Spring Travels

Two weeks ago we began our marathon traveling for the Spring.  Thanks to my parents, Tony, Abigail, and I got to go with them to California to visit family and celebrate my great-aunt Ramona's 80th birthday.  We stayed at Deanna and Eddie's bed and breakfast (Flora Vista Inn - you should go there!) in La Selva Beach and got plenty of time to visit with them and their family: Miranda, Chad and Austin; Brian, Gail and Amanda.  It was great! 

March 31: The flight over was good.  I was worried it would be a nightmare (our flight plan changed 3 times in 30 minutes when we arrived at the airport at 5am), but it turned out very well, and Abigail was a gem.  Upon arrival in CA, we drove through San Francisco, including the treacherous Lombard St., and had lunch in Sausalito. 

April 1: We went to Point Lobos State Reserve and walked around enjoying the view.  It was really spectacular.  We also got to see leftover whale bones from when they used to hunt them for blubber.

April 2: We drove to Kingsburg, the town when my dad grew up before they moved to Florida.  It was so neat, because we kept running into people who knew my dad's family and remembered him from way back then.  Of particular note: the lady in the real estate office who went to school with my uncle Gary, and the lady in the Swedish Boutique who befriended my grandparents when they lived in Florida and remembered my dad as a teenager.  Swedish folks are very friendly, and what was supposed to be a quick walk through downtown turned into a 2-hour journey down memory lane.  Afterwards, we spent a short visit with my dad's uncle Jack and his wife Jackie, who seemed remarkably well considering her recent bouts of chemotheraphy.

Tony and Abigail at the park that had just begun to be built when my dad lived here

in front of the Kingsburg mural which depicts earlier generations of my dad's family

April 3: Saturday, we drove to Sacramento and visited Tara and Kelvin.  We browsed the Davis farmer's market where we got some yummy food and Tara bought Abbie a cute pair of shoes.

While Tony and I stayed in Sacramento to hang out with Tara and Kelvin, my parents went to visit my dad's uncle Gus and his wife MaryAnn.  I was amazed when I saw their pictures, because Gus looks so much like my late-grandpa.

April 4: We celebrated Easter and Ramona's birthday with gobs of family, some of whom I met 14 years ago, few of whom I remembered off the bat.  There's a crazy amount of young cousins in CA, and I sort of regret not knowing them all better.  After the busy busy day, we relaxed with Deanna, Eddie, Miranda and Chad playing a hilarious pictionary-telephone game, then packed up to go home.

with mom and Ramona

April 5: The flight home was a little harder for Abbie.  It was later in the day and she was more antsy and fussy.  But, we made it and I'm not totally averted to air travel with a baby.

April 6: We unpacked, did marathon laundry, and repacked to go to Maryland.  The drive was miserable.  I never want to repeat that experience again.  A 5.5hr drive turned into an 8hr drive.  And, I HATE HATE HATE the exits in Northern Virginia/DC.   We can never find a decent place to stop, and it seems that Abbie invariably gets fussy at this point in the drive.

April 7, 8, 9: These days were spent hanging out with Tony's family.  We shopped for baby toys, visited and ate, and Tony and I even fit in an hour in the hot tub.

April 10: All of the Myers cousins came over to visit before we headed by to NC.  It was great to catch up with all of them.  

 Amanda & Justin, Beth, Lucille & Jason, Janine, Jake & Jamie, me, Abigail, Kathy, Tony

Our drive home was much better.  We only stopped twice and made it in under 6 hours.  Also, Abigail turned 11 months old.  She has developed so much!  She babbles A LOT, speed crawls everywhere, and pulls herself up on pretty much anything.  She has also cut two more teeth (#7&8).  New foods include white fish, edamame, and a little bit of whole milk.

Now that we are home and settled, it is SO nice to be back.  I think we've done our traveling quota for the spring.  Other than triathlons, we will hold off on travel until June when we hope to hit up the beach twice! 

Speaking of triathlons... Oh my gosh, the first race is in 1.5 weeks.  I'm getting (more) nervous!!