I think this was probably one of my favorite days. We all stayed in our PJs until we headed out to the beach. I love vacations!

The weather was wonderful, not too hot and not too cold. Payton and her cousin Ethan were so cute. When we first set Payton in the sand she really seemed to like it. She picked it up in her hand and looked at it. I think she really liked the way it felt. Ethan loved it too. It looked like he was swimming on his tummy in the sand; he ended up with sand everywhere.

For lunch we decided to order hamburgers from this little place right on the beach. They were so good! Payton loved the french fries.

When we were done at the beach we went back up to the pool at the condo. Payton fell asleep on the way back. I really wanted to take her in the pool but unfortunately when she woke up she wasn’t in the mood. Oh well, perhaps it will work out better back here at home.

After our day of relaxing, we decided to just eat dinner at the condo and relax some more. Dave, Rich, Ashley, and I played a great game of Settlers of Catan. Fun times!

Disneyland

Yes we went to Disneyland…During most people’s spring break…Lots of people.

Overall it was a pretty good day. I found that I have enjoyed Disneyland so much more since having Payton. I think because having a baby forces you to slow down a little bit.

Since Payton is almost a year old I wanted to see if there were any rides that she could go on so that she could enjoy Disneyland from somewhere other than her stroller. :o) The first ride we tried was the Dumbo ride. She did pretty good but wasn’t sure she liked going around and around. It was probably good the ride ended when it did.

Next we tried Pirates of the Caribbean. Now I know what you are thinking, “but that ride has a couple of drops”. Well, Dave’s sister Jen had taken her son Ethan on the ride and he loved it. So I thought, why not? Well, Payton is not cut out for that king of ride yet. She really didn’t like it. I felt like the worst mother ever. Have you ever been somewhere that you just didn’t want to be? Either you are scared or uncomfortable or you would do anything to get out. Similar to how a claustrophobic might react in a crowded elevator (sorry mom). :o) That is how Payton was. She wanted out of the boat and off the ride. She finally settled down by hiding her head in my armpit.

I wish I could say the next ride went better but it did not. I thought she would love It’s a Small World. I think she thought it too similar to Pirates of the Caribbean. She cried almost the whole time and squirmed trying to get out of my arms; again settling for her head in my armpit.

Perhaps next time we will start with the really slow rides, like the stroller. :o)

On a side note, we Dave and I did get to enjoy the Indiana Jones ride as well as Space Mountain (minus Payton). Good times!

Reagan Library

We went down to San Clemente this past weekend to meet up with Dave’s family and grandparents. The drive left a lot to be desired but we did have a good time once we got there.

One of the first things we did was visit the Reagan Library. I had never heard of it before, but it was a really nice place. It was basically a museum of President Reagan’s life. If you weren’t chasing a baby around you could really learn a lot about his life before and during his presidency.

We were able to board the Air Force One that President Reagan used. It was neat to see how they had it all set up. It seemed they were able to fit quite a lot in a small space. They said that the current Air Force One is twice as big.

I am sure that President Reagan had his share of people that didn’t like him or didn’t approve of what he did during his presidency but he seemed like a he was a very noble person.

My favorite part was when we went out to the memorial where he was buried. I loved the quote written there.

In my heart I know that man is good
That what is right will always eventually triumph
And that there is purpose and worth to each and every life.

Easter

I thought it was about time to catch up on my blogging. So let’s start with Easter. We had a lot of fun. We had Dave’s family down for breakfast. French Toast, Pancakes, Eggs, Bacon, Fruit, and OJ were on the menu. YUMMY!!!!

Church was next. Sacrament was really nice. It was a farewell for one of the young men in our ward who is going on a mission. The choir sang a song arranged by a friend of the soon to be missionary. I wanted it to sound awesome for them both. I thought it sounded really good. Who know what everyone else thought. The talks were really good and the spirit was strong. I just wish I could have been able to pay more attention. It is interesting how distracting an 11 month old can be. :o)

After church we headed over to my parent’s house for dinner. Honey Baked Ham, Garlic Mashed Potatoes, Green Beans, Salad, Peach Cobbler, Ice Cream, and Spice Cake. YUMMY! YUMMY! My mom also put together some great Easter baskets. Complete with Jelly Beans, Cadbury Eggs, Peeps, etc….

We did put together a little Easter basket for Payton: however, since this was Payton’s first Easter I had no clue of what to put in it. I ended up getting a couple of books and a little container of Ritz Cheese sandwiches. She liked them, so I guess that is all that matters. Besides she also got Easter treats from both grandparents.

It is so nice living so close to both our families! We have so much fun.

Costco Frozen Yogurt

Today we ran to Costco to get some things for Easter dinner tomorrow. Like always on the way out we stopped to get some frozen yogurt. :o) Payton shared with my mom and I tried...to share with Dave. ;o) We got some shots of Payton eating the frozen yogurt but the funny thing is she doesn't look excited about it at all. Don't let her fool you though, she was very demanding about wanting more and more. She is just like her mommy and can't get enough.

After Payton woke up from her nap she had the funniest hair. I had to take some pictures. Payton's latest things are shrugging her shoulders like she is saying she doesn't know and then she also...well...it is almost like she is yelling with her mouth closed. Her whole body goes stiff, it is really funny. Anyway, she did it for the camera.

Payton has been walking for a while now but she feels she has to hold on to someone's finger to do it. Well, today I tricked her and had her walk to me only I kept moving away. She did great! She is definately more confident on her feet than she used to be.

Dave has been sick the last couple of days with some chest congestion. He informed me that he coughed up a lung yesterday. Stinks to be him. He really looked and sounded terrible. He never used to get sick and now he has been really sick at least twice in the past month first with the flu and now with this crud. I want to know what happend to Mr. Invinsible. :o)

As a follow up, my toe is much better. Payton's toy and I have come to a truce that I won't kick it and it won't jump out in front of my foot anymore. :o) I actually ran a couple of miles on Friday. It looks horrible and is still a little tender especially went Payton steps on it. But it is definately better than it was.

Payton's Toy vs. Mommy's Foot

The Toy

Mommy's Foot

Ouch!

Wisdom Teeth

When I found out that I needed to have my wisdom teeth removed I heard many, many people’s experiences. The majority of the experiences I heard were not that bad. Dave even said he was out playing basketball the day after. Boy was I surprised when a week later my mouth was still hurting and I was still loopy on Vicodin.

The drugs they gave me during the procedure were awesome! I didn’t feel a thing. The last thing I remember before the surgery was talking about how the assistant was going to put Vaseline on my lips to keep them from getting chapped and then I woke up. Drugs can definitely do funny things to you, Dave told me that when I woke up I asked “Is my doctor a real doctor?”, “Can I go running tomorrow?”, and other things I dare not mention. :O) The other thing is that I don’t have any recollection of what the doctor and nurses talked to me about after I came to. It is a good thing Dave takes good notes!

When I came home I felt pretty good. Actually the whole night I felt pretty good. The next morning however, was a different story. It seemed all the Vicodin did was make me loopy because it sure didn’t help much with the pain. It wasn’t until the doctor suggested taking the Vicodin with an IBprofin chaser an hour later that I started getting some relief. Unfortunately, that combination also made me a zombie. I don’t know if I ended up with a dry socket or if I am just a wimp, but the oral surgeon decided to pack the hole to help alleviate the pain I was having. I swear that packing was voodoo medicine because it started feeling better almost as soon as they put it in. Thank goodness!

During this process Dave and my mother were my great. I know my mom didn’t sign up to be my nurse/mother’s helper for a week after, but she did it and did it well. I am so grateful for them both!

Before

After