Adventures in Californialand...

When I first saw the trailers for Beauty and the Beast I knew... I JUST KNEW I had to see it with my little girl.  Who really isn't little anymore... she's 28, married, received her Masters in Education in December, is a homeowner and the most fabulous kindergarten teacher EVER!!  So back to Beauty and the Beast... I knew we had to see it together because we both love Disneyland, all the princesses and we were going to make it happen.  So, I booked my flight a month ago, I was packed and ready to go a week before the flight and anxiously counted down the minutes until I was doing my "YAY!!! I see Alix!" happy dance.

The weekend turned out to be more than just a mom/daughter weekend.  I got to watch my son-in-law, Bailey play hockey Friday night.  (Funny story ~ as we are watching Bailey play hockey and talking about the movie Alix says "I should have gotten a Belle dress to wear tomorrow".  Which had my eyes bugging out because I don't know how many times I have asked Alix to dress up in princess wear for our Disney trips with me and she's constantly said "NO Mahm, I'm NOT Dressing up!"). My gorgeous EMT in training son, Brad, came down with a nasty cold and had to cancel his San Diego plans (the planets must have aligned for my Disney weekend!) and although I felt bad for him I would be lying if I said I wasn't happy that he stayed in town since I haven't seen him since Christmas.  So he was able to join us for lunch at the Cheesecake Factory and then the movie as well. 

Although the movie was fabulous and it lived up to all I had hoped it would be, I was even happier to see my middle sisters girl!  Their social calendars are completely booked two months in advance and if they aren't socializing, they are playing, softball, volleyball or soccer.  So, I was very excited to see them and talk and hug and kiss them even if it was for just a few short hours.  The biggest surprise was my mom making a home cooked family meal.  I was really expecting El Pollo Loco but instead I was treated to some German staples... schnitzel (yum) and German Potatoes (double YUM!)!  Did I just die and go to heaven?!?  I think I did!!

These are my favorite weekends, although I miss my side kick and my furbabies, nothing fills the soul than seeing family you love! 

Late night hockey game.  Supporting Bailey and his team.  Bailey scored a goal!

The chitlins (Alix, Brad and Bailey ~ from left to right)

It was Bailey's first time enjoying the reclining seats

My handsome boy.  You can't tell but he's super sick.

Spring Training Part 2! Peoria and the Padres

Nothing makes me happier than Spring Training games and our friends who come from CA to visit their family and invite us to the games with them.  Our friends Vic and Jen Gascon along with their boys Jayden and Dylan drove from San Diego to enjoy a weekend of baseball.  Friends for close to twenty years, it's always a fun time when we all get together.

Friday night's came was the Padres and White Sox and Saturday's game was the Padres and the Diamondbacks.  There were some laughs, some snapchatting, some heckling by my side kick Steve but mainly alot of catching up.

 

This is what we do when we are together.  We have a good time and laugh a lot.  Saturday turned out to be warmer than expected which had us buying a very small tube of suntan lotion for $5.00.  I think it was a 2 ounce bottle which didn't work because we both left with funny lines.

 

Friday (March 10th) we headed back to the Goodyear ball park for more fun.  We get to the gate and Steve has his ticket scanned with no problem but my goes off saying it's for the wrong date.  I thought, "Oh I must have grabbed the wrong one from my wallet".  Then I realized the sidekick pulled the tickets but never looked at the date.  Luckily one of the ushers had us talk with the ticket agent and they were so nice they issued us new tickets in the same location.  The kindness of the staff, so we didn't have to drive back home, was a blessing.

We had baseball scouts all around us and every time the pitcher got ready to throw the ball, dozens of radar guns came up to capture the speed of the throw.  I felt like I was in a scene from "Trouble with the Curve" (if you haven't seen the movie and you're a baseball fan, rent it).  I was just missing Clint Eastwood's commentary on the pitchers and hitters.

We have just a few more games until the season ends and this will be our last time attending prior to moving back to CA.  So, I will be soaking up every single minute, the crowds, the cheers and the fun!