Labor Day Road Trip

* This post was actually written in the car on our way home from this weekend getaway ... almost 2 months ago. Talk about fizzling out fast, huh? I didn't even get any pics downloaded for weeks. So glad I got this written "in the moment" or it would have been forgotten!*

We are usually not ones for terribly "spontaneous" travel - Steve has to block his schedule in order to get time off and our trips are typically planned at least a few months in advance to accommodate both work and school schedules. So, when Steve suggested that we head out of town for Labor Day ... just a few days before the long weekend ... I was a little surprised. He already had Saturday off {in his regular every other Saturday work schedule} and their office was closing on Monday to observe Labor Day so his schedule wouldn't be an issue. The girls, of course, were out of school on Monday, too. The "normal" plan would have been to leave on Friday night but since we were hosting our babysitters group on Friday night we decided to wait until Saturday morning to head out.

We are super lucky to have a California getaway at our disposal without having to make reservations too far in advance. Even with my parents being out of town they are generous enough to let us drop in when we feel the need to get away!! We pulled the kids out of bed about 5 AM {after my 45 minutes of sleep ... no exaggeration} and got everyone loaded up. Steve had gotten the car packed late Friday night so almost everything was ready to go. By the time we were completely ready it was about 5:30 - we were making good time! A quick stop for milk, a Whatchamacallit for Steve (his road trip candy bar of choice), and some ice and we were on our way!!!

About 30 minutes west of home on I-10 I remembered one vital part of our trip ... the key to my parents' house!! They are normally in California when we visit so we never need to bring a key, but with them being in Utah for the "summer," the house is locked up tight. Ugh. We called to see if they had a key rock or something outside that would have a hidden key that we could use to get in but they don't ... Boo. We exited the freeway and headed back home to get the key.

The extra hour of travel was a total bummer but after we picked up the key we grabbed some breakfast and were REALLY on our way :) A very uneventful 3 1/2 hours later we arrived in sunny {and hot} La Quinta where we unloaded our car, got settled, ate some lunch, and got changed for our next adventure.

Now here is where the major spontenaity comes into play. Most of the time when we come to California we hang out at my parents', Steve plays some golf, we swim, eat, watch movies, etc. We still planned to do all of that this weekend, but we also decided it would be fun to do something unexpected - go to the beach. Our kids have only been to the beach one other time ... last October on our last Disneyland trip we stayed in Newport Beach and spent one afternoon playing in the ocean and the sand. So, after being in the car ALL morning (and longer than we expected due to the key incident) we loaded up again, this time with sand toys, beach towels, snacks, and a beach umbrella, and headed back out on another 2 hour adventure.

I'm going to post about our entire beach adventure in a separate post ... mostly cuz I've got pictures and it was a fabulous experience and it would make this post WAY too long if I wrote about it here. All that I will say is that we spent the afternoon/evening in Huntington Beach {we had never been there} and fell in *LOVE* with the area and the "vibe" of the town. We will definitely be going back and I am now dreaming ... nightly ... of one day owning a beach house.

Sunday always proves to be a much less eventful day. After going to church at 9 AM (which seemed SO EARLY after our long travel day on Saturday and the fact that we have 1 PM church at home) we came back for an afternoon of relaxation. It was so nice to actually have Steve with us on a Sunday because at home we don't see him much between all of the meetings and other responsibilities that he has. About 2 PM he suggested that I lay down with Cougar to take a nap ... he could tell I needed one after my lack of sleep before our trip.

Now understand - I NEVER take naps. Really. I honestly can't remember the last time I had a nap. I can never justify stopping to lay down when I have a list of things to do that never ends. Well, in the spirit of our "fly by the seat of your pants" kind of trip I decided to take him up on his offer and laid down. Cougar finally settled in and we slept ... for a long time. I think it was about 2 1/2 hours. I kind of lost track of time {another reason I don't take naps}. Boy, did it feel good. It was just what I needed. It also reminded me why I don't take naps ... I felt like half of my day was gone. The girls had spent the time playing dress-ups, reading books, and watching a bit of TV. Steve finished a book he had been reading. And I slept.

At that point I finished up making dinner (we planned ahead and brought a pork roast with us) using several things out of my mom's pantry - thanks, mom! We had a nice dinner together, cleaned up, and got ready for a family movie night! With no eggs in the house and my kids being on popcorn overload from babysitters group on Friday night I was left with very few ideas for treats to make. I dug into the "brain archives" and decided to make tarts and cinnamon sugar pie crust.

When I was growing up my mom would make pie crust and we would fill it with jam to make tarts. Then we would take the extra crust, brush it with melted butter, and sprinkle cinnamon sugar on it. I dug through my mom's cupboards and pantry (thanks again, mom) and found the few and simple ingredients we needed ... flour, shortening, salt, and water. We had a brand new bottle of raspberry jam in the fridge and cinnamon sugar in the cupboard. 45 minutes later we had the most delicious treats that reminded me of my own childhood ... and that my kids loved, too! Definitely adding those into the treat rotation at our house!

Then, to top off our lazy Sunday, we all piled onto the queen size bed in one of the guest rooms to watch Annie - the original version - on VHS tape. Yup ... totally old school. It was so fun to share a movie that I LOVED as a girl and hearing Steve singing along to the whole thing made it even better!!! The girls loved it, too. Cougar liked the autocopter scenes the best. One by one the kids started falling asleep and I laid between them basking in the joy of this fabulous family moment ... soaking it all in. It's rare that we get these kind of "frozen in time" moments where we are all together, we have no where to be, no one is arguing, and we can just enjoy. I was reminded that we need to have them more often.

Enter Monday - the day we would have to head home. We woke up and went to Maxcy's Grill ... no trip to California is complete without breakfast at Maxcy's. We've been going there for years and we almost always get the same thing. The kids get #7 combos (two of them that we split between the four of them) which consist of 3 hotcakes, 3 eggs, and either sausage or bacon - we get one of each. Steve usually gets french toast {although today he got an omelette ... with a piece of french toast} and I get the most amazing breakfast burrito on the planet. There is always more food than we can eat and we are NEVER disappointed.

We came home to pick up ... the reality that our trip was winding down. I told Steve to head out to the golf course because no trip would be complete without him squeezing in some golf. He loves it and never gets a chance to golf at home. By the time he got back he had played 24 holes ... most of which he played pretty well - YAY! The kids piled on the bed again to watch Aquamarine - a movie that they learned to love on one of our many trips here. I picked up all of the clothes laying around, toys that we brought, cleaned up the kitchen, etc. Swimming was the last thing we would be able to do before we needed to head home. Boo. The thought of going home this time was especially sad because we had had such a great few days together. No internet, no work, no church meetings, no agenda.

The kids always love to swim at Grammy and Paca's house. Funny, since we have our own pool that they can use whenever they want!! I guess with life being more busy at home it makes it harder to find the time to just relax and swim. We spent over an hour playing, jumping, splashing, and laughing ... all of us in the pool - that rarely happens at home. Steve was actually still golfing when we got in the pool and he ended up being on the hole across from my parents' place just as we were getting in so we got to wave to him from across the lake. He came home to join us and we soaked up some of the last of the perfect weekend.

I learned or was reminded of several things this weekend:
1. We need to be more spontaneous more often.
2. I love the beach ... and so do my kids.
3. Sharing my own childhood memories and enjoyments with my own children is beyond sweet.
4. We have a lot of family traditions that are a result of our many trips to California.
5. Getting away from the rigors of everyday life and disconnecting leads to some of the best memories and bonding time around.
6. A queen sized bed can fit 2 adults and 4 children.
7. The best road trips require very little planning.
8. We need to spend a day at the beach every time we go to California.