girls weekend in Newport Beach

I just got back from the most rejuvenating, fun-filled, laugh-out-loud, action-packed weekend with my best girl friends. We get together every year with our kids, but this year we left the kids at home with the hubbies!! It was so far above and beyond our expectations. Seriously one of the best weekends of our lives! Here was our brief itinerary - not planned ahead - just planned from moment to moment while we were there. (And we missed you, Maggs!)

• Lacee and I drove to CA Friday morning... talked for 5 hours straight. We needed it. It's been way too long.
  
• Pulled in to Newport Beach about 12:30pm.
  
• Ate at a delicious little upscale cafe right across the street from the Newport Beach temple - the Pacific Whey Cafe. Cajun Chicken sandwich on sourdough. One of the most amazing meals of my life. Wish I could figure out what they did to those peppers on it...
• Did a session in the Newport Beach Temple. This temple is BEAUTIFUL!! And so beachy. Loved it.
• Drove to Huntington Beach and to put our feet in the water before dinner.
• Picked up Bekah and Lulu at our fabulous hotel. (Our hotel was hosting the fund raiser for the new Casablanca remake. See pic up top of motif. Fun!)
  
• Went to dinner at the Stone Fire Grill. Sat around catching up and each laying out our dreams for girls weekend.
  
• Went shopping at Fashion Island. Spent two hours in Forever 21 trying on ugly outfits, formal dresses and cute stuff too, of course.
• Got Yogurtland. Yum.
  
• Went back to the hotel where we all got facials from Lulu. My skin still feels soft.
• Crashed and slept in. Ahhhhh....
• Headed to California Adventure for the morning. Rode Screamin' over California, Tower of Terror, Soarin' over California and went through the interactive animation exhibit they have there. So cool.
• Went back to the hotel at noon, changed into our swim suits.
  
• Chronic Tacos for lunch. LIFE CHANGING.
• Headed to Newport Beach. Laid on the sand giggling for hours. Played volleyball. Swam in the freezing cold ocean until we were hypothermic.
• Got Sprinkles cupcakes. Didn't think I liked cupcakes. Turns out I do. Wow.
• Showered and got ready as fast as we could!
  
• Ate yummy Thai food at a local place for dinner.
• Yogurtland. Again. :)
  
• Headed to DisneyLand for the evening. Rode Big Thunder Mountain Railroad, Haunted Mansion, Pirates, almost Indiana Jones (it broke when we were almost to the front), watched the fireworks, sang at the top of our lungs to the music for the night shows and finally crashed with exhaustion. (here's us on the toy story bus on the way to the park and being sooooo happy in the happiest place on earth)
• Finally got to sleep at about 2 am. Slept too late for 9am church.
  
• Went to 11am church in a ward that had a musical sacrament meeting and the greediest choir director we've ever seen - he put in a huge plug for more choir members and then the choir got up to sing. Biggest ward choir I've ever seen. Great sacrament meeting though! Some powerful talks about church music.
  
• More Chronic Tacos and more Sprinkles (to take home to the hubbies this time).
  
• Saddest goodbyes ever!! :( (Apparently I make the world's ugliest sad face. I really had no idea.)

Bek, Lu and Lace - thanks for an amazing, wonderful weekend. I've never laughed so hard or talked so much. I love you and can't wait to do it again!

Best Day Ever!

Do you ever have those days were you feel like your a good parent? Well, today was one of those days. Actually, it has to be in the top ten days of my life. Britt went to California with some of her friends and I got to stay home with the kids all weekend long. Let me tell you, it was much needed time after pretty much being gone for the past six months because of work. Here is what we did today:

• 9am - 2pm: went hiking in Red Rocks. The kids were so good hiking! You can't help but feel really cool when you are scrambling up rocks with your 1 and 3 year old.
• 2pm - 5pm: build a sand box in the yard. It's amazing how many bags of sand you can fit in the trunk of a Corolla.
• 5pm - 6pm: Ate at CC's Pizza. Yes! Kids 3 and younger eat for free.
• 6pm - 6:30pm: ran through sprinklers.
• 6:30 - 7:30: Went swimming in the pool. We were already wet, so we had to finish the job.
• 7:30pm - 8:30pm baths, wrestling, wrapping Van in a towel and making him laugh so much, via tickling, that he spits up. Whoops...
• 8:30pm: Bed (Emery is sleeping in my bed. hehe).

Emery loves to sing while hiking.

I am one happy dad!

new glasses

thanks, buddy, for breaking my glasses so i could get new ones! you like? inspired by my friend, Jen, who has sported red glasses for the past few years. i actually got 2 pair. the other are black. love that bogo at eyeglass world!