I'm back and tan

After 12 days in SoCal, I'm home!! Loved it! Had a great time!! Here is the pictorial of the trip.



Knott's Berry Farm...hadn't been there in years and years. It was very clean and had horrible rides like this one. My husband and my two youngest are in this picture at the top. I should have taken a picture of myself having the nervous breakdown. I don't know why I took a picture, maybe to document their demise (that I was certain of). I rode a total of two rides at the park, one left me ill and the other left me wet, wet, wet. I did enjoy myself though as I guzzled Berry Punch and Diet Pepsi in huge quantities. If you need to know where the restrooms are at KBF, call me.



This is my friend Tylyn, who bailed on Brentwood because we had no shopping when she was here, now that we have a Target and a mall coming, I'm hoping she'll move back. (not a chance, but I can dream.) We had dinner with Tylyn, John and their daughter Tahnee. It was fun to spend a few hours laughing and chatting. Check out the cleavage (Andrea) and the sunburn, day one in the sun.



The family at Disneyland, the tranquility of the picture belies the torture of the 95 degree day. They didn't have to charge us admission, we bought our admission in water bottles. For going on the 4th of July ( a lapse in good judgement) the wait in lines wasn't bad at all. We walked right on several rides, I think people were in a mass heat induced stupor.



Later that night we met our friends, the Hazen's to watch fireworks...which were a gyp!!! They were supposed to be 20 minutes long and patriotic...they were 8 minutes long and ended with a fizzle. We found out the next day there had been 'production problems', nice to know that even Disney isn't perfect.



After three days of amusement park fun (said with tongue firmly planted in cheek...) we showed Skyler other SoCal sites. The most exciting for him? THE OC BEACH, Newport beach. He was so excited!



Lauren was pouting about something...to which Skyler replied with.....



We're lovin' him more and more!!! He seems to have control of the situation!
From there, we went to Los Angeles, where the highlight of my trip occured...



We were just driving along La Brea and Lauren spotted LA Ink, which is a tattoo place on TLC. I was SO excited!! We went in the shop where I was a total tourist and a total goober, I've never been in a tattoo parlor before!! No, I didn't get a tat. :)



Then on to the Hollywood Walk of Stars where Skyler had the good sense to pay dutiful homage to the star of MaryKate and Ashley Olson, Lauren's childhood heroes. I was going to make a snarky comment, but I want Lauren to still love me, so I won't. Insert your own comment here: ---------.


After taking the lovebirds to the airport, we drove to San Diego to see the Hazens!! It was so fun to go and relax on the beach. Well, Rachel and I relaxed, Rob dug a hole 4 feet deep and the kids had a blast in the ocean boogie boarding and playing with sand crabs. Byron convinced Payton that sand crabs are eatable by "just boiling them and putting butter and a little bit of garlic salt on them." Byron is in BIG trouble if she decides to put the recipe to the test.





One of the fun highlights was meeting Queenie Weenie, Rachel's friend Allison. What a doll!



Byron and the boys went home and I stayed. Our friends Pam and Vicki drove down for a girl's trip ( with Pams' daughter Shaelie). The four of us have been friends for 8 years, it was so good to all be together, laughing and having fun, thanks Rob, for being so understanding and patient!!



We went to the beach again. See me in the surf? Of course you don't, but that's me in there, I wiped out. Did you honestly think I would post a picture of myself in a bathing suit? Not in any universe.



Bless Rachel's heart, I dragged her to go looking at dresses. Bought two, returning both. Still no dress, but we are closer...



While we were there, Payton dubbed us the Fairy Godmothers, Vicki is the tall one, Pam is the short one and I am the round one. She pretty much got it right!!!



After four days, it was time to go. We were leaving Rachel behind as we went north to LA to see the play 'Wicked', which was Shaelie's 17th birthday present. We had a little stowaway in our luggage! By the way, mine is the teenie tiny bag. Everyone else had massive amounts of luggage. Thanks to Rob and his tetris mind, everything got in. (Even the stowaway)




We went to see Wicked, then drove around Sunset Blvd etc....which is really wicked.



All in all, a wonderful trip. But the best part was loves from Payton!!!