Caaaaalifornia! (aka the post with 56 pics in it)

Well, here it is.  The long awaited post on our California trip.  Actually, I am sure that no one REALLY has been on pins and needles waiting for this update, but it's been on my mind (and to do list) since we got home.  And I hate not crossing off something on my to do list!  Sooooo.... here we go!

Monday

As I am sure you can understand, I was pretty nervous about B's first plane ride.  I mean.... I was envisioning the worst.  Screaming baby + annoyed passengers = my nightmares for two months.  We even told the poor man in the seat next to us that we would  buy him many adult drinks if things started to go south.

But they didn't.  Not at all.  

In fact, it kind of went embarrassingly well.  Yes, embarrassingly.  I have to brag and say that Beckett loves meeting new people.  He can crank up the charm and smile, giggle, and laugh at every stranger he sees.  It's a good thing.  Except when you are in a crowded airplane FULL of strangers.  Beckett was in heaven.  I really, really hope that all 100 or so passengers on the plane thought that his constant laughter was entertaining.  He met some "friends" in the seats behind us and proceeded to giggle, play peek-a-boo, and jump up and down for the entire two hour flight.  It got to the point where strangers passed him around and kissed all over him (yes, they did) at the very end.  It was pretty funny!

That afternoon Beckett and I checked out Newport Beach.  I was ridiculously excited to see B playing in the sand.  He loves getting dirty, playing in dirt, and making messes, so I knew the sand would be perfect.  He had lots of fun!  He was so happy digging around and trying to chase after the pigeons.

I gave up trying to keep the sand off of his face.

Tuesday

Tuesday morning we ventured off to Laguna Beach, which was easily my favorite area of Southern California.  I wish I had taken picture of some of the houses, but take it from me they were gorgeous.  I mean, really.....

Wouldn't that be nice if that was the view from your front porch?  

B and I had a good time exploring and walking around the trails that overlooked the ocean.  It was pretty breathtaking.  

We found an awesome place for brunch that overlooked the water.  Beckett ate an entire omelet, some cantaloupe, and some puffs.  Nothing like ordering a kids meal for your 10 month old and he eats it all....

Wednesday

I KNOW some people will think I am crazy.  But I took Beckett to Disneyland!  

Yeah, yeah - he didn't know where he was and we were just another stroller occupying space, but I swear he really enjoyed it.  We went on three rides - Alice in Wonderland, Pirates of the Caribbean, and the Tiki Tiki Room.  Beckett thought it was all pretty fun.  (The Pirates of the Caribbean was his favorite.)

Guy and I are more than a little obsessed with this picture....

Thursday

Early that morning we drove over to Huntington Beach, which is the official "Surf City."  We hung out on the beach and watched the dolphins.  They were so close and noticeable that Beckett even watched them!

The rest of the afternoon was spent at the hotel.  I really wanted B to get some good naps and playtime, so we were low key.  I got caught up on laundry and reading, so it worked out well.

After we picked up Guy from work we decided to get all crazy and forget bedtime (keep in mind the time zones definitely came into play) so that we could all three go to the beach.  It was SO worth it.  I have never, never, never seen such joy!

 I knew he loved the sand, but I never dreamed he would love the water so much.  He crawled into the water over and over again - despite freezing temps, sand in his mouth, and salt water in his eyes!  He was all smiles.

Such a happy, happy memory...

Friday

What a coincidence that the same area that Guy's central office is not far at all from his Aunt Cindy!  We met her for lunch at the Cheesecake factory.  I just love that she got to meet Beckett!  We had such a nice lunch - it's too bad they live so far!

That evening we had a babysitter from Guy's work come to the hotel.  We drove back to Huntington Beach and had some yummy tacos and hung out on the beach.  Their state park is one of the very few places that you can have a bonfire on the beach, so we made full use of that!

It was funny because most everyone there was a teenager except for us. 

 It got me thinking about how fun it would be to grow up around the beach, where your weekends consisted of bonfires and surfing.  I grew up excited to hang out at Sooner Mall and maybe catch a movie.  ha!  But I can't even compare my teenage years to kids nowadays - technology has changed so much.  And now that I am really dating myself, let's move on to Saturday.....

Saturday

Yea!  Finally a day spent together!  We drove an hour and a half to San Diego to check out the infamous zoo.  Yes, it is wayyyy cool.

  It's massive and beautiful, not to mention having an impressive collection of animals.  And Beckett thought they had the best busses and "dogs" ever.  All of the animals were dogs to him!

Here are a few animal shots...

Beckett even went to the petting area and found a few friends!

We rode this scary "skyfari" that is not for the faint of heart.  

What a fun day!

Sunday

On our last day we drove to Laguna Beach.  

It was kind of misting, so we didn't do all of the walking around that I wanted to but we did go back to Las Brisas for an amazing four course brunch.  You can't beat delicious food, mimosas, gorgeous view, and dolphin watching!  Beckett thought they had really tasty eggs :). 

What a fun week we had!  I am so glad that B and I had the opportunity to tag along on Guy's work trip.  I love Southern California and hope to get back soon!