Vacation * Time

We love us short vacations....we don't take long vacations, but take short ones often. And living in California, can you blame us? We have everything close! Last week, we extended our Veterans Day break by an extra day so we enjoyed a short trip to Southern California. We did Disneyland for the first time as a family of FIVE.

It was such a blast! Kendall had no idea what to expect, but she loved it!

She was a great age, too! I know people like to wait until their kids are older, and yes, maybe she won't remember much of it, but that's what pictures are for...and the look on her face and the smiles were priceless. She was in love! The boys of course, had a blast!

We found out about an hour before we left that one of Spencer's best friends, Nathan, was heading there as well! We met up with them around 10:30 and then spent the rest of the day with their family.

Nathan's Grandma happens to be a fellow teacher (actually my master teacher when I student taught) and a good friend of mine, so we really enjoyed spending time with them! Lines were short, weather was great, Disneyland was decked out for Christmas...a perfect day!

The next day we headed down to San Diego and spent Veterans Day in one of the most beautiful places in San Diego-Cabrillo National Monument. You must check it out. I guess it used to be a navy base (I am not clear on the history) because there is a big naval cemetery and old buildings, but there is a little museum on the history of Cabrillo finding San Diego and an old lighthouse that was used years ago. You can see all of San Diego, all the way down to Mexico.

There are tide pools to explore, a hiking trail that I really want to try, and old bunkers that American soldiers hid in during World War 2.

Plus, we got to be with my sister and her family!

I really wish we lived closer and especially now that she has Lily, I am so sad that I don't get to see Lily as much as I'd like! She is a sweet baby-she adores her cousins and they adore her!

Can't wait for Christmas!
Now we are on break again for Thanksgiving...a whole week off...and I am actually glad to be home...and no plans....we have been so busy this fall...but I am planning our next short trip-either SF without kids (or maybe with...) and then Santa Barbara/LA in February to start the college tour...yes, we are going to start taking Spencer on the college tours. He will have to get a scholarship to go to school (at the rate of college tuition going up and up....ugh), so might as well get him excited, right? Can't wait to show him UCSB (my college) and UCLA!