LA part 3

I've been busy around here... so I have been behind on finishing posting about my trip.

Been editing photos.... from a recent wedding.

there are more here

But back to the trip....
the third day we went down the coast a bit.
Went to Aquarium of the Pacific.
I love these kinds of things. :)
You can see more about it here

Saw lots of cool things.



This scuba diver was talking to the crowd and explaining about the fish who were swimming around him. it was totally cool. that is a 4 story tank too.


I think this was the nastiest thing we saw. A spider crab.
Huge and oh so gross.









While down inn Long Beach, we saw one of my favorite things in the whole world.
A lighthouse.
Fell in love with these in Nova Scotia.
This one was beeeeauitful!!


We went out to eat here. Which Regan loved since Forrest Gump is one of his favorite shows!

And then drove down to Huntington Beach to check out the water.
It was freezing. Well mostly the insane wind was.
But we saw lots of cool wind surfing/ kite surfing people.
That was cool.



On the way home we out to eat a Mexican Restaurant and some shopping at a mall.

Our last day we got up and went to the beach and went in a bit.
Before heading off to the airport and flying home.






It was such a fun trip.
And I know i want to travel some more.
While we were there, we talked about our next trip.
One day.

LA part 2

First off i'll answer the questions.

Julia - "did you see anyone famous?"
yep.
We saw a limo, which of course had a famous person inside it.
I mean h.e.l.l.o.
we were in LA!
Who?
No idea.
But i'm sure it was someone totally famous!

Also saw a famous photographer.
More on that in the post down further.

Crystal- "Did your kids miss you?"
Um Alden.
Doubt it.
He said he was glad to see us and then promptly asked what we brought him.
(when we showed him the cool metal spiderman lunch box we got him, he ask for the kinder surprise egg that he thought we should have brought him.
He had lots of fun at grandmas.

Lucy did good too.
She has been extra clingy since I got home though.
And she isn't really like that at grandma's house.
So I'll take that as a yes, she missed me.

Day 2 in LA:
In the morning I would rent a cruiser bike and ride along as Regan went running.
It was a fun way for us both to get some exercise and still hang out.
I'd go a bit further and then turn around and catch up with him again at the end.
As I was riding along I saw Dolphins.
Two groups of them.

Pods? I think you call them?

I just call them cool.

Then we drove up to
Universal Studios.

Walked around Universal town or whatever it is called before you get into the theme park part.

Saw the big guitar.
Cool.


We went into this Martin Lawrence art gallery that was right there.
Regan was indulging me.
the good guy.

I saw some wonderful art.
5 original Picassos.
4 original Monets.
3 Dali's
Rembrandt

Amazing stuff.

Saw some new artist's I hadn't before.
Liudmila KONDAKOVA
Rene LALONDE a fellow Canadian

And this guy.
Kerry HALLAM
I LOVE this stuff.
He had this one similar to this one here where he had painted it on top of an old sea map.
i loved it so much.
I looked at it for quite a while.
In fact, a sales lady tried to sell it to me.
For $3000.

We had a chuckle over that.
Not that it wasn't worth $3000.

But the fact that she thought we would have that kind of money.
We don't really dress like high rollers.

Just so you know, if I had the money, I would have bought it.
That's how much i loved it.


Got into the theme park.
Went into this.

Lame.
(Especially the screaming people.)


Thought this was a coolio street.
Had store fronts from a good movie.
Notting Hill


Went on the Universal Tour.
Pretty cool how they make movies.

Cars from those racing shows... you know


From King Kong.



Can't remember the movie this was from but it was pretty crazy to see the actual plane they had destroyed for a movie.
Wow. What a big mess.


Famous person number 1 and 2
Dora.
Deigo.


Famous person number 3.
Shrek


Okay the actual famous person we saw.
Anne Leibovitz
Apparently she (red arrow) was taking a picture of another famous person (blue arrow), unnamed, for an upcoming ad series.



Pretty exciting eh?

While at Universal we went on rides.
Including the Jurassic Park one three times in a row.
Regan was loving in.
And I was making him happy.



Fun times.
Good day.

I forgot to add the the night before we went to Transformers.
And yes.
It was AWESOME.
Two big thumbs up here!!

LA part 1

Well we got back a week ago.
But i haven't been near my computer with all my pictures on it.
So I couldn't do a post to tell ya'll about it.
We have a 4 week rotation in Ray-town.
Back for the weekend.

And I know you have all just been beside yourselves with an update.
I know.
It's okay.
I'm here now.

Monday morning we left for LA.
Pretty weird that we had dropped the kiddos of to g&g steed the night before.
Weird to sleep at our house without the kiddos here.
Got up and headed off to the plane.
All went smooth - although I really wanted to get a stamp in my passport.
I mean I paid $80+ for it.
And I really don't travel much.
And it has 24 pages in it.
But no stamp.
Just a grumpy guard.

Flight. A-Okay.
It's really nice to travel without having to entertain children.
I like that.

Landed and took the shuttle to get our rent-a-car.
Picked out this one.


We found a 7-11 first off and got a map.
(and two american chocolate bars.)
Headed in the direction of our hotel.

After we got settled and checked into our hotel we went for a walk.
We stayed in Redondo Beach.
Went for a walk along King Harbour and checked out the bay.

Saw a sailing class.
Which was cool.
Some people were doing better than others.....


Saw lots of pelicans.


Went out to eat here.
Which I loved.
When I was a kid I always wanted to have a restaurant.
And old fashioned 50's one.
And this one was just like I used to dream of.
Except I wouldn't have the uniforms that short.



Went for a walk on the beach. And put my foot in the Pacific.
Now i've been in both the Pacific and the Atlantic.
Which is pretty good for someone who travels very little!




I loved seeing the beach.
And I thought a lot about how cool it would be to do a photo shoot there.
So many cool little places to take pictures.
But I wouldn't make Reg do that.
That wouldn't be a fun vacation for him.
He let me take lots.

(in fact he told me I was soooo touristy.
with my big camera around me neck everywhere we went.
Yep. No denying it. I was.

In the evening we drove into Hollywood.
Thought there would be less traffic than during the day.
Still lots of cars.
Saw this on the drive.


We turned on Santa Monica Blvd and saw this.
The Los Angeles Temple for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
(if you didn't know already, that's our church)
We knew there was some temples in California but didn't know where.
It was a nice surprise to see.
So we got out and walked around it.




And I found some cooooool palm trees.
It was my first time seeing palm trees.
After seeing them I had lots of questions about them.
Do people make things out of the wood in them?
Why are they all shaped so different?



Saw all the expensive stores where we couldn't even afford to breath in.
So we just drove by instead.


That was day one.
Lots eh?
I'll add another post about the next few days tomorrow.
peace out.

leaving on a jet plane

Well we are off to LA.

I realized this is a few firsts for me.
First night without Lucy.
First time on a plane without kids.
First time to stay in a hotel consecutive nights.
First time I'll see a hot beach...with palm trees.
First time to California.
First time in a city bigger than Calgary.
First time I've rented a car. (i've been in one but I didn't rent it)
First time I've left my kiddos for more than 3 days.
First time having a passport.
First time flying into the states.


Wish me luck.
:)
I'm sure I'll have some pictures to share when I get back.

out and about

We've been out and about....

celebrating Canada Day with family

riding long boards


having friends over (who find our bugs for us)


having photo shoots


visiting with friends


seeing grandmas and grandpas
and aunts and uncles and cousins

spending time together


(Reg took this photo)

eating steaks and other various BBQ animals
picking up candy at a parade


drinking slurpees
swimming in the pool

jumping on the trampoline


going to the Park


going to Calaway Park




scrapbooking



And it has all been so fun.
All except Lucy getting sick.

(She's on the mend now.)

What have you been up too??


Oh and Happy Birthday Canada.
You rock!

On the Bookshelf:

i saw a list that made me wonder.....
if I could remember myself.
it's a list of books i've read.....
but I don't know if I could remember all the books I have read.
I read a lot.
A lot of kids books.
A lot of recipe books.
A lot of parenting books.
I love historical fiction and religious books.
Some times where the reading is a mininum.

And I have spurts of more reading.
Especially when I was pregnant with Alden.
No kids to tend, we were living across the country in a city where I didn't know anyone.
I read a LOT during the last month of my pregnancy.

Currently I am reading...
(i like to have a few on the go... depending on my mood)
1. The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography by Sidney Poitier

(it's pretty good so far... but a few words that I am blacking out with my marker.)

2. Pay it Forward

3. Overindulgence and Your children


Instead now, how about I list the books I want.....

1. Harry Potter and the Deadly Hallows(the new one)
2. Dispatches from the Edge by Anderson Cooper
3. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
4. Clean & Simple: Scrapbooking: The Sequel by Cathy Zielske
5. Collage Discovery Workshop by Claudine Hellmuth
6. Alphabetica by Lynne Perella
7. Encyclopedia of An Ordinary Life by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

Any books you are on the hunt for??

some pages

i've been on a scrapper frenzie lately.
here are a few pages as of late.

stuff

While blog hopping this evening (I can't sleep... i had an after church nap....) i saw this on a blog..... thought i'd answer it too.

Yourself: getting sleepy

Your Partner: is sleeping

Your Hair: poofy

Your Mother: sleeping

Your Father: also sleeping

Your Favorite Item: camera (and computer)

Your Dream Last Night: Lucy crying... but it turned out to be real

Your Favorite Drink: cold milk (1%)

Your Dream Car: 67 cherry red convertible mustang

Dream Home: paid for

The Room You Are In: living room

Your Fear: failure

Where You Want to be in Ten Years: in a house in a rural community with lots of kiddos

Who You Hung Out With Last Night: sarah and tom chute

You're Not: sleepy

One of Your Wish List Items: a remote for my camera & a good tripod

The Last Thing You Did: booked hotel & car for our upcoming LA trip

You Are Wearing: pjs

Your Favorite Weather: sunny

Your Favorite Book: hmmm tough to say... looking for a new favorite

Last Thing You Ate: left over ice cream cake

Your Life: busy

Your Mood: wanting to be sleepy

Your Best Friend: is sleeping

What Are You Thinking About Right Now: my answers

Your Car: minivan

What Are You Doing At The Moment: typing

Relationship Status: happily married

And since posts are no fun without a photo... here is one from the friend shoot.