California, Part 2

Well, as you can imagine, we had the best time in California. We really did.

The first thing we did once we arrived at my brother-in-law's house was to get some food. Jim was just going to run out quick to find something easy, like burgers and fries. The next thing I know, he comes back to the house and says, "I accidentally went to In-n-Out Burger." Well, there is no "accidentally" about it, but it's not like I would argue with him. Hitting the In-n-Out was one of our main goals that trip! (We ended up going there on our last day in CA, too.) There's just something about the In-n-Out burger and fries... So pleasing, so unique, so totally delightful!

We went out to a place called BJ's that night to celebrate Katrina's birthday. The food was great, I thought, and it was fun watching the girls interact with Kalista for the first time in a few months. We had the pleasure of meeting Denene's new husband, Robert--he's awesome! John and Donovan picked up where they'd left off, of course, great buddies as always!

Naturally, the girls swam a bunch in John & Katrina's pool. They even got Kalista Rae to swim with them a bunch, and apparently she wasn't that into it before. They also really enjoyed hanging out in Kalista's playhouse, driving her toy car, and playing on her swing set. It's always fun playing with someone else's stuff!

The day after we got to Riverside, my father-in-law, Mike, arrived. He came to help the boys enjoy the US Open at Torrey Pines. They weren't allowed to take cell phones or cameras, but it seems like the folks at Sports Illustrated got decent enough pictures for us to refer to. Jim says the memories will never fade... in fact, he says it was "the best day ever". It was fun hearing all three of the guys regale their adventures as they followed Tiger, Phil and some guy named Adam Scott. (He was apparently in the top 3 at the time, but I've never heard of him!)

We spent the next day hanging out in Hollywood. It was awesome, because we were able to take a train, and then the subway, right to the spot we wanted to visit. I have to mention first, though, that once we got to Union Station, we took a detour and went for an early lunch on Olvera Street. It's this awesome little area where street venders are set up, selling t-shirts, leather purses and shoes, wind chimes, jewelry, etc. All kinds of cool stuff, right? And towards the end of this little strip, Katrina has a cousin who's got a little street diner. He made the BEST taquitos ever! It was great, having real authentic Mexican food. (I love Mexican food, but the "authentic" Mexican food we have here in Lincoln, frankly, leaves something to be desired. I feel like they've "dumbed it down" for us, and I hate that... I WANT the real flavors! I WANT it so spicy I feel like my face is melting! That's what I got on Olvera Street!) Anyway, we had a good time in Hollywood, looking for famous celebrities. We didn't see any, but that was okay. The girls were excited just to see the real Hollywood sign. We walked around a lot, went to the Kodak Theater (where they host the Oscars), Grauman's Chinese Theater (home of the famous handprints and footprints in the sidewalk, and possibly starting point for the Stars on Hollywood?), and even ate a 2nd lunch at Mel's Drive-In (where the kids hung out in American Graffiti). It was a fun-filled day, and at the end of it, we were all glad to ride the train home, rather than having to deal with traffic.

The next day was Jim's birthday, and while we didn't go out and do anything super fabulous, some of you may have actually heard from us that evening. Jim and John and I enjoyed a few adult beverages and simply felt it was our duty to call some of the people we love and share our joy with them.

Now, you know, no trip to Riverside is complete without a trip to Disneyland! Lindsay and I rode Space Mountain before we did anything else, while Jim, Josie and Donovan enjoyed the Alice In Wonderland ride and the Teacups. We all enjoyed Pirates of the Carribean, the Mickey Mouse House, and the Jungle Tours. I took the girls on The Indiana Jones Adventure (they didn't care for it), and Jim took them on Gadget's Go-Coaster in Toon Town. Lindsay and I went back with Josie for her 2nd trip on the Alice In Wonderland Ride, and the girls gave the Teacups another whirl. Jim went with the girls to Star Tours, while I held down a nice spot with sleeping Donovan to watch the day's finale: "Remember--Dreams Come True", complete with fireworks and Tinkerbell flying around on a zip chord, all narrated by Julie Andrews. One of the best parts of the day, though, was when we went to Story Time in the Live Action Theater. A little "elf" was telling us the story of Sleeping Beauty as we all sat around in a circle. Donovan got up and wandered towards the "stage" area, and Prince Charming helped corral him off to the side so he wouldn't be a distraction. When it came time for the Prince to meet Aurora, he guided Donovan toward her, and she serenaded him. My favorite part, though, was when he jilted Aurora and left her to find comfort in his mother's arms! (Jim got it all on video--it's too precious!)

The whole trip was fantastic, but we were glad, as always, to get back home. It's good to know that we have such wonderful family in California, ready to put us up (or as Jim says, "put up with us") whenever we feel the need for some West Coast action!