California Trip Day 5: The Last Day

 Our last day was the warmest day while we were there so I didn't want to waste any of it.  We had breakfast downstairs again, and then made our way to the swimming pool.  It wasn't super cold so the kids were willing to swim.  Cade is not the most brave child you will meet but when Chris got it he swam around a little. 

 

After the pool, Cody and Chris went to a movie while Cade took a nap and I laid out on our patio to get some sun.  It was perfect.

After Chris and Cody got back I told the boys I would take them down to the beach one last time since we were leaving in the morning and Chris rested in the hotel room.  We didn't drive down to the same beach we had been to we just walked across the road a little ways to the beach in front of our hotel.  It wasn't nearly as nice but it worked for what we needed.  The kids got to play in the water, dig in the sand and throw some rocks.  

I wish I had had my camera in the right settings for this picture.  He had just dumped a shovel full of sand on Cody's head and was pretty proud of himself.

 

Monday morning we were up early and headed to the airport.  Our flight left around 10 but with traffic we had to make sure we gave ourselves plenty of time.  

The kids were sad to be leaving but Cade was excited to get back on the airplane.  The ride from California to SLC was different though because he could actually see us leave the ground and see how fast we were going...he was a little scared.

I am so grateful we had the chance to go on the trip. Some much needed family time in the midst of Chris's busy work schedule and just before baby comes and makes life even more hectic.

California Trip Day 4: Cade's 3rd Birthday

 Saturday was Cade's birthday so we let him choose the activities (mostly.)  We made him take a nap while Chris and Cody went to the store to pick out a present for him and then we went to McDonalds for lunch.  It was right across the road from our hotel so it was difficult to keep telling the kids no every day before that.  He even got to have a kids meal for his birthday  :)

 We went straight from lunch to the beach again.  That is what he wanted to do on his birthday so we made it happen.  Still wasn't super warm but better than the first night.

Cody remembered being buried in the sand when we were there last year and had begged Chris to do it again.  Chris dug out the hole and Cody jumped right in.  We didn't realize this until the very end but when Cody sat in the hole he put his hands under his bum.  I can't imagine how uncomfortable that had to have been.  It also made it completely impossible for him to get out even after halfway unburied him.

 Cade was super excited to help with the process.

 and then started jumping on him while he was defenseless.

 He thought it was pretty cool and was happy to be in the ground until Chris turned the sand into a girls body above him.  Cody was so mad.  He was trying to blow the sand away and even tried to lick it off.

 After the beach we went back to the hotel to get cleaned up and then gave Cade his birthday present.  They had picked out a huge nerf gun for Cade and a tiny one for Cody.  They had an hour long nerf fight before we left for dinner.

 We grabbed dinner at a shopping center food court where the kids could get a corn dog and the parents could eat something somewhat good.   Cade was exhausted, Cody was exhausted. I think he had a great birthday.

California Trip Day 3: LEGOLAND!

Friday started out the same as Thursday.  We got up slowly and headed downstairs for breakfast.  

We had been trying to decide if we wanted to go to Seaworld or Legoland while we were there and between people saying that the boys would love Legoland and looking online we decided the night before that we should do Legoland.  None of us had ever been so it would be an adventure.  

The boys were pretty excited.  Cade didn't really know what he was excited about but Cody went to Disneyland last year and we told him it was like Disneyland but everything was made out of Legos.  He was definitely in :)

Enjoying our view from our hotel room.

Posing with the first lego guy we saw.  Cade bumped his elbow on the sharp corner of the lego and couldn't focus

waiting in line for our first ride.  It was a boat ride that took you around to see lots of different huge lego pieces.

This park was so perfect for Cade.  He loved every ride he went on.  I was just happy to still fit in the rides :)

I was nervous to see how Cade would do on this particular ride.  There is one just like this at trafalga but he wouldn't go on it last year when we went.  He was a little nervous but as soon as we went up high he couldn't stop laughing.  I wish we had gone back and done it again before we left.

Cade took a minute to warm up to this huge spider.  I think it looked a little too real for him.

This slide picture of Cade is just an ordinary slide picture but soon after this was taken he went down the slide and his foot got caught on the side of the slide, it turned him sideways and he fell off head first into the space between the slide and the wood half wall next to it.  He didn't cry though, he was headed right back up the stairs to go down again.

planning our next few rides while we stopped for a cold drink

Riding a big kids ride.  Chris doesn't do rides that go upside down or fast and I was too pregnant so this sweet girl offered to go with him.  He was so excited.

Cade thought this witch was Garfamel and his cat from the Smurfs movie.  He thought that was pretty cool and Cody thought it was funny that Cade was calling it Gargamel even though it was just a witch

Driving the firetruck on the family ride.  He still tells people that the firetruck was his favorite part of Legoland

Standing in front of Lego Albert Einstein

showing a little brotherly love

for some reason these pictures look so cool to me.  It looks like they are monsters in the city.  I am not sure why Cade was sad but it's still a cool picture

When I sent Chris with Cody to go on this car ride I thought it would be super cool because they aren't bumper cars and they aren't hooked up to a track but then I remembered it's not THAT cool because he drives his cop car around at home all the time so it wasn't anything super special but still fun

flying the helicopter

watching how Legos are made

Cade with his big scary guy that he found

The Lego guy went over just about as well as Chuck E Cheese does.  He didn't like him and he wasn't interested in getting close to him.

shooting water at people on their ride

It seriously took these two 45 minutes to choose which one they wanted to buy.

so Cade decided to grab a nap.

After Cade fell asleep in the Lego store we decided to just call it a day.  They park closes at 5 pm and we made it til almost 4.  Chris took Cade to the car and let him lay down while I took Cody on one last ride.  He chose the roller coaster.  I was nervous that I wouldn't be able to go on it with him but it was a nice "smooth" roller coaster. 

When we got back to the hotel room the boys immediately opened their Lego boxes and started putting together what they picked out.  Cade fell asleep before he couldn't pick one so his was a surprise to him.  He loves his firetruck though.

He was showing me his truck when the top popped off and I got this great candid picture.

Chris and Cody spend a solid 2 hours on theirs that night and then finished it in the morning after breakfast.

Cody can't wait to go back and REALLY wants to go during the Summer when the water park is open.   I can't say that it will happen this Summer but maybe next Fall :)