Ryan and I decided to spend this Christmas in California with Sharlene, Dustin and their girls. Richard, Tami & Josh came as well. We needed the time away, appreciated the warmth & were so grateful for all the family time. We were fortunate to be able to stay with Sharlene and Dustin, saving us lots of money! They live in a beautiful neighborhood and belong to a neat ward, from what we could tell. They are enjoying their time at their new place. They moved to Irvine from Anaheim in September and have a townhouse that is a lot like ours. It was tight quarters but oh so fun! Ryan and I slept on a sleeping bag in the kitchen, haha.
We visited Disneyland, California Adventure, the Aquarium of the Pacific, Heisler Park at Laguna Beach, USS Midway, Coronado Beach, Six Flags, and spent the other days relaxing back at home, learning about what life is like for their family there. I got to see MaKenzie's school and her teacher. I saw where they shop and different restaurants they enjoy in Cali. Some of their favorites are Yard House, Acai Republic, Phils BBQ and Cheesecake Factory. Eating out is one of my favorite things to do on vacation...and we ate well!
We were so grateful to have bonding time with our nieces. Kenzie insisted on riding most of the rides with Tanya and Ryan. Tanya got to hear Alisha speak her first full sentence, "Dogs. I like dogs!" It was so fun watching the girls open their Christmas presents Christmas morning.
And Cooper had a ball with his grandparents and aunt back at home. He found ways to be mischevious, of course. Here is a picture my Dad took of him after some exploring in the yard. We're still not sure where the black mark came from, haha.
