California Trip

At the beginning of February we were able to go on a family vacation to California! It was in celebration of Jordan getting into PA school and it was sort of our last hoorah before we basically say goodbye to Jordan for 28 months in May. We were so glad that our good friends Shaylin, Cody, and Ty Brunson were able to take this vacation with us!

We flew out of the Salt Lake airport on February 5th at an obscenely early hour. Jace literally couldn't have been more perfect on the flight. He fell asleep on takeoff and slept until we were back on the ground.

After checking out our condo and taking a little nap, we headed to the beach! We were within walking distance and got to walk through a seriously beautiful neighborhood. We stayed in Redondo Beach and it was amazing!

Jace wasn't too sure about the sand. :) Sadly the weather was pretty chilly while we were there, but it was still sunny and we made the best of it. 

He was SO happy in his stroller and just loved smiling up at us. I think he loved having dad with us for an entire week!

We went to a ginormous flea market in LA called Santee Alley. It was definitely a cultural experience! Haha we felt like the only white people there, quite different than Happy Valley, UT. We had some good finds and overall had a good experience. However, I was worried the entire time that the babies would get the measles because there were a LOT more people in confined places than I thought there would have been. I remember thinking sheesh we might as well have just gone to Disneyland because we were probably just as at risk here as we would have been at Disney. Oh well.

This was my favorite day of the trip! We rented beach cruisers and biked along hermosa beach. We played in the ocean with Jace and baby Ty and then we ate amazing fish and chips at a restaurant that overlooked the ocean! It was amazing! It was the best weather of the trip and seriously picture perfect. Jace and Ty were SO good and just slept in our carriers for most of the day. 

My sweet fair-skinned baby. We were constantly soaking him in sunscreen and trying to keep him covered. He was such a stud in his sun glasses. We couldn't believe he didn't try to take them off!

Ty liked the ocean a bit more than Jace did. Haha he loved grabbing fistfuls of sand and he didn't seem to mind getting wet. Jace on the other hand...

Jace and Ty got to experience swimming in a pool for the first time! Me and Shaylin were a little worried it was way too cold...and we were right. Haha this picture cracks us up! Ty's cute little pouty face. Don't worry. We got them out pretty much immediately and went back to the condo...

...for a bathtub party! 

We also went to Santa Monica Pier. This was the coldest day. It was so windy! I ate the most amazing tamale I've ever had (still trying to find something even close to it here in Utah) and we ate some really yummy ice cream. So I'd say it was still a win.

Let's talk about Jace and Ty on our long car rides though. NOT A GOOD COMBINATION. One of them would cry, which would make the other one cry. Pretty soon it was a scream fest and they'd both finally calm down. Then one of them would start wimpering and slowly start crying again...the other would hear that and start hysterically crying and we'd start all over again. LA traffic STINKS. I think there were two long car rides that were particularly bad, definitely the hardest parts of the trip. But then they'd be the happiest little babies as soon as we got to our destination. :)

And another beach day. We seriously went to the beach every day.

What I wouldn't give to be back in this moment. Sitting on the beach with our good friends and sweet babies while we played games. Ahhh...it was so great.

We always retired to our condo fairly early. That's what vacations look like when you take a 5 month old and a 9 month old. Good thing we LOVED our condo. It was the cutest coziest place. We made delicious meals almost every night, watched The Bachelor, and played TONS of card games. We sure are glad the Brunsons love to play games as much as we do. This was one of our favorite things of the whole trip. There was also an awesome hot tub not too far from our room, so we'd set up monitors while the babies slept and hang out at the hot tub every night as well. It was the life.

There was a fun love sac that we loved to play with the babies on. :)

Jace learned the most amazing silly face while we were on our trip and did it ALL THE TIME. He seriously cracked us up every day.

We ate so so good.

Jordan and Cody got to go deep sea fishing!! It was something they'd both always wanted to do and I'm so glad they went. Sadly the fishing wasn't very good and these were the only fish they caught...tiny little guys! They said it was another cultural experience and they definitely didn't fit in with the "regulars" on the boat...but they are glad they went.

On the last day we stopped at Trader Joes for some treats and went to this little park to play some more games (of course) and play on the playground with the kiddos. It was their first time on swings and they LOVED it. They were so darling. And of course Jace's silly face came out for pictures.

Overall it was an amazing trip! We could have stayed several more days. It was so chill and relaxing. We are so thankful that we could do this with the Brunsons. They were thee most easy-going people that we could have possibly done this with, and we would do it again in a heartbeat! I'm so glad that our sweet boys have each other as best buds.