Christmastime and CALIFORNIA

It's March and I am finally blogging the "to be continued" post. It was a very busy holiday season followed by more busy-ness afterwards. Jason's sister and her two kids; Adam and Noreen, came to visit for about a week. Here are a few more pics from Christmas and their visit:

Pretty girls

Stockings

Cousins!

The morning after Christmas (Monday) it was GO-TIME! Jen and her kids were heading home while we were heading to California. We wanted to be on the road by 8am but it didn't happen. It was also Maddy's birthday. Nothing too major although there was a locked-keys- in the car incident, but we were on the road around noon. Our drive down was relatively uneventful. There were no storms or driving issues through the passes. We drove about 12 hours before we reached Redding, CA where we stayed the night in a motel. The next morning, we hit the road again and made it to Santa Paula, CA around dinnertime. Santa Paula is about 60 miles north-west of Los Angeles. We stayed in a cute historic hotel called The Glen Tavern Inn. It is actually known for being haunted and has an exciting history. We did not see any ghosts but it being an old building, it had it's share of creeks and other sounds. The hotel is beautiful and our room was so nice! Here are some pics:

Glen Tavern Inn

Our room, 1st floor

The beautiful hotel lobby

Palm trees? 78 degrees in December? YES please!

 I did not get any pictures of Dave and Frankie's house but it was absolutely adorable! I loved the diverse architecture of the small city of Santa Paula and their home is absolutely beautiful. I forgot it's actual definition but it reminded me of the house from Hansel and Gretel. Situated on a large lot, they have an INCREDIBLE back yard complete with koi pond, cactus, palm trees, a mini backyard-orchard with lemon, grapefruit and orange trees. The weather was fantastic our entire trip and the sunshine was a nice break from the rain in Seattle. Here are some pics from their backyard:

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The girls LOVED the backyard

Maddy and Grandma Frankie

Feeding the koi fish. They have around 30!!

Picking oranges for fresh o.j.

My loves :)

Our 7-day trip to CA was absolutely unforgettable. Everything from; visiting Dave and Frankie at their home, to staying in a haunted hotel. Seeing the sunset at Ventura Beach, to seeing the sites in L.A. and Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills. Disneyland, Malibu and everything in between. It was perfect. Dave is in a local band and we had the opportunity to watch them rehearse. This was SO cool and we all loved it! Jason has the pics and videos on his phone and I will upload them onto the blog soon. Savannah and Maddy joined them by singing along and playing instruments. What amazing memories we will all have!

Unfortunately the reason for the last-minute trip was due to Dave being recently diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and cancer of the duodeum. We were so very lucky to spend this time with them before he was to begin treatment and the battle against cancer. The moments and memories we shared will be cherished for a life time and I am so happy we spent this time together.