josh and I, separate space for Abi and last but not least free wireless internet.  Well with all that I actually found a hotel and it cost less than $100 a night.  We were quite happy with the hotel and the free breakfast was pretty awesome!

This was just the first 2 days of our vacation. .  .more to come!

Women's Retreat ~ March 11-13

Some time last year I volunteered to be the Women's Retreat Coordinator for church.  I am not sure what prompted me to volunteer in the first place but I knew that I wanted to be a part of the retreat, and I like to be in charge. . .
It was a lot of work but i was so happy to see women of all ages worshiping together, fellowshipping together, and just having a great time.

The speaker we had was awesome, she's called "The Pottery Lady".  Carol Wolaver (http://www.potterylady.com/) speaks as she works at a pottery wheel creating awesome pots or vases as she paints a visual picture of our Master and how we are the clay, pretty cool.
The weather was great and there was snow on the ground, it created a beautiful place for a retreat!