This year for Christmas we packed our bags and headed to CA! We were looking forward to our trip for months and Chase was counting down the days every morning when he woke up! It was a little tricky figuring out presents but after a lot of online shopping and shipping directly to my parents house, plus 2 extra huge bags full of toys, we were all ready to have Santa visit us in CA :)
We had an amazing week full of gorgeous weather, tons of quality family time with Grandma, Papa, Aunt Christine, Uncle Jim and Ben, lots of swimming, parks, the beach and seeing some of my best friends! We couldn't have asked for a better time, better weather or better company!
Our amazing travelers
Aunt Christine and Hads getting in some quality time right away!
Papa and Hadley enjoying the sunshine
Checking out all of the stockings - look how big our family has gotten!
Our first night there we stayed up late wrapping gifts together. You can't wrap gifts without drinking spiked egg nog out of moose mugs!
The next evening we went to the Irvine Park Railroad. We went a few years ago for Christmas and were really excited to go again! They put on such a great event! There are all kinds of games, jump houses, mazes, coloring, cookie decorating all surrounded by huge trees decorated in gorgeous lights. Then we took the Santa train through the park that is decorated like crazy with lights and they take you to the "North Pole." You get in line and take a picture with Santa and then get back on the train to come back. It was such a fun night!
We went to a lot of parks during our trip - it was so nice to wear short sleeves and flip flops and feel the heat on our faces :)
I think Chase liked the sunshine too - lol!
Christmas Eve I was so excited to get together with my girls for our brunch!!! We do this every year with whomever is in town. Unfortunately the last time we had all 5 of us was many years ago but Jess was with us in spirit! It is so fun to spend time together with our husbands and kids...so amazing how much our group has grown :) We have all moved and met other friends, but these girls will always be my heart and soul and we have a relationship that will forever stand the test of time!
We met my family at church after brunch and then we came home to relax, eat dinner and let the kids all open 1 gift! Oh and of course play Twister :)
Family Christmas Eve photo!
We were so concerned with getting Brady to look and smile we didn't realize that Hadley looked so ridiculous - lol! That's what happens with 5 people :)
Watching something together that must have been really good :) I think it was Polar Express...
The boys writing their letter to Santa and getting the cookies ready!
My heart was about to burst this year because Chase wrote the whole letter himself and signed his, Brady and Hadley's names and Ben signed his own name...proud Mama moment!!
Tired Brady Bear!
All set up for the morning!
Christmas Morning!
Up early and ready to go, the boys were EXCITED!!!! Let's be honest, it was pure chaos!!!! I think we are a little more used to chaos then Christine and Jim - let's face it, that is everyday for us - but we were able to control it the best we could. Haa!! We decided quickly to not open any adult gifts and to do them later so we could actually see what we got. So we spent the morning just letting the kiddos rip into their gifts and then spent some time opening presents and playing with them :) Adults opened gifts later in the afternoon and then we all did stockings that evening..lol...all day event!
This lego kid didn't waste any time to start building!
Other than opening gifts we spent the rest of the day in the hot tub and enjoying the amazing 80 degree weather!!!! Craig got me a new camera for Christmas so I was having a blast testing it out :)
I really can't get enough of this girl...
Love when kids wear baseball hats :)
Pretty wonderful way to spend Christmas day - we are certainly blessed!
Christmas evening Dad and I were loving our Griswold shirts and more egg nog out of moose mugs :)
Uncle Jim getting some Hadley time!
Had to take some 1st Christmas photos...
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Finishing the night with our stockings
All he asked from Santa...buttons, gummy bears and a thermometer! Lol!
He was sooo happy!
I think it was a successful Christmas!
Where am I putting all these when we get home?!?
It was fun watching the boys play games together that night!
Happy girl watching the boys play with cars!
More Lego's...
The day after Christmas we headed to Laguna Beach! I wasn't sure what to expect because it will be nice weather at my parents and then it will be overcast at the beach so I packed for everything! We got lucky and it was absolutely GORGEOUS at the beach! We went to main beach and the boys had a blast playing in the sand and playing in the waves. They started out just getting their feet wet but by the end they had soaked their clothes, changed into swimtrunks and soaked those too :)
Hadley seemed to enjoy her 1st trip to the beach as well and put her little tootsies in the Pacific ocean!
My Mom showed me later that she took some shots of us playing on the beach :)
After playing on the beach, we grabbed some pizza and ice cream before heading home. Beach, ice cream and 80 degrees...is it summer or Christmas? :)
Hadley and Papa spending some morning time together..
Our attempts at getting a cousin Christmas jammie picture - pretty hilarious and dang cute! The funnier part was probably my sister and I making crazy sounds and snapping 1,000 pictures :)
My kids and Grandma & Papa enjoying a snack and some sunshine on our last morning in CA...
(Chase is in Grandma's lap)
Hadley had a tough time taking naps so Papa let her sleep on him :)
Saying goodbye to my poor sister..she was SUPER sick from Christmas day on with a horrible horrible cold and couldn't even talk! She is having baby boy #2 in 2 weeks and I cannot wait to see him!!
Took a quick picture of a project we worked on as one of our Christmas gifts to Mom and Dad. It is a stone for their backyard!
A couple last photos before leaving...
Our flight home was perfect! Hadley slept the whole way and the boys played on their iPads and Brady fell asleep for half of the flight as well. Once we got home the boys found out that Santa had visited our house and left them each a present at home as well :)
What a wonderful trip we had! We all can't wait for our next trip out to CA!
Christmas 2013 in the books with so many great memories.
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