Its been four months since daddy has passed. In those four months, my brothers, mom and I have traveled to San Fransisco, Oregon, and Southern California. Our car has put on a lot of miles that is for sure. They have been some crazy adventures as well. So since the trips are over for a while, why not tell you about our adventures?!
San Fransisco
So dad passed away the weekend before school. Talk about timing right? Everything happens for a reason that is for sure. Well the funeral was that next tuesday, and none of us were ready to enter back into the real world on wednesday...or thursday...or friday... And mom promised dad that she would take us somewhere to get away before having to start our lives without him. As we were contimplating on where to go, my mom's best friend mentioned San Fransisco. None of us kids had ever been and my mom was little the last time she went. So decided what the hey, lets go to San Fransisco.
Our first full day we went into San Fransisco and did the usual tourist sights. Pier 39, Ghirardelli Square, Cable Cars, China Town, and well we took a picture with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background. It was fun. It was fun, we mostly went into a lot of shops and did a lot of walking. Austin was obsessed with taking pictures of the seals that were at the pier.
[On the world famous Cable Cars]
[We couldn't visit Alcatraz but I got to squish it]
[Your typical picture with the Golden Gate]
[Mom and me in Ghirardelli Square]
The next day we decided to take a drive down south a bit to Santa Cruz. We are definitely a beach family. What can I say, we love the sand, water and warm sun. When we were looking at a magazine in our hotel room we saw that there was a surfing museum and the boardwalk. So why not?! It was so much fun. The surfing museum is really small...like super small... but oh man was it cool and really interesting! Than we made our way to the world famous Santa Cruz Boardwalk. It was so cool! We road some rides, did some shopping and of course took more pictures. It was really cool when you were on the ride and you can see the ocean. On our way back we decided to go up the coast and we found an old light house! It was definitely a stop we had to take!
[The Santa Cruz Surfing Museum]
[Us in front of the lighthouse]
[The only picture of the four of us the whole trip]
[Austin being a showoff and climbed the statue]
[Santa Cruz Boardwalk in the background]
It was definitely a fun trip. It was new and different. It was something we needed. Our last taste of summer and fantasy right before entering a new era to our lives.
Oregon
Every year its a switch between one side to the other for Thanksgiving. I hear most families do it. Well it was the "others" turn this year. Well all of our other family is not in the state of Utah. Mom did not want to cook and it was the first main/big holiday without daddy. So it was either Southern California or Oregon. Because we couldn't make it to Oklahoma in the small amount of time we have for thanksgiving. Hopefully one year that could happen. We decided that we haven't been to Oregon in years, and my grandma's birthday was on Thanksgiving, and ever since I was born no matter what year, we spend those special Thanksgivings with her. Over the river and through the woods to Grandmothers house we go. Legitimately, we went over the Snake river, through mountains, to a sweet little town to Grandmas. It was definitely just a relaxing trip. Got to spend time catching up with my Grandma Kittie and Grandpa Glade. Went sight seeing and saw a beautiful waterfall that my brothers climbed down the edge of a cliff to get a better picture of the waterfall. Grandma taught mom and me about genealogy. That was really fun. [No I am serious I thought it was fun]. We had a nice weekend with my grandparents. It was a perfect break right before the craziness of finals week and the start of the holiday's.
[Over the River]
[Through the woods]
[To Grandmother house we go]
[The Beautiful waterfall]
[I found bones!! I sure hope its only animal bones]
Southern California
The last trip for us was of course to go home for Christmas. Well the day after Christmas. To help us get through this holiday was knowing we got to go to beautiful, warm Southern California. We got a break from the cold, cold, did I mention cold snow. It was definitely nice and needed. We visited as much as we could for our small time we had there. We got to go to the beach every day. Ahh everyday at the warm beach. It was weird seeing people in shorts and tank tops, in December. Haven't seen that in years.It was fun catching up with everyone we did get to visit with. They all offered us food. Man I guess they heard of our cold winter and wanted to fatten us up to stay nice and warm. Thanks for caring :) I think we will be set. I will have to admit, it was first weird seeing some people for the first time in years. Not only because it had been a long time, but because the last time we saw them, dad was in the picture as well. But that weirdness went away super fast and it was blast catching up, hearing stories, and just laughing. And oh man the beach. The peacefulness it brings and just how amazing it is. I do miss having it so close.
[Us at the beach]
[Seriously the best feeling in the world...even if it is cold]
[Huntington Beach... Take me back please]
All these trips have been fantastic. Yeah they have been all pretty short trips and a lot of the time in the car but they have all been worth it. As time goes, some things get easier and these trips are what have made it easier. Spending the first week, first thanksgiving, and the first Christmas break somewhere besides home has really helped. The places we have gone and the people we have visited are amazing. It was definitely crazy of us to do three trips in four months but who we do more trips if we could? Oh yeah in a heart beat. Maybe one day we can do more trips. Honestly, the time we have spent together has been the best. Yeah we fight who has to stay up with the driver, but we are all together, smiling and laughing. And to us, that is all that matters.
