Friday, November 30, 2012

california: week 4&5 (disneyland, northern california + a day in the dirt)

oh man, we have had a crazy few weeks! we are looking forward to getting some normalcy back in our lives, or at least to not live out of a suitcase any longer! there has been some endless nights/days/early mornings, and some tired tired faces on those days, BUT we have enjoyed every second of it, and so has little willow.
and while im on the subject, (do you really want me to get started? cause i could go for awhile!) let me tell you something about this girl...she is up for anything! she has gone with us everywhere, done everything we have done, had some late nights and early mornings herself, but has not made more than a few peeps! (then, it was no more mr nice baby, not joking!)



a few weeks ago we went to disneyland with some very special people, clays sister and her cute cute little girls. maile came too! she loved all the sights and sounds and colors! serious, she was in baby heaven. here is what the day looked like....

her first impression, main street madness!

then she met mickey,


then she rode the jungle cruise (with her cousins and grandma maile, of course).

she rode the tea cups,

then she took a sleepy disneyland nap.

she rode its a small world, and pirates of the caribbean too.


and to top off the night, we rode the carousel. it was indeed a happy day. 

the next day we started the drive up the 101 to northern california. we drive up every year to visit some dear friends of ours. it breaks our hearts to only spend a few days with them, but its better than nothing! 



we stopped in san luis obispo to see our friends, josh and faith sarr. she was just days away from holding her baby girl! 




we finally made it, and got to spend a few sweet days with the brodersen family. they are the best, and their boys the cutest, are they not?

we also popped down to the city a few times to have lunch with some more dear friends.

and even brought willow along to her first concert, to see yet another friend release his first ep. 
(look him up guys, here)


and thennnnn, the day after we got back from sf, we started the long and tiresome week that is, a day in the dirt. yet for some reason we look forward to it every year, its like we forget about the crazy dirty madness? its a great time to spend with friends, work hard in the sun, and get paid for it all!

the super awesome, waiver signing, wristband giving, money taking, no baloney accepting, crew.


willow was like the front gate mascot. to us, she was the only very-important-person in attendance that year.



i think we got about three showers that week? yes, ew. its called "a day in the dirt" for a reason. willow, however, managed to get a bath every night in our camper van of a home (even with  lack of running water the last two nights. mothering success!)


and that concludes this disneyland-northern california-day in the dirt segment of our california trip. we leave for ireland in just a few short days. dang, time to start packing.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

feeding the hungry (greedy) ducks






california: week 2 & 3

we've done all sorts of things these past few weeks. here are some pictures to fill you in since the last update! 


willow sits on tables in public places, and also on things with wheels that are much to big for her, but she doesn't care about either.

all of our driving back and forth, means a whole lot of packing and unpacking, and it also means some nice sunrises and sunsets to see along the way. 

it was a bit chilly last weekend, so we had to bundle up! she enjoyed some quiet time out on her auntie's lawn, and enjoyed a good swing on the very porch that all of her aunts and uncles once swung.






we do alot of hanging out at grandma sally's, (we also hang out in her trees and pools). we eat good food, have good chats, and make good family memories.



we hang out in targets (exercising terrible parenting, sorry) and hang out in restaurants, eating loads of american sized salads and drink loads of american sized iced teas.


i got a much needed haircut, and it feels kinda great (although 5 inches lost is something im mourning!).


for halloween we were a sushi plate. she was a tasty piece of salmon sushi and we were ginger and wasabi. no body got it. haha. (yeah well, we thought of it and created it in two hours. give me a break!)





all in all, we are having loads of fun. we're looking forward to the second half of our trip. please don't go by too quickly!