Spring Break 2023

A million years ago, well actually three weeks ago, we packed our suitcases and headed to Los Angelos for a long spring break weekend. All four of us hadn't traveled together in a long while (pre-Covid?) but we found a great house/dog/cat/chicken sitter, rearranged work schedules and hopped on a plane. 

A few months prior, we decided that we should take a family vacation because our time all together is getting shorter (Will graduates in two years!) and we also needed some sun.  It's been a long winter.  We debated which coast, locations, etc., and then I found cheap airfair and hotel in LA so the decision was made.  Glenn was skeptical until I mentioned the La Brea tarpits - which were also what Reina was most excited about oddly.  Long story short, we had a lovely time.  It wasn't without hiccups, teen angst and crowded sleeping arrangements but we made it work.  

Look at these happy faces on the airport shuttle.  Smile for mom!  

Our first stop was the La Brea Tarpits.  It was even cooler than we thought it would be.  Highly recommend if you are in the LA area.  

We set aside the next day for exploring.  Lots of google maps and Glenn serving as the navigator (DIRECTIONS!), we found Dodger Staduim, the Coliseum, another museum and the Hollywood Walk of Fame. 

At a park overlooking Dodger Stadium.  Will gave Glenn a piggy back ride because he can. 

Glenn & Reina

2 out of 3 smiles.  

The ceiling outside of the LA Natural History Museum

The fastest walk through the Hollywood Walk of Fame known to man. I was the only one who was into it so it was a short trip.  

 

Our last full day was designated as Universal Studios Day.  We had a blast.  

Hogsmeade! 

Hogwarts!  We rode a ride inside the castle and it was pretty cool.  I mean, I had my eyes closed for most of it but everybody else seemed to love it.  

The car from Magnum PI!  This was the Studio tour and it was a lot more fun than I expected.  Plus it wasn't a roller coaster.  

Glenn loves the Simpsons! 

Next year's Christmas Card.  Sums up the day in a nutshell.  

On the last day, our flight didn't leave until the evening so we packed up the hotel and headed to the beach.  We picked Venice and it did not disappoint.  It wasn't quite sunbathing weather for the general public but Wyoming teens were quick to strip down and get some UV rays.  

Yes, Glenn is wearing long pants.  As was I.  We were comfy.  But look at that ocean.  

So that was our trip.  It was nice to come home and have the rest of the week to hang out, get driver's licenses, make cake pops and watch movies.  Then it was back to the grind.  Can't wait for the next one.  

Camera pictures from Alaska

I'm trying to write as many posts as I did in 2018 and I only have a few more days to hit my goal. I was looking through some of the posts that I started to write this year and never finished and discovered all of these Alaska pictures. I'd made a photo book for the Pauley grandparents to thank them for the trip and I guess I never got around to blogging about it.  So here are some of the highlights for blog posterity.

We left Seattle on a Sunday afternoon and cruised all day Monday.  The weather was usually in the low 60's or upper 50's and it felt great to us after a hot July in Cheyenne. While on the ship we spent a lot of time watching for whales and we got to see so many!  It was really cool.  

Glenn whale watching and Reina modeling.

It wasn't quite 60 degrees the morning that Will and I sat on the deck and read books and watched for whales.  Glad we had our cold weather gear! 

I took many photos with my Canon but these are the phone camera versions.  Our first stop was in Juneau where we had most of the day to explore Alaska's capitol.  We found a small city museum that had a little area for kids to explore and they loved it, even the tween.

Will pretending to process fish - he even put on the apron.  Well, he was using the fish as a weapon to cut other fish but he was having fun.  

Sun setting as we left Juneau

It looks like these are all of the camera pics that I saved.  We also visited Ketchikan, Sitka, Victoria BC and I feel like there's someplace else that I'm forgetting.  It was a terrific opportunity to see such a beautiful part of our planet and spend lots of quality time with family. 

While just about everybody else on the ship was viewing the Hubbard Glacier, these two monsters were swimming.  Yes the pool was heated but the air was not warm.  They didn't care.  

My trip to Oregon

Last week, I left the house at 4:30 a.m. on Monday to travel to Hood River, Oregon for a work conference.  I don't like being away from Glenn and the monsters for too long but I do enjoy seeing new places and let's face it, it's nice to eat dinner and not be responsible for making it, getting people to eat it and clean it up afterwards. I was in Oregon until 6:00 a.m. Thursday when I flew back and was greeted with affection by everyone, including Coco.  Glenn does a terrific job of holding down the fort when I'm gone but I know that everything tends to run more smoothly when both of us are home.  I had a work trips every week during the month of May and I'm sure glad to have this month almost behind us.  Between school projects, field trips, sports practices, dance and piano, our calendar is full and we are all ready for summer vacation.  

Here are some camera shots from my trip.  

My hotel was right along the Columbia River.  Oregon seems to be overrun with friendly dogs and I met quite a few as I walked and jogged this path every day.  

As part of the conference, we took a quick tour of agricultural operations in the area and saw lots of fruit orchards, vineyards and Mt Hood in the background.  

On my last night, I headed back up to Portland and walked all over downtown and then drove to an amazing rose garden.  It made me anxious to get home and plant our garden.  Look at all of those colors!  

This lovely rose probably couldn't survive our short growing season but I loved the two buds.  

So I was back home in time for the Memorial Day Weekend.  We had a quiet few days filled with lots of hanging out, yard work, house work, movie watching, gardening and other seasonally appropriate activities.  Will was battling a double ear infection (what is with this time of year?!) but it was a good excuse to relax and watch baseball.  The kids have 4 1/2 days of school left and we are ready to officially kick off Summer 2018. 

Spring Break 2018 part 1

Last Saturday, the alarm went off at 3:45 a.m. and we all popped out of bed, kissed the pets, hopped in the car and headed to the Denver airport.  We caught a plane to Cabo, Mexico and our Spring Break adventure began.   We met my parents, sister, brother-in-law, niece, nephew and b-i-l's parents and aunt and uncle down there.  It was a big crew and the first time I've vacationed with my parents and Vicky's family besides the occasional camping trip.  And spoiler alert, it was a great trip.  There were so many adventures that this will be post #1 of ... many.  

Our first morning there was Easter Sunday.  The Easter bunny did not bring baskets to the kiddos but Pop-pop brought out his tradition of hiding jelly beans in plain sight and it was a hit with all ages.  Baby Boy Cousin got super interested when he realized that jelly beans were not only edible but FULL OF SUGAR.  

 Our first day was spent at the pool while some us made a grocery run and checked out the lay of the land.  We stayed at a resort right on the end of the peninsula with the Pacific ocean on one side and the Sea of Cortez just down the hill on the other side.  I broke my record for number of steps on my Fitbit but the daily ice cream and awesome food kept the trip from being a weight loss adventure. 

Here are a bunch of pictures of a handsome American fishing in the Pacific.  Warnings are posted up and down this beach about not swimming because of the dangerous current and ocean drops off to a deep shelf just a few yards from shore.  So no swimming but lots and lots of fishing from the shore. 

Glenn fishing as the sun was starting to set.  The big hill behind him is supposedly a hot spot for famous rich people to build houses.  I'd take one.  

Hubba hubba 

I like this picture.  There were some crazy waves that would come crashing in.  It looks pretty mild there but it's slightly deceiving. 

The hotel had a little garden and Will wanted me to take this picture.  We would check ESPN every night to see how the Rockies were doing.  ESPN Deportes would pop up and the website would automatically translate the Spanish into English.  The abbreviation for the Rockies is COL on the scoreboard which ESPN would translate to CABBAGE.  It always made us giggle.  

Oh look, it's the Bronco Baby Mom!  I'm not sure who took this picture.  Either the small blonde or brunette. 

Love this picture of our girl. I think her brother took it.  

A kid captured photo of greenery.  

A kid captured photo of deck chairs and the Pacific.

Reina and I watched the waves.  

Stay tuned for part #2!

Spring Break 2017

More than a week ago, the kids and I arrived back in town from our Spring Break trip. This year, Glenn stayed home to work and watch dogs, cat and chicken girls, and the kids and I headed southwest for a visit to Arizona with my parents.  It already feels like the trip was a month ago but I'll try to capture as many memories as I can.  

We left on a Saturday and Grandma H drove with us while Pop-Pop battled a bad cold and stayed back in Cheyenne for an extra day.  We had new movies on the Kindles, a book on tape, the last Harry Potter book for Will and more pop songs than either Grandma or I wanted to listen to.  The kids are pretty good travelers and we made it all of the way to Gallup, NM for the night.  The next morning, we headed into Arizona.  Our first stop was the Painted Desert.  It was a bit of a last minute decision but I'm so glad we drove through it.  

Future senior picture?  Will at our first stop at the Painted Desert.  Well, our first stop after the gift shop.  

Reina, a cupcake and the Painted Desert.  

Happy to be on vacation!  

This was one of my favorite stops. The rock was filled with pictographs and my favorite was the bird and frog that you can see there.  

A pueblo foundation in the Painted Desert.  Reina really liked all of the 'old stuff' and maybe we have a future archaeologist on our hands.  

I think this was called Newspaper Rock?  It was filled with pictographs. The scale is hard to determine here but the boulder was gigantic. I used my zoom lens but it was filled with drawings.  

Petrified wood!  

Reina and a giant piece of petrified wood.  

A cool petrified stump.

After the Painted Desert and Petrified Forest, we drove for a few more miles and stopped at Walnut Creek (Canyon?) Cliff Dwellings.  After a slightly steep hike, we were able to walk through actual cliff houses from somewhere around 1300-1400. This stop made a big impression on kiddos and adults alike.  The kids were impressed at how old everything was and I couldn't stop thinking about teaching a toddler to walk on a cliffside.  Eek!

After our many side excursions, we rolled into Phoenix on Sunday evening.  We stayed at a fun resort that night and kids spent time in the pool on Monday.  Later that day, we traveled across town to our hotel in Scottsdale and Grandma and Pop-pop's condo across the park.

On Tuesday, we headed to Salt River Fields to watch spring training and the Rockies!  We sat in the grassy area overlooking the outfield and it was a gorgeous day for baseball.  Will even got an autograph from Rockies outfielder, Carlos Gonzales.

The view from our seats, with the zoom lens.  

Will and Dinger and Reina!  

Will (second from left) hoping for a toss from the outfield.  

On Wednesday, we visited the Museum of Music in Phoenix.  Will was nonplussed by some of the exhibits but he really enjoyed the room where you could try out a bunch of instruments.  Reina could've spent all day at the museum.

Will probably needed these Elvis glasses, right? 

We didn't leave the gift shop of the museum empty-handed.  Reina had her eye on a $56 ukulele but I said it was too expensive so when I noticed a $10 harmonica, I said "how about this?"  Her eyes lit up and that's how I ended up with an 8 yr-old, a harmonica and a 14-hour drive home.  

After the Museum of Music, we spent a few hours at Top Golf and the most important thing to remember from that excursion is that I WON.

On Thursday, the kids had time for one more swim, we gave Pop-pop and Grandma lots of hugs and then we pointed the car north and started home.  We stopped at Homolovi State Park in Arizona and saw more pueblo sites.

Obviously, you can't take any artifacts out of the park and there are pottery shards everywhere.  Someone has placed different pieces on rocks and it's a very cool way to see all of the different types.  

It was a little windy up at the top.  

More shards and a turquoise bead.  

The weather in Cheyenne was supposed to turn to snow on Friday so the kids and I kept a steady pace home.  We made it to Santa Fe on Thursday night and had one last night in a hotel.  Friday morning, we grabbed a donut and I drove them around the old plaza in Santa Fe - one of my favorite spots in the West.  Then we headed north.  The kids did a terrific job.  We didn't have any snow until we crossed the state line into Wyoming.  Will thanked me for the trip and told me that he'd never forget it.  Not a bad sentiment to hear on the last day of a long car trip.  Glenn and the dogs and the cat were happy to see us and I was delighted to have a few extra days to get cleaned up before it was time to head back to work and school.  We can't wait for our next adventure!