Coast to Coast

We made after 2 weeks in Arizona I put my driving gloves on again and headed about 5 hours and 300 miles to Sunny Southern California, where I grew up, and where most of my family still lives. My sister Sheri allowed me to stake claim on her house for a few days. I hadn't stayed with her for such a long time and it was so nice to settle back into the good old days and enjoy her home and her great family.

Rainier ate up all the attention he could from his Uncle Shawn and Aunt Sheri. He "cheesed" them up as much as he possibly could. The girls were so scared that their cousin Connor who recently had turned 14 would be "too cool" for them but he was the best, staying up late with them playing xbox, truth and dare, and letting them tease him endlessly about girlfriends.

 

Rainier was awe struck with Connor and would follow him around everywhere especially outside when Connor was on his skateboard. He was in heaven, beautiful weather and a cool cousin with neat toys to follow around.

My brother Mike lives close by and we enjoyed a day there swimming in their pool, playing with all their animals, and awesome toys.

Nothing like my 5 year old nephew giving my 2 year old son a spin around on the lawn mower.  I tell you my kids did not want to leave, that is a house of fun! They had a sled attached to the back of this mower and were being dragged all over the place.

I figure with my drive to NYC in May and my stop at Newport Beach in California I had the right to say I've driven coast to coast....do I? I don't care what you think....I'm saying it. I drove coast to coast with 4 kids all by myself...that's right! Are you jealous, amazed or just think I'm absolutely crazy? Oh the latter, me too.

Anyhow I had to make sure we made a stop at the beach. I LOVE the beach. I thought it would be no big deal to take my kids and two nephews to the beach alone, but being that I'm not the best swimmer, as the kids all ran right into the ocean, I have to admit anxiety set in and I was wondering what I had gotten myself into.

Luckily no one drowned, Rainier not only enjoyed the water, he enjoyed rubbing his head in the sand, over and over again. What a weird kid and to top it all off when we were ready to go I took him into the water to rinse him down, set him on a towel to grab our things and by the time I had turned around he had rolled himself completely in the sand, he was covered with a nice layer of sand from head to butt crack to toe. Thomas is hoping this is showing signs that he has ambitions to become a Navy Seal, we shall see, I'm thinking he was just trying to drive me nuts.

 

I couldn't have asked for a better stay in California, are you getting sick of how perfect my trips were going? Don't every thing is always better 20/20. Anyhow I thoroughly enjoyed seeing my brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, walking to get frozen yogurt with my sister each night and being able to realize how alike she and I still are. I'm so lucky to have such a great family.