California!

All week James and I have been on vacation in Southern California, visiting family and taking advantage of all of the opportunities that simply do not exist in Del Rio. We still have a few days left in Santa Barbara, but while I have a little time to myself I figured I would tell you all about our adventures.

Last Friday we planned to take off for San Antonio after James was finished with work. Our flight the next morning was to take off at 8:15 a.m. so we needed to make the three hour drive to the city ahead of time. We were both very excited because, not only were we leaving Del Rio for a whole week, but we had reservations at our favorite hotel that night. Unfortunately, our spirits were quickly dampened by the torrents of rain that were falling outside. Del Rio rarely gets rain, so the flash floods and tornado warnings really complicated the traveling process. On top of that, I was feeling very sick and barely had the energy to pack and clean the apartment in time to leave. Luckily, my stomach calmed down enough that we were able to enjoy the road trip and over night stay in SA.

The next morning, we rose before the sun and drove to the airport. We made it easily through security and were beginning to think that our travel luck had changed, just as I got sick again. Technically everything went smoothly and our flights were on time, but I was absolutely miserable. I don't know what I would have done without James who was able to keep a cool head and took care of me.

By the time we reached Santa Barbara, I was exhausted but in stable condition, so we were able to enjoy our reunion with his parents, and a long but fun visit with his grandparents. I really had to take it easy in regard to eating all weekend but thankfully started feeling good enough to make the long drive down the San Diego to see James' brother Sam, his wife Alison, and brand new baby girl - Madison!

The drive down there was a lot of fun for me because we drove around and saw the sights in Los Angeles on the way. We cruised through Beverly Hills and took a brief tour of the USC campus. It is crazy to finally see things in person that I have been seeing on TV for years. I of course had the camera out and kept snapping shots of landmarks and other iconic LA imagery.

As much as I loved looking at the tall buildings and massive movie adds, it was all forgotten as soon as I set eyes on my tiny niece. She was so adorable that it was pretty much impossible not to constantly stare at her. James got a kick out of the effect she had on me. I couldn't help but smile and giggle every time she did anything cute (which was pretty much all the time). At first I was terrified to hold her incase I hurt her, but I did finally get up the courage on Sunday night once she fell asleep. She is such a beautiful baby with a big personality. As Bob (my father-in-law) pointed out, she knows what she wants and she knows how to get it. She loves to sleep, hates to sit still, and wiggles so much that her parents have nicknamed her "Little Squirms". We have a lot in common already so it will be fun to see how she turns out.

Baby aside, our trip down to San Diego was great because we got to spend some quality time with Sam and Alison, whom we don't see very often. James and I stayed up late on Monday night talking to Sam about anything and everything. It was one of those deep, life-affirming conversations that you never want to end. However, it was important for us to get some sleep since we had planned to get up early the next morning and drive in to the heart of the city to see my good friend Erin Bray and her fiance Josh. Again, we had a stimulating conversation, and I was quite satisfied by the time we headed north. We drove along the coast taking a scenic trip through Malibu, and discovered where many of the celebrities live.

Since returning to Santa Barbara, we've visited the zoo, eaten some great food, and James has taken me for many a trip down his memory lane. We only have a couple more days so we are hoping to really take advantage of every opportunity before we go back to the drudgery of Del Rio.

California has so much to offer - both in scenery and entertainment - that it's hard not to have fun. But, more than any of that, I have enjoyed seeing how much James loves this city. As he shares all of his memories and takes me to all of his favorite spots, I get to see what it was that made him who he is today. It really is a completely different culture than what I am used to, but I have enjoyed living it up with him. Now I get to look forward to returning the favor in November when we go visit my entire family over Thanksgiving!