I’m breaking from my regular format due to the fact that we just got back from a trip to California and there are quite a few pictures. There are a few from the week before our trip, but most are from California. We normally go in December, between Christmas and New Year’s, but that’s about when this baby is due, so we bumped up the trip to a safer time for me to be travelling. We had so much fun! We visited with family (including Tracy, who was able to fly in for a couple of days) and friends (sorry if we missed anyone…it was a really short trip), we went to the beach and Knott’s Berry Farm, and just relaxed. We thought we had quite the adventure on our drive out to CA when our low tire pressure warning went off in the-middle-of-nowhere-Texas and Paul had to change one of our tires that had cracked (we were able to find a gas station before the tire went completely flat and drove on our spare to the next town to replace it)…but that’s nothing compared to our drive back where Paul had to change another tire on the side of an on-ramp (no gas stations nearby) in middle-of-nowhere-California (and bought another replacement as soon as we got to the next town) and yet another while at a rest stop just outside of Phoenix. When we got to Phoenix, we found a Walmart, replaced the third flat tire and went ahead and replaced the only old tire we had left (for fear that if we didn’t, it would also go flat at some point on our trip). Ugh. At least we were always able to find a safe place to change the tires and were also able to replace them quickly (and had the means to do so). Our last leg of the trip home was (thankfully) uneventful. So, with that, enjoy the deluge of pictures (which, as is typical with vacation posts, are probably not in chronological order)!
“Shooting” practice at Bass Pro Shops.Watching the rain out of our storm door (while insisting on wearing his raincoat).Paul convinced Joseph that the couch would recline if he pressed on a certain part of his forehead. His cousins kept up the fun.A random Gifts, Taxidermy, and Meat Processing place that we saw while on the road (I think we were having lunch in west Texas at the time).Playing at the park near my parents’ house.Beach!It was kind of bright, so Joseph didn’t want to look at the camera.Running from the waves.Holding on tight (the water was a bit colder than it is at the Gulf beaches).“Hi, Daddy!”He loved the water.Splashing in the water…Over by the tide pools.“Roar!”I love that mischievous look…Getting ready for Daddy to lift him up over the waves.“Wee!”Joseph liked watching the waves come in.It wouldn’t be a beach trip without a sand castle or two…The beach wore him out…We finally found him a Charlie Brown plush. We wanted to find him one the last time we were at Knott’s, but struck out (the newest movie had just come out, so he was a hot commodity).Daddy was Joseph’s ride companion, due to the fact that I was not able to go on most of them).These trucks are one of Joseph’s favorite rides.Watching a show.Charlie Brown was his constant companion throughout the day.I love these boys!This ride went up and down…and around. I think I probably would have puked, hahaha.The pump cars.Flying in the Red Baron’s plane.Snuggling up to Snoopy.Charlie Brown needed to be strapped in for safety, too!Joseph’s adorable cousin…Jason, Saira, and Luna met up with us at Knott’s.Her wide-mouthed happy faces were the best.It was so good to get to see them!Joseph liked the pretend graveyard.He also liked being able to go somewhere that expressly said to stay out.One of the characters in the Old West part of the park had a special message for Joseph to take to one of her friends. He felt super important. 🙂Riding the carousel.Luna liked grabbing at Joseph’s hair.Cousins holding hands.During the show we watched, the kids all got to march around with the characters. Joseph was pretty excited.He convinced us to get him a giant lollipop right before we left Knott’s.We convinced him to wait until we got back to my parents’ house before getting into it.Eating chips while out to eat with some friends of ours.He sure loves Grandma and Grandpa!Reading Fox in Socks to Grandma.Eating breakfast at our motel in New Mexico (we always stay at the same place while on the road).One of three troublesome tires.
