California Vacation: Day 9

#'s 99-126

I became very busy before I got my last vacation post finished. 2 days after we returned from California, I headed up to Chicago with my sister Cary (so fun!). The following weekend, we went to St. Louis for my niece's very cute birthday. (We loved being there with her for that.) I was, also, in the meantime, getting ready for Dash's 5th birthday party, which was the following weekend.

I now look forward to no major packing or planning in the near future. I planned on just relaxing today, catching up on my blog. (Decided to enroll Sissy in dance classes today, though, so I was busier than I thought I would be...had to purchase ballet slippers and tap shoes - that was actually ridiculously fun for me - and then take her to class.)

What better way to get back to blogging than to continue my list of 1,000 gifts because I have certainly had lots of excitement packed into a 2 month period. A few things on my mind right now: my dad for doing such a great job of taking care of our dogs while we were on vacation, friends, family, and even acquaintances who take the time to RSVP, go out and purchase a gift, wrap that gift, then drive to your house for a party - that's time they are choosing to designate toward you, and that means the world to me, and my husband for taking the time to clear new 4-wheeler trails for the boys.

Now, back to my vacation...

Our last morning we spent packing, tidying up our apartment, and trying to eat up what was left in the fridge, etc. Ugh, it is so depressing to throw away good food. (It's also depressing to throw away a whole, perfectly-good bottle of water before going through security at the airport - only to walk 30 feet and have to purchase another bottle. Oh! But what we WERE thankful for: we were cutting it close to get on our flight in time because the lines were so long to check our luggage, and then we saw the lines to go through security were so long. However, they ushered us to the elevator because we had a stroller with us, and we got to bypass a HUGE portion of the crowd. We said we were going to make sure we always had a stroller with us at the airport, even when our kids had awkwardly outgrown them.)

Before we left, we went up on the roof of our apartment building to enjoy our last ocean views of the trip.

I wasn't really ready to leave California. There were still so many things on my "to-do" list. So many more fun kid spots. So many more restaurants. I wasn't quite ready to get back to the daily routine. And I would seriously move to California tomorrow if my husband would only go with me. :)
We felt very fortunate that we were able to enjoy good weather all week. (You know, besides making my boys traipse through the snow in Crocs.) No big rainstorms or anything to put a damper on our fun.
It was really nice to be able to walk around L.A. this time, rather than waddle with aching feet, like I did last time. (Pregnant with Sis 3 1/2 years ago - this photo DOES NOT really do my belly's...ahem, "size" justice...there were worse pictures, but I - in all my vanity...just...couldn't...post...them.)

I'm so grateful for our trip, in general. I'm thankful that I have a husband who will take me on my trips around the country. (And thank you, to people who gave us Christmas money/birthday money, which helped finance the trip.) I'm glad that my kids are pretty good travelers. No, they weren't perfectly behaved - I'm not going to lie and give you the impression we were skipping along with smiles on our faces the ENTIRE week. For example, they always fought over who was going to push the stroller. It was relentless and ridiculous. Such a thing to fight over.
Dash said, "Look! I'm a surfer!"

Our flight home seemed (and was) much longer. Trips home, without the expectation, always feel that way. Plus, our return stopover was in Atlanta this time. We felt like noooo as we watched the plane on the monitor pass Arkansas...just so we could turn around and go back to Arkansas.

We were thankful to Googie for picking us up from the airport so late. It was very sweet: Sissy was so excited about seeing her and was calling her name as she ran down the long hallway...that she fell flat on her face. Delta lost one of our suitcases, which felt a little weird. However, it was hand delivered to us the next day, which I thought was awesome.

We had to get used to Central Time again. I'm thankful for sleep and for naps. I'm thankful that (despite the horrible behavior of my lovely child that resulted in his time-out on the stairs) children always look so beautiful and endearing while they sleep. I mean, seriously, this particular night, he was behaving atrociously. Clearly, it was because he was so tired (well, AND he's also very stubborn) because he fell asleep on the steps right away. Little stinker.
I am truly someone who needs to travel. I somehow missed out on the housewife gene, despite the fact that is exactly who I am and actually who I really want to be. I have to work at feeling content at home everyday. I have to remind myself occasionally that every wise woman buildeth her house. (Proverbs 14:1) I love the refreshing feeling of being home at the end of a journey when I am able to appreciate more fully the gifts around me.

And I am thankful for the little feet running into my house and the little fists that proudly raise up a handful of flowers picked outside. (Even the dandelions and the wilting camellias that had already dropped to the ground.) Those are the sort of moments which remind me that my job as a mom might just be a little more purposeful than I sometimes feel.