After a brief post-Christmas holiday respite, we picked back up with Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, and Easter. This year, though, our celebrations were on the lighter side of all the hoopla. Everyone still enjoyed celebrating, but I didn’t stress myself out too much planning any big events. In fact, other than one party we were invited to, we celebrated all of the holidays entirely at home this year.
Valentine’s Day
The kids all dressed in their best red and heart outfits and they all got little love gifts and chocolates. I skipped baking this year and no one (but me) noticed.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Ash Wednesday fell on Valentine’s Day again this year, so three out of four of the kids got ashes with me at church (Lil was at gymnastics).
Ash Wednesday Ashes
St. Patrick’s Day
The leprechaun left his annual trail of gold coins throughout the house and the kids followed it to his hidden pot. We all dressed up and attended a party with our neighbors and friends.
Green KidsGreen Beer?Happy St. Patrick’s Day!
Easter
Before Easter, my Mom was visiting us, and she decorated eggs with the kids.
Coloring Easter Eggs
On Easter, we were at our new house in Colorado. The kids hunted for plastic eggs inside our house and were pleased with the goodies in their Easter baskets.
Easter BasketsEaster in Colorado
Then we went to mass at our new church. The church was full, so we celebrated in the hall next to it. There are floor-to-ceiling windows at the end of the hall, behind the alter, with jaw-dropping views of the valley and snow-covered Pikes Peak.
Easter Mass
And that was it. No fuss, no muss, just family and traditions. Happy Valentine’s-Patrick’s-Easter days!
When we made plans to move to a land-locked state last year, I also started making plans to take our family on our first ever cruise. This cruise was not supposed to be a grand luxury vacation, just something local and relatively inexpensive to introduce us to cruising. The Long Beach port is just up the freeway from where we live, so cruising out of there would be easy and would not require coordinating flights or other hotel stays. So, in March, we went on a 5 day/4 night cruise on the Carnival Miracle to Catalina Island and Ensenada, Mexico.
We Choose Fun
The kids had a ton of fun on the cruise. They particularly enjoyed exploring the ship, dancing and singing karaoke, meals out, crafts at the kids club, and the water slides and hot tubs. Dan and I, however, were very underwhelmed by the cruise ship – it was old, outdated, hideously decorated, and kinda gross. Honestly, after this cruise, we will never sail on Carnival again. Now, you get what you pay for and we did not pay a lot for this cruise, and, also, like I stated above, the purpose of this adventure was not to relax aboard a fancy ship. So although the ship wasn’t up to our standards, it still fit the bill for this trip.
The best decision we made when booking this cruise was getting balcony rooms (yes, rooms – since our family is so large, we had to get two rooms). Although our rooms were not adjoining, our balconies were, and we all loved spending time on the balconies watching the water rush by and even seeing dolphins and sea lions from our 8th floor deck. Everything else about our rooms was mediocre, at best. They were very outdated, there was only one outlet in each room, the beds were incredibly uncomfortable, and, of course, they were small.
Our itinerary was supposed to be 1) sail out of Long Beach, 2) spend the day on Catalina Island, 3) spend the day at Ensenada, MX, 3) spend a day at sea, and 4) dock back at Long Beach. Due to rough seas, though, that would have prevented us from taking a tender boat from our ship to the dock at Catalina Island, our itinerary was shifted to first spend a day at sea, then a day on Catalina Island, and then a day in Ensenada. By the time we got to Catalina Island, after having been on the ship for 1½ days, I was very happy to walk on dry land!
Leaving Long Beach & Sailing the Pacific
Packing and prepping for this vacation was so easy – much easier than either a road trip or a plane trip. I threw some clothes in our suitcases and we set off. I didn’t pack and snacks, food, electronics, or toys. We parked our car at the nearby convention center (for free – on accident) and took a shuttle to the terminal where we boarded the ship.
Once onboard, we ate lunch (one of only two meals we ate from buffets/fast casual eateries) and then explored the ship, which was one of my favorite parts of our cruise.
Windy Whale Tail
We stood outside and watched as the ship pulled away from the port and begin its voyage. Since we still had some time before our nightly dinner reservation, we played on the Sports Deck, danced and listened to a DJ, and played ping pong.
Putt-Putt on a Cruise ShipDancingPing Pong
Our first full day on the cruise ship was a day at sea – a choppy one at that, too. We could feel the waves all day (and night). It wasn’t enough to make us sick, but it was noticeable. After breakfast, the Littles went to the kids club and we went with the girls to a towel-folding class.
Towel Dog
In the afternoon, while Irene napped, Dan and the big kids went to the arcade and hot tub. The pool was not heated and was way too cold. The kids were so excited to go on the two water slides, but the winds had shut them down. Before dinner, we went to a bar and sang karaoke, a huge hit with Lillian and William.
Singing Bad Blood by Taylor Swift
Exploring Catalina Island
When our ship finally stopped aimlessly wandering the Pacific Ocean off the coast of California and Mexico, we pulled up adjacent to Catalina Island.
Morning at Catalina Island
Unfortunately, on this day, William was not feeling well (fever, puking), but he powered through our adventures, puking in bathroom sinks and off the side of the tender boat while doped up on Motrin.
We rented a six-person golf cart after we arrived on the island and we drove all around Avalon, which was a trip highlight. We followed a guide given to us by the golf cart company and it was perfect for a 2-hour expedition.
Avalon Views on a Golf Cart Stop
We also visited the Wrigley Memorial and Botanic Garden, which was nostalgic for me. Dan and I visited exactly 14 years ago, in our first year of dating. We walked up to the Memorial, through the Botanic Garden, and then back to our parked golf cart.
Wrigley Memorial
Back in Avalon, the kids played at a playground, we ate lunch downtown, and then we let the kids play at an arcade with free tokens that they had received. We walked back towards our ship, detouring to the Green Pleasure Pier and another small park.
Walking Around Avalon
After we reboarded the ship, Irene and William napped and the big girls worked on crafts at the kids club.
Crafting at the Kids Club
Walking Ensenada, Mexico
I was really looking forward to visiting Ensenada. In my mind, it was like Puerto Vallerta. In reality, it was a huge disappointment. We got scammed right from the beginning taking a bus (which ran out of gas while we were on it!) into the city, which we could have easily walked to. The people operating the bus were trying to sell us a tour, which we declined. After escaping that, we walked along the El Malecón, which really was not picturesque at all. We had warned the kids that people would be constantly trying to sell us things and that they should just say, “no, gracias,” and keep walking, which they did. The kids played at a playground near the Bandera Monumental (giant flag pole), we walked through some flea market stalls (we did not buy anything) to the Historic Symbols of Ensenada, and then we walked to the historic area in the hopes of finding somewhere to grab lunch. Many of the restaurants had armed guards and metal detectors and were playing very, very loud music. We ended up walking back to the harbor and eating a horrible and overpriced lunch at a restaurant with dead flies in the salsa on the table. By now, we were all over this place. Even the dirty ship seemed better than this town. I wanted to experience culture and history and although I’m sure it was there somewhere, we did not easily find it. Ensenada is not a kid friendly place. There were no excursions that the kids could have all gone on and there really was nothing to do (which is saying a lot coming from me, who can find things to do almost anywhere). We walked back to the ship and boarded it so that Irene could nap and the Bigs could finally go down the water slides and go in the hot tub again. Adios, Ensenada.
Ensenada, Mexico
Final Review on Cruising
Early in the morning on our last vacation day, we ate breakfast and then disembarked to go home. I was ready. I am glad that we went on the cruise – it was something new to experience and the kids had a blast. I thought my expectations were low, but they weren’t quite low enough, at least for the Carnival Miracle. Dan and I agreed that we still want to cruise again – especially through the Inside Passage in Alaska – but we probably aren’t “cruise people.” For me, I really did not like being stuck on the ship. I felt like it was pointless to be on a huge ship just meandering around the ocean – I wanted to be somewhere! And as beautiful as the ocean is, I also wanted to see some green. We came, we saw, we cruised, but I think our next trips will be back in the mountains and forests!
Last weekend, we drove up to Mammoth Lakes to go on our last vacation in the area – at least, our last vacation there for a long time. After we move to Colorado, we’ll be exploring Colorado resort towns and we likely won’t fly back to Mammoth for awhile. We all love Mammoth so, so much; therefore, this trip was bittersweet. We did all of our favorite things while we were there and even squeezed in a new activity or two.
Resort Accommodations
First things first, after our nearly six-hour drive, we checked into the Westin. In our opinion, this is the best place to stay in the winter. There is underground parking (which is great, when you get up the hill to it – we had to put chains on the car to get up the hill on this trip!), ski valet, a heated pool and hot tubs, a bar/restaurant, champagne upon checkin (after 2pm), and, best of all, it’s right by the gondola that transports you to Canyon Lodge. We stay in a larger two-bedroom villa, which fits our family well since Irene still sleeps in a crib in the bathroom. The villa has a full kitchen, hooks and space for all of our ski gear, two bedrooms and two full bathrooms, giant windows with amazing views, a table big enough to seat us all, two balconies, and a fireplace.
Welcome to the Westin!Playing in Front of the FireplaceSwimming in SnowPerfect View in Every Way From One of Our Balconies
The Village and Gondola
After settling in, we picked up the kids’ ski rentals and handed them off to the Westin ski valet (directly under the gondola) and then walked and played in The Village. It was snowing and the outdoor ambiance was perfect. We also took a free ride on the gondola up to Canyon Lodge and back, which Irene loved doing then and throughout the trip.
Annual Village PhotoGondola Ride
On our last day in Mammoth, I took the three Littles for a ride on the town trolley while Dan loaded the car for our trip home. This was a free activity and they loved it! We picked it up at the base of the Westin steps, right across the street from The Village.
Post Trolley Ride by The Village
Powder Ski Days
We spent two days on the mountain and both of them were powder days. Overall, there was much less snow than last year, but the weekend that we were in town, it snowed FEET. So, we didn’t have bluebird days and we didn’t get to the upper and top mountain runs (they were closed), but we made the best of it and definitely had more access to deep untouched powder than we’ve possibly ever had. Irene attended child care in The Village all day and the three Bigs attended ski school out of Canyon Lodge all day.
Ski BunchSnow Much Snow
The kids – the girls, especially – are getting so great at skiing, especially for their age and the limited amount of time they’ve spent on skis. By the end of day two, Vivian was consistently keeping her skis parallel – and close together! Lillian was more-often-than-not keeping her skis parallel. Both can confidently ski blue/black runs while linking turns and remaining in control. They learned so much about powder skiing. And William learned enough that next time, he’ll be ready to hit the bigger runs off the chair lifts. We’re so proud of them and they are so proud of themselves. And best of all – they love skiing and being out in the snow, even when the weather isn’t so great.
Dan and I skied as much of the mountain as we could. At times, visibility was so poor, it was very discombobulating. We stopped once each day to eat lunch and grab a drink. On the first day, we ate outside (in the freezing temperatures!) at The Mill (that was the first time I’d ever eaten a salad with ski mittens on) and on the second day, we secured a window seat inside at Tusks in the Main Lodge.
Sledding
On our one full non-ski day while in Mammoth, we went sledding in the morning and tubing in the afternoon. The best place to sled in town is at Shady Rest Park. This year, the sledding hill did not have enough coverage, so we went sledding in the forest on the other side of the park, which I think turned out better than sledding on the normal hill. We didn’t have to walk as far, it was shady, and it was beautiful to be in the trees. The kids could have sled here all day long.
Sledding Spot in the Woods
Tubing
I took the three Bigs tubing at Woolly’s Tube Park while Irene napped and Dan rested. We absolutely love tubing here because there are no crowds or lines, the runs are long, and the views are breathtaking. There is a new mountain coaster now there, too, but it was closed due to snow when we were there.
Tubing
Drive Home Sights: Schat’s and Manzanar
The night before we left Mammoth, the 395 was completely closed down due to snow and white-out conditions. Luckily, it opened in the morning. The road was fully covered in snow for nearly the entire drive down to Bishop. Thankfully, we had tire chains on our car (they were required anyways).
In Bishop, we made the requisite stop at Schat’s Bakery to buy bread and to pretend to ride on their outdoor mechanical horses.
Ride Dough Boy!
Our last stop on our rainy drive home was at Manzanar National Historic Site, a place that we’ve driven through many times, including on our Fall 2023 trip to the area, but never been in. We watched the video in the visitor center, toured the exhibits, earned Jr. Ranger badges (well, the girls did), and drove the auto tour (again). It was an interesting and educational visit and I’m glad that we finally got to fully experience it.
Manzanar Cemetery & Monument
Goodbye Mammoth
I have been going up to Mammoth since I first moved to California 21 years ago. Back then, I was a single 22-year-old renting a room in San Clemente. Dan started going up to Mammoth in his mid-20s with coworkers from Disney. I went on trips to Mammoth with my roommate, ex-boyfriend, close friends, brother, sister, mother, and then, eventually, Dan and our four children. It was where Dan first told me he loved me. It’s where three of our kids learned to ski. It will always hold the most special place in my heart. It’s time, now, though, to explore Colorado resorts. Thank you for the memories, Mammoth. I will treasure my time spent here forever.
Last Breakfast at The Stove, a Mammoth Institution
Dan’s dog – our dog – Snoopy – was born on the streets of Tijuana, Mexico, and made his way to San Diego, where he was adopted by Dan. He passed away, mostly from old age, on January 16, 2024. Since 2019 and at the time of his death, he lived in Livermore with Dan’s parents. Dan flew up to be there for Snoopy’s final breaths and later that night he wrote this tribute to him:
Today was a sad, hard day. After nearly 16 years, we had to say goodbye to Snoopy. I got Snoopy a few months after I bought my first home in 2008. He was a rescue from the San Diego Humane Society. He was also allegedly half pit bull, half black lab, something a later DNA test would prove incorrect! Pit, field spaniel, and a few other breeds rounded out his actual pedigree.
Snoopy as a Pup
He proved troublesome almost immediately. He came with worms, separation anxiety, and an uncanny ability to get out of any cage/pen/bedroom/area he was placed in. Crate training was a no-go for this pup. On day one, he opened the gate and got out. On day two I secured the gate with a carabiner clip that he chewed off. On day three he was locked in with a Master Lock. I felt somewhat guilty (irrational fear of a house fire while I was out), but that gave way to disbelief when I came home to find the Master Lock still secured – yet he was OUTSIDE of the crate. That earned him the nickname Houdini for a few weeks.
During one of these escapes he ate the entire bottle of de-worming medicine he had. But, the vet assured me he would “probably” be okay and generously gave me a new bottle.
Snoopy became my right hand man, and partly because of his separation anxiety (something was always destroyed when I left him home alone), and partly because it was so cool to have him around, I took him everywhere I could. He loved riding shotgun in my truck, and was on a first name basis with many of the associates at Home Depot where I went frequently due to multiple ongoing home renovation projects.
Shotgun Rider
Time went on and I began dating Carrie, who was slightly taken aback when meeting Snoopy. She was expecting a beagle, not a pit bull! Yet, Carrie still loved Snoopy and although Dan had trained Snoopy to stay off the bed and couch – it was actually Carrie who would welcome him up with open arms. He loved to be with us, and would always sneak his head into a lap before wriggling his full 60 lb. body up into it completely!
Best Buds
One of the best Snoopy antics occurred when Carrie was pregnant with our first daughter Vivian. At a baby shower she received a Costco-sized cardboard box of 168 diapers for the newborn baby One day later, Snoopy shredded the entire thing! We submitted a photo of him and the surrounding destruction to dogshaming.com. Several years later we checked back on the site, and sure enough he had made the cut! Snoopy was famous.
Diaper Destruction
Snoopy loved all our kids, and greeted three out of four of them when they came home from the hospital. He loved any food or attention he could get! He was very gentle, although he did smack a couple of them in the face with his vigorous tail-wagging!
Getting to Know VivianSnuggles with LillianSnuggles with VivianLillian Walking SnoopyGetting to Know WilliamPlaytime with WilliamTolerating Dress Up with ToddlersSnoopy and Our 4 Kids
In 2015, we moved to a new home. We were excited to get more space for Snoopy and the rest of our growing family. Unfortunately, although we thought the open space would help with his anxiety – it actually seemed to make matters worse. He destroyed the yard multiple times, and even jumped out our second story window! He is a tough pup, and escaped from his flying leap with a bloody chin and sprained paw, but at this point we felt he had to be somewhere where he was not alone as much.
Oh Snoopy!
My parents graciously volunteered to take him, and in 2019, he went to Grandma and Grandpa’s house to live out the rest of his years.
Snoopy at Grandma and Grandpa’s
He continued his Houdini antics and routinely escaped, usually going into someone else’s yard to play with their dog. My dad made countless modifications to contain him, but nothing really truly worked, until he was old enough to just stay in.
In his recent years, he made friends with a fox that lived behind my parents’ house. He and the fox would run back and forth with just a light gauge fence between them. And that is where we chose to put his final resting place. He is a few feet away from Jessie – my main family dog growing up – and adjacent to the fence where he and his fox friend would play.
Snoopy’s Final Resting Place
I knew the end would come eventually, and I knew it would be hard. But I did not know how much Snoopy’s death would affect me.
He was always so selfless, and his ongoing destruction was only because he always wanted to be close to someone, and to be loved. With his passing comes some inevitable guilt…did I give him enough attention? Was it unfair that he got less time with each addition to my life with my wife, my children, my job? I struggle with this, but I also remember how his ears perked up when he heard me whistle, how he would get the zoomies whenever I threw a ball for him, and him looking at me patiently as the kids climbed on him. When he rested his head on my lap today for the final time, I remembered how he had done it thousands of times before, and I know that he felt safe and loved. I may not deserve the unconditional love he gave me, but I think in his eyes, I gave him everything he could want and he was grateful. Today, I could see in his eyes that he was tired. He had no more desire to chase balls, and no more desire to climb onto a sofa. No more chasing foxes, no more escaping, no more jumping out windows. No more trips to Home Depot, or eating diapers. He wanted to rest. And as much as it hurts me, this was the best thing I could do for him today.
Tired Dog
As we left the vet today, a slight rain began to fall. It was like something from a movie. The tears from my eyes mixed with the falling rain as I looked at him one last time and buried him in my parent’s backyard.
Goodbye Snoopy. You were an amazing and memorable dog. I love you very much and I’ll never forget the impact you had on my life. Thank you.
Our baby is three. Three! I honestly can’t think too much about it or else I’ll fall to pieces. Yes, I am incredibly thankful and happy that she is so happy, healthy, safe, smart, and joyful. But seeing time march away from some of your best moments (even though you know you have more ahead of you) is hard. I’ve never had a three year old without a baby behind him or her. Irene’s toddlerhood is nearly over – she’s more of a preschooler now (even though she hasn’t yet started preschool). Sigh…I’m rambling. Mostly, what I mean to say is that Irene is three and it’s bittersweet, but seeing her sweetness and hearing her laughter every day mostly make up for time’s quick speed.
On Irene’s birthday morning, she was greeted with our traditional balloons in the kitchen.
THREE!
She came home from daycare with a crown and then we ate homemade Epiphany Cake with sprinkles and ice cream after dinner and opened presents. Simple, but sweet.
Birthday QueenBirthday CakeBirthday Presents
Irene was so happy to turn 3. She is very smart, social, and active. She still loves Mama best, but also very much loves her siblings. Dan is starting to grow on her, too – ha! Other favorites are daycare, playing family or school with Lil, reading books, watching Cocomelon and Bluey, “helping” us cook/bake, and going to the park. I still rock her before bed every night, although she’s getting physically too big for that. She’s my baby, though, my last baby, and I’m going to hold on to as much of that as I can for as long as I can, even if she is three now.
We spent our last California Christmas (more on that later) decorating, attending holiday parties and events, seeing holiday-themed musicals, celebrating mass, and eagerly anticipating Santa and presents. In past years, I felt pressure to attend all the events and do all the things, but this year, I didn’t. Maybe we’ve done it all already in SoCal. Or maybe I’m just tired of all the crowds, traffic, and high expenses associated with doing it all. Either way, this holiday season seemed slightly slower, yet still just as fun.
Parties
The kids didn’t have any holiday parties this year, but Dan and I did! We attended his company holiday party at the Hilton Waterfront Beach Resort and an annual neighborhood holiday party.
Work Holiday PartyBaker Ranch Holiday Party
Santa! We Know Him!
We saw Santa a few times – once at our community clubhouse and once at an even at Manassero Farms.
Santa in Baker RanchSanta at the Farm
Lights
We attended the Candlelight Walk light event at our local historical park and both big girls sang carols in the old church with their Girl Scout troops. Watching this was one of the highlights of the season for me.
Caroling in the Old St. George’s Episcopal Mission
When my Mom was in town, we went back to Heritage Hill to see the light displays with less crowds.
More Lights at Heritage Hill Historical Park
At the tail end of the Christmas season, we visited the LA Arboretum and toured their Lightscape event, which was new for us and which we very much enjoyed.
Lightscape Reimagined
Musicals
The three big kids and I saw two musicals in December. Both were good, but we much preferred the more intimate production at the community theater.
Community Production of A Charlie Brown ChristmasTouring Production of The Grinch Who Stole Christmas at Segerstrom
Church
Our church hosted a “Noel Night” early in December. All the choirs in the church sing and Vivian participated for the second year in a row and Lillian participated for the first year. Vivian sang with both the Children’s and Religious Education choirs and Lillian sang with the Religious Education choir and also acted as an angel.
Noel Night
On Christmas Eve, we attended a packed mass. Vivian sang in the choir and Lillian reprised her role as lead angel for the second year in a row.
Christmas Eve Mass
The Big Night & Day
The kids all wore their new “ski jammies” on Christmas Eve. They set out cookies and milk for Santa and carrots for his reindeer.
Ready for Santa to Come!
On Christmas morning, their stockings that their Grandma made for them were full. Santa came!
Santa Came!
Irene was home on her holiday break from daycare for three weeks and the other kids were home for two weeks. We didn’t travel anywhere over the holidays this year, so we spent the holiday break staying cozy at home or exploring places nearby on our CA bucket list. Next Christmas, we’ll be celebrating at our new house in a new state!
This year, Thanksgiving was a mere three weeks after Halloween and it creeped up fast! It seemed like we had just started making a dent in eating bags of candy when it was time to start eating turkey and stuffing.
We often travel during Thanksgiving week and this year was not an exception. Dan and the kids flew up to the Bay Area the Sunday before the holiday to begin spending time with his family. I enjoyed three quiet and productive days at home and then joined them.
As soon as Dan and Irene picked me up from the airport, we drove to a winery that we hadn’t been to since Vivian’s first Thanksgiving nine years ago. We had a wonderful time wine tasting at McGrail Vineyards and Irene did surprisingly well staying entertained with us. It’s crazy to think that nine years ago we were at this winery with our first baby and this time we returned with our fourth!
On Thanksgiving morning, I woke up early and drove to Walnut Creek to run in their 10K Turkey Trot race. I love this tradition and I especially love running it by myself. I hadn’t run a 10K race in nine years, but after spending the last 1.5 years religiously running three days/week, I felt so great during the race. In fact, I ran my fastest 10K in over a decade and clocked in at 58:09.
Ready to Run!
We had a wonderful Thanksgiving day and meal with Dan’s family. Dan brined and grilled the most delicious turkey. Dan’s mom took care of all the sides and desserts. We all ate very well. I did absolutely nothing to contribute to the meal except to clean, for which I was extremely thankful.
Family on Thanksgiving (Irene was Napping)
On Black Friday, we took the kids into San Francisco. We drove across the Bay Bridge, down Lombard Street, and then across the Golden Gate Bridge. We spent a few morning hours playing at the very neat and highly recommended Bay Area Discovery Museum.
Fun at the Bay Area Discovery Museum
After lunch at Napa Valley Burger Company and gelato nearby in downtown Sausalito, we drove to the very crowded Golden Gate View Point. We lucked out with parking and the crowds and managed to watch the sunset from the view point – it was the perfect end to our fun day!
Sausalito WaterfrontGolden Gate at Sunset
Back at Dan’s parents’ house, we said goodbye to Snoopy, who, at 15.5 years old, is still alive (maybe not totally well, but he’s hanging in there!).
Snoopy!
Right before flying back to Orange County, Dan and I snuck out while Irene was napping to squeeze in one more wine tasting in downtown Livermore at First Street Wine Company.
Cheers to a Wonderful Thanksgiving
Overall, this was a wonderful, fun-and-family filled week. Our kids loved playing with their cousins all week and we were so happy to give them the opportunity to do so. I’m very grateful for Dan’s parents, who, despite their age, health, and exhaustion, invited us all (9 extra people!) to stay with them so that we could celebrate this holiday together.
We got back into the holiday swing of things this year with a month of Halloween celebrations. I have to say, though, we kept it all pretty chill this year. I will no longer go to pumpkin patches in SoCal on the weekends, due to crowds, so we went to a few favorites during the week and mostly celebrated with friends in our neighborhood and town. Here’s what we did:
OC Zoo
I took Irene to the OC Zoo on a day when she wasn’t at daycare. I love this zoo because it’s small and the new renovations and expansions make it extra fun for the kids. The zoo wasn’t technically having a Halloween event on this day, but they were already decorated for the season and it was cute.
OC Zoo
Irvine Park Pumpkin Patch
The big kids had a day off school at the end of September, so we hit our first pumpkin patch early in the season and on a weekday (yeah!).
It’s our tradition to buy pumpkins at The Home Depot and take a few pictures out front in their little “patch.” This year, the patch was kind of sad, but I still got my picture of the kids in their new Target Halloween outfits at Home Depot.
Home Depot Pumpkin Patch
Outlets at San Clemente
One new place we went this year was the Outlets at Clemente. My Mom was in town visiting and we checked out their decorations and Big Jack display. Their actual “pumpkin patch,” though, was just a few lines of pumpkins on the ground and some giant gross (and expensive) bounce houses, so we skipped that part.
Big Jack
Tanaka Farms
On another daycare day off, I took Irene to Tanaka Farms. This place get can absolutely nuts on weekends, so I made a 9am Monday reservation and it was perfect!
Happy Fall!
Fall-O-Ween at Heritage Hill Historical Park
This was one event that was way too crowded. Normally, I take the kids to Heritage Hill on a weekday or weeknight when the Halloween decorations are up, but there are no crowds. This year, though, we joined a friend for the actual Fall-O-Ween event and it was pretty crazy. The kids, though, loved it all, especially the scavenger hunt. Bonus – this event is always free!
Fall-O-Ween
Outfits
As I mentioned above, all the kids had Halloween outfits (the girls had a few). They wore them throughout the month.
Our Babies
Trick-or-Treating
Our Halloween celebrations ended on the 31st with trick-or-treating with friends around our neighborhood. This year, we had a dinosaur, dragon (same costume as last year), cowgirl, and Hermione from Harry Potter.
Trick-or-Treat!
We also celebrated spooky season by baking Halloween cutout cookies with Nana and attending our neighborhood’s annual chili cookoff. I also went on a costume SUP adventure around Balboa Island with some friends.
The kids are happy to be back in celebration season. As for me, I love seeing them have fun and am just hoping I can mentally survive the upcoming holiday onslaught!
Our family loves Mammoth Lakes, but we’ve only all been up in that area in the winter months for ski vacations. We decided to add in a Fall trip this year to see sights that we can never see in the winter when every place is snowed in. We got lucky and our trip fell right at the peak of Fall leaf colors – the aspens were gorgeous! We hiked roughly 20 miles over six days, visited a historic state park, and explored a few town sites.
We booked a wonderful townhouse in Snowcreek Resort for our stay. I’m sure staying there costs a fortune during ski season, but since we were there during the off season, it was reasonable. The townhouse had great space, a big garage, was new and well maintained, and had a lot of open space between the buildings, which allowed the kids space to run and play. The views were spectacular and even the deer liked hanging out at the resort. There was no pool, but Dan and the kids did take a dip in the outdoor community hot tub one night.
We ate almost all of our meals in the townhouse or on picnics with packed food. I spent a lot of time prepping and planning food and I was determined not to have to do a grocery store run while we were there (we didn’t!). Dan and William did go to the Mammoth Roasting Company one morning to get coffee for the rest of the week. We ate lunch one day at The Basin Cafe in Lee Vining (great outdoor dining space with views of Lake Mono), dinner one day at Distant Brewing (wide beer and cider selection), and breakfast one day at The Stove (a Mammoth icon).
Kids Corner at Distant BrewingBreakfast at The Stove
Alright, now that we got the logistics out of the way, here’s where we went and what we did in the Eastern Sierras in October 2023:
Big Pine Library
Although most of our trip was spent outside hiking and exploring, our first stop was at the very small Big Pine branch of the Inyo County Free Library. Dan had to attend an important online meeting, so he used the library’s free Wi-Fi to do that and I took the kids to the children’s section. We read one book and then hightailed it out of there because, I’m sorry to say, the library had the meanest librarian I’ve ever encountered and it was very clear that she did not want us there. There were no other people in the book stacks and I think she liked it that way, so when we came roaring in excited to find books, she complained and hovered near us until we gave up and left.
Big Pine Library
Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest
While Dan attended his meeting, I took the kids to the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest in the White Mountains. In the winter, the road up to the forest is closed, but it was clear and open during our trip. We drove up to over 10,000 feet to hike around trees over 4,000 years old! The visitor’s center, which was beautiful from the outside, was already closed for the season, so we just walked around it and then hiked a little over one mile on the Discovery Trail, which was the perfect loop trail for the four kids (don’t get me wrong, they still complained, but since the trail was short, the complaining was short-lived, too).
Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest
Parker Lake
On our first full day in the Mammoth area, we hiked almost 4 miles down the Parker Lake Trail, alongside Parker Creek, to Parker Lake. The aspens were slightly past their peak on the trail, but everything was still so beautiful. We had to drive a few miles down a dirt road to get to the trailhead, so this hike would not be possible in the winter months.
Parker Lake
Mono Lake
After hiking to Parker Lake and eating lunch in Lee Vining, we stopped at the Mono Basin Scenic Area Visitor Center. We had tried to visit this center in winter once, but like most other places (besides the ski resorts!), it was closed in the winter. This time, though, we could explore the exhibits and watch a video about Mono Lake. The kids also picked up Inyo National Forest Junior Ranger Program booklets that they worked on throughout our trip. Afterwards, the big three kids and me hiked a little over one mile in a loop around the South Tufas. We even got to see and hold the tiny brine shrimp in the lake.
Mono Lake South Tufas
Devil’s Postpile National Monument & Rainbow Falls
On day three, we hiked at Devil’s Postpile National Monument, again, a place that is completely closed in the winter. In the summer, you have to take a shuttle into the monument, but since we were there during the offseason, we could drive our own car in. We first hiked 4 miles to upper and then lower Rainbow Falls. Lillian had an especially hard time on this hike, but once we got to the lower falls, Dan taught the kids how to skip rocks, and then she didn’t want to leave. The aspens were brilliant and we had a clear view of the backside of Mammoth Mountain, including the summit.
After our hike to the falls, I was really worried to tell Lillian that we were going to go on another hike that afternoon. Thankfully, I had packed plenty of lunch and snack food (there were no concessions or restaurants at this time of the year) and she got a second wind. We moved our car and then hiked another 2 miles to the bottom and then the top of Devil’s Postpile. I will always remember Irene repeating “I’m a good hiker!” on this hike and how neat it was to see the hexagonal columns from the top.
Devil’s Postpile
Tuolumne Meadows in Yosemite National Park
In our continued adventures of exploring places that we cannot access during winter, we drove into eastern Yosemite on Tioga Road. We stopped at Olmsted Point to check out the views (the kids were so excited to see Half Dome again from a distance), attempted to check out the visitor’s center (it was closed – again, I was glad that I had packed plenty of lunch and snack food), and then parked for our day hike in Tuolumne Meadows. We hiked 5 miles to Dog Lake and then Lembert Dome. Lillian and William spent almost the entire hike playing a pretend game, Vivian hiked by my side, and Irene napped on my back for a solid 2 miles. Being on Lembert Dome gave us some flashbacks to being on Half Dome. Of course, since it was a big granite rock, the kids loved it.
Olmsted Point (Half Dome is Behind my Head)Dog LakeLembert Dome
Bodie State Historic Park
After three days of hiking, the kids needed a little break, so we spent the day at Bodie State Historic Park, walking around and learning about the California gold rush. To get to the park, you have to drive a few miles down a dirt road that is closed in the winter. This park is preserved in a state of “arresting decay,” so everything looks just as it did when the town people up and left. It was so dusty outside and inside any open buildings – you could smell the dust. The kids were mildly interested in this park – perhaps they’ve already seen their fair share of ghost towns. Again, there were no food services, so packed snacks were invaluable.
Bodie State Historic Park
Inyo Craters
Since on our fifth vacation day, we didn’t do a day hike, we decided to slip a quick one mile hike in before dinner to the Inyo Craters (again…down a dirt road, inaccessible during the winter). It was pretty neat to see these huge craters (still filled with some water) in the middle of the forest.
Inyo Craters
Mammoth Town Sites
While we were in Mammoth, we stopped by the Mammoth Museum at the Hayden Cabin. Unfortunately, we were too late in the season to go inside the cabin, so we just walked around the outside of it.
Hayden Cabin
Then we attempted to learn more about Mammoth’s ski history at the Mammoth Lakes Foundation, but a play was happening in the building at the same time, so we just looked at some of the pictures on the wall and then left.
Ski Bunnies in the Fall at the Mammoth Lakes Foundation
Hot Creek Geological Site
Our final trip hike was one mile around (below and above) the Hot Creek Geological Site, which was beautiful, interesting, and a little smelly. The hot springs here are HOT and you are not allowed to go in them. They are also not accessible in the winter. I think Lillian’s favorite thing about this place was the cows roaming around – she was devastated when we wouldn’t let her walk up to a 2000 pound cow and pet it.
Atop the Hot Creek Geological Site
Stops for Our Next Visit
During this trip, we focused on visiting places that we can’t during the winter. We stopped at two other places on our drive home that are accessible during the winter and that we’ll have to return to – Convict Lake and the Manzanar National Historic Site. We’ve actually driven to Convict Lake before – it’s beautiful – but we’ve never hiked around it. Honestly, I’m not sure if we would since it’s a pretty flat hike and our kids tend to do better on more challenging hikes. However, there is a nice restaurant there and seeing the lake surrounded by the mountains is always spectacular.
We drove around Manzanar, which we’ve done before, but we really wanted to go into the visitor’s center. Unfortunately, it was closed on the Tuesday that we were there.
There was one other thing that we wanted to do, but couldn’t because were were in the area too late in the season – horseback riding. The area horses move out at the end of September to get cozy at lower elevations for the winter, so we couldn’t go riding on this trip.
The Sierra Nevadas are the Best
John Muir said that, “Of all the mountain ranges I have climbed, I like the Sierra Nevada the best.” Although we weren’t climbing mountains on this trip, so far, our favorite mountains to visit are the Sierra Nevadas. Dan and I have hiked Mt. Whitney and explored the Cottonwood Lakes in these mountains. And now we got to hike in and around them with our four children. This was a trip we’ll always treasure. Just a few weeks after our trip, the snow started falling and nearly all of the places that we visited were no longer open and accessible. The next time we go to Mammoth, we’ll be skiing. I’m glad we have some hiking and skiing memories in these mountains.
As we normally do, we spent a few weeks in Ohio this past summer. But not just Ohio. This time, we also went to our cabin in New York. And then while we were at our cabin, since it was so close, we also went to Niagara Falls, Canada, for one night. So, three trips in one over the span of two weeks. During this time, we did so much. More than we’ve ever done on any trip “home.” Every day was a new adventure. We all had a blast, but I think in future years, I should probably dial it back a bit and leave some more days for just playing at home.
A Sick Start
I flew to Ohio (well, technically, Detroit) by myself with all four kids. I’ve done this many times in the past and it does not phase me. The kids are great travelers. I’ve had enough things go awry while traveling that I know to keep my expectations low and be ready to pivot and go with the flow. All of the missed connections, painful-while-pregnant, nonstop infant crying, stranded-in-strange-cities, diverted flights, canceled flights, mechanical issues, severe weather, stuck-on-tarmac, and lost luggage fiascos (all while traveling with babies and small children) have made me a pretty adept mama traveler. They also prepared me for the challenges of this trip: 3 hours of nonstop puking on a 4 hour flight.
Prior to the puking, we experienced some annoyances in our travel day:
We arrived at the airport and checked in less than 45 minutes before our flight (not an issue for me, but the airline had to get a supervisor to check our luggage in that timeframe).
I thought we’d breeze through security since I am TSA PreCheck approved, but the stroller tested positive for chemicals and so TSA had to empty and test all of our carry-ons and complete a full pat-down search on me.
A man sitting directly behind Lillian on our second flight was so overwhelmingly rude and abrasive that the plane had to pull over after we left the gate and kick him off (so much drama). There were a few very tense minutes where we weren’t sure if the man was going to willingly exit the plane or if everyone would need to deplane so that he could be forcibly removed.
Still, as I said, these were only annoyances. When I started to feel really queasy an hour into our four hour flight and then immediately started puking, our travel day took a nosedive. Within a minute of me puking, William started puking, only he didn’t get it all in the barf bag like I did. And then Vivian started puking. The daycare stomach bug that Irene had brought home four days prior hit us all at the worst possible time. We literally puked our guts out nonstop for three hours. When we used up every barf bag in our row, passengers behind us passed their empty ones up to us. Trying to take care of two puking kids, one kid who I was certain was going to start puking any second (who never actually did!), and a toddler who I had potty trained only three weeks prior – all while puking myself – was definitely not on the trip itinerary. After we finally (finally!) got off the plane, we continued to puke in baggage claim and then on the 1.5 hour car ride to my Mom’s.
Anytime someone complains to me about a frustrating or exhausting travel experience, I ask, “yes, but did you have children with you?” If you have a rough day traveling, but you are not simultaneously responsible for small children (or other people who depend on you), reconsider your travel experience. If you have a rough day traveling and have to get through it while taking care of someone else, then I empathize. It is so hard.
But, of course, we were fine. In the end, we all returned to our normal healthy and safe state, which I know makes us extremely lucky. We had a challenging experience, but we were able to shake it off and move on with no harm or foul.
Before the Puking: Layover in Phoenix
Ohio Fun
The day after we arrived in Ohio, the kids were ready to GO. Their first request was an accompanied 5.5 mile country bike ride. And so, our fun Ohio adventures began!
First Summer with No Training Wheels
If I wrote a paragraph about each activity we did in Ohio, this blog post would be way too long. Sometimes we went on multiple adventures a day. To capture our Midwest summer fun without writing a book, here is a photo montage of our experiences:
Dan joined us for our second week in Ohio. While he was with us, we spent time with my Mom’s extended family, my brother and his family, and, of course, my Mom and Dad.
FAMILYCOUSINSBFFs
New York Fun
During the second week of our trip, we left Ohio to spend a few nights at our cabin in the woods near Clymer, NY. The big kids and I hadn’t been to our cabin in three years and Irene had never been, so off we went. We used the trip to our cabin as a launching location for Niagara Falls, but while we were there, we still had plenty of (nostalgic for me) fun and good food. We ate dinner outside at Alexander’s on the Lake one night and inside during a big rainstorm at Pine Junction another night.
Our Cabin in the WoodsIce Cream in Findley Lake – Tradition!Visiting Peek n’ PeakLooking Out Over Findley LakePlaying with the Amish NeighborsMeasuring Children’s Heights Since the 1990sLunch at Big Ditch Brewing Company in Downtown Buffalo
Niagara Falls Fun
After all the stress of getting the children their passports last Spring, we wanted to add another stamp to them this year to make it feel like all that anxiety and money was worth it (it was!). We booked one night at the Niagara Falls Marriott Fallsview Hotel & Spa. My Mom (who came with us) and I had been to Niagara Falls a few times, but it had been many years since we’d been here. Our hotel room overlooked the Canadian Falls, so we couldn’t beat the view. While in the city, we saw the Falls up close via boat and tour and hiked down river. One night here was plenty of time to see what there is to see. If you stay any longer, your food and entertainment options get very kitschy.
Canadaian FallsAmerican FallsCruise Into the FallsJourney Behind the FallsNext to the Canadian FallsPlaying at the Historic Oakes Garden Theatre1.27 Mile Hike in Niagara Glen
End of Summer
This annual trip always marks the end of summer for us because when we return home, the kids immediately resume school. In fact, I’ve been so delayed writing about this trip that it’s now Fall! We made a lot of memories and, as always, I love showing the kids where I grew up. Now it’s time for holiday season fun!
The Chambers Family - A.D. 