It's Always Sunny in California Pt.3

I love that we didn't have plans to visit the park until a couple hours before our flight, but why not go to Disneyland if one is already in Southern California?! I was up for going if my hosts were, but little did I know how much fun awaited us...

We fueled up on some In-N-Out Burger before hitting D-Land, which is as good as everyone says it is. The first time I had it was in college, and even then I didn't realize it was "a thing". I  knew back then it was delicious & it was just as good the 2nd time around (& the 3rd time around when we went back after the park closed).

We chose to spend the day at Disney's California Adventure, as opposed to actual Disneyland. This park houses the more recent Disney movie rides in addition to the adult-geared rollercoasters, etc.

I was pleasantly surprised by the number of rides I could take Ruby on, which made our time together all the more fun. That is, minus the time waiting in lines.

 Surprisingly, Jessie from Toy Story was the only character we met at California Adventure. Ruby wasn't a fan.

The replica Grand Canyon in Cars Land was INCREDIBLE. We made a point to walk through that area every chance we got for the experience.

Overall, we had a pretty great day with our babies.There were a couple meltdowns as expected, but they did well considering they hadn't had their naps. As evening approached, Es & I took Ruby & Mason home so we could return to the park for a little Mama time.

We mainly wanted to head back in time to catch the "World of Color" water & light show, which was SO WORTH IT!! I'm not even going to try to explain the epic-ness of it all, but I'm sure there's a few hundred bootleg videos on YouTube you can check out for yourself. FREAKING PHENOMENAL.

 The only other time I had visited Disneyland/ California Adventure was in college. I have a similar photo that was taken of me in front of a billboard like this. Little did I know that I would be a Mama the next time I'd be back. Sheesh.

I'm still sort of buzzing from the whole experience. And I might have already talked my family into taking my nephews sometime by the end of the year. Ruby isn't going to remember anything about this time, but it'll be a fun day when I get to show her all the photos we took. And hopefully return when she's a little older...xx

It's Always Sunny in California Pt.2

So the big reason for our trip to California was to see Parlours perform at THE VIPER ROOM!! You may have heard of it...Actor River Phoenix died at the venue; Johnny Depp co-owned it until 2004. It is still known to entertain the rich & famous, and if I watched more television, I might have recognized a few familiar faces in the crowd (or so I was told).

The drive into Los Angeles took much longer than we anticipated, so we grabbed some hot dogs at a coney place across the street and scarfed them down just minutes before the show. Thankfully, we got Wayde "to the Greek" on time;)

The set was FANTASTIC. It was great to see the band so well-received and to see all their hard work paying off.. I'm just so proud of them. *sniff*

We hit up Roscoe's House of Chicken & Waffles after the show. I wasn't even that hungry, but I couldn't pass up the opportunity to indulge myself at another Hollywood hotspot. SO DELICIOUS.

The rest of the night played out like a movie...we drove along the Sunset Strip and around Hollywood seeing many well known spots while listening to Es talk about her old celebrity "hunting" days. So many laughs ensued.

Through some random connections through Dana, we ended up at a club in West Hollywood (Eleven) for a private birthday party for one of Britney Spears' former back-up dancers. Apparently, Jojo was there (I can't confirmed), but Derek Hough from Dancing with the Stars was and he touched my shoulder while walking past me. Pretty unusual night for this Midwest housewife. 

The band shacked up at the posh Le Montrose boutique hotel, courtesy of Dana's Mom. We hung out for a little while before calling it a (very late) night. I said goodbye to Wayde for the rest of his tour and replayed the night's events as we returned to Costa Mesa.

So grateful to Chris & Es for their willingness to stay out crazy late & make memories with the responsibilities of work & baby tending on the horizon. It was just one of those nights I'll never forget.

I've got a couple more Cali posts in store...next stop, DISNEYLAND!! xx

It's Always Sunny in California Pt.1

We had been hoping to travel out to California for awhile now to see friends & family, but the opportunity seemed bleak after a string of (expensive) car issues this year.

So, when Wayde had the chance to head that way on tour with Parlours, it seemed like the best option for me to fly out with Ruby to see their band perform in LA and spend some time with our dear friends, the Kretzu's.

I was a little apprehensive about traveling alone with a one year old, but I am so grateful we made the trip. The break was just what we needed. I will be posting photos over the next couple days from our short time in California—too many fun times to pack into one post!

Would you believe this is what happened when Ruby & Mason saw each other for the first time since Mason moved back to California in February? Pretty epic reunion, if you asked me!

The Kretzu's live within minutes of Newport Beach, so we spent a good chunk of our first day in Orange County by the water (and got the sunburns to prove it).

It was definitely a proud moment for me to take Ruby to the ocean for the first time. I know she won't remember it, but I didn't get to see an ocean until I was 20 years old. I'm kind of jealous of anyone who gets to live so close to one. If that's you, please don't take it for granted.

We just HAD to dip baby girl's toe in the water for the full experience. Not so much of a fan...

We lost Ruby's beloved red tag blanket along this walk, which still makes my heart hurt a little. Not that it was anything super special, but I have so many pictures of her with it that I can't help but associate her with that silly piece of fabric. Thankfully, Wayde's co-worker that made it for her has got another one in the works since we shared with her how much Ruby enjoyed it.

Post-sun Wayde rocking a farmer's tan before the big gig. Stayed tuned for Part 2 in which Parlours play the famous Viper Room in West Hollywood...xx