San Diego Trip

Bob's sister Ashley invited us to stay with her for a week while her husband Dan went on a fishing trip to Alaska. I immediately took her up on her offer. I have been wanting to do as much as possible with Olivia this summer before the baby comes. And this fit right into our summer schedule. {Ashley was the most gracious host and spoiled us to death. We had something fun planned every single day. She also accommodated both Olivia's and my nap schedule. It was so fun to spend a week with her and the boys. Since we have been home Olivia keeps asking for Ashley, Tate, & Crew. Thanks again Ash!!}

The night before our flight I went to check in and found that I could upgrade my seat to first class for $50. When I clicked on the seats available, all of first class was open. Since I was flying with Olivia on my lap, I figured this would be a good move and maybe she could get an open seat by me. I also found I wouldn't have to pay for my bags in first class, so I justified the $50, because I would've had to pay $25 for my bags anyway. When I got on the plane I asked if the seat by me was open and the attendant told me I was the only person flying first class on the flight. She said in her 30 years of flying she had never seen that happen before. Olivia and I had the royal treatment and our flight was amazing. Olivia sat in her seat the entire time with her seatbelt on. She played games on the iPad, colored, ate snacks, and put stickers everywhere. (Looking back, I set myself up to be disappointed because I know that I won't be in first class again for a long time.) But glad we could both experience it together for the first time.

When we got there we first stopped off at the Donut Bar and got some breakfast. And then we made our way to Cabrillo National Monument. We also went to see the tide pools, but the tide was too high at that point in the day. It was nice to walk around after sitting for so long. We ate lunch at Rubio's and made a stop at Trader Joe's for groceries. We came home for naps, spent an hour at the park and then we had sushi for dinner. Olivia loved the teriyaki chicken and rice that she shared with her cousins.

Tuesday we went to the Wild Animal Park and it was a lot of fun. We doubled Olivia and Crew up in Ashley's stroller and walked all over the park. Olivia loves animals and she had a great time pointing them out. We took a train ride to see more animals and that was a great break for our feet. The weather on Monday and Tuesday was super overcast and it was just perfect for this pregnant mom. I was hot, but not sweating to death hot - which I would've been if it hadn't been for those glorious clouds. If that wasn't enough, we made our way back to the park that night. Olivia mastered the biggest slide and was quite proud of herself.

Wednesday we went to the beach at Torrey Pines. We got there early and had the beach to ourselves for a couple hours. Some friends from Ashley's ward met up with us and the kids had a blast playing together. Olivia loved playing with a bucket of water by my feet. She wasn't her normal self and was pretty timid. That night we went and picked up a double stroller that I found on Craigslist. I got a great deal and have loved using it already. I am sure that will be a post of it's own.

Thursday was pool day! Olivia loved the options and we went back and forth from the baby pool to the regular pool at least 10 times. I definitely got my workout in that day. That night we went to dinner at Ashley's in law's house. We were there to celebrate Dan's mom's birthday. We had steak, halibut, squash, bread, rice, and salad. It was seriously all amazing and included peaches and pound cake for dessert.

Friday we went to the park for a picnic lunch and fed the ducks. It seemed like everywhere we went this week I could point out some sort of animal outside. She loved seeing the ducks and the fish in the water.

Saturday we made our way to Old Town San Diego. We first went on a tour at the Mormon Battalion visitors center. Olivia barely made it through the movie, but was rewarded at the end by panning for gold. Everyone was allowed to take 2 pieces, but she chose to take 2 rocks home instead. She was so funny playing with the water and picking out her favorite rocks. Then we went off to explore in Old Town. There were some booths that we looked at and one had fruit cups. We got one and it was the best decision of the day. It had watermelon, cucumbers, mango, and jicama. They squeezed fresh limes on them and then topped it off with chili powder. The best combo for me was the mango with chili powder. But I also wouldn't mind a bowl of watermelon with lime juice on top. It was a refreshing treat. Before we left we had some Mexican food for lunch.

We flew out early Sunday morning and made it home in time to go to church with Bob.