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| Our adventure to LA begins with an early morning drive down to DIA. We woke the kids up at 5am. I went in to get Ava up and she asks "Where's daddy?" I inform her that he's getting Jameson up and ask her if she remembers where we are going today. Ava, one month and one day shy of turning two years old, says "On airplane. Up high in sky. We all go together." |
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| Jameson is tired, but pumped to get on the plane and see his cousin Oliver. This crazy boy on the drive down randomly tells Rob, "You're the biggest daddy of the seven seas!" What?!?! I so wish we could have a mental map for a child's train of thought. |
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| At DIA and excited to go visit Aunt Donna, Uncle Pete and Oliver. |
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| Love flying during the daytime - there's so much to see! |
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| We've landed! What an awesome recommendation to switch our flight from landing at LAX to landing at Bob Hope Airport in Burbank. It was a small, quaint and easy-to-navigate airport. Instead of deplaning on a jet bridge, you walk right out into the sunshine (so perfect for California). Plus, it's super close to their house! |
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| Ava's ready to see the Pacific Ocean for the first time! |
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| As soon as we got to Aunt Donna's house, the grapefruit tree grabbed the attention of the boys. |
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| A quick funny story about Jameson out-witting us...we cut open the grapefruit and were discussing how all fruit is juicy. Jameson said that that wasn't true - "bananas aren't juicy". Oh, he got me, Rob and Donna with that brilliance! |
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| So happy to be able to hang out and play with cousin Oliver! |
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| That's a bit of a mischievous look J's got there... |
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| ...yup, it was. That boy had plans! A little foreshadowing of showing Oliver the perks of being a big brother ;) |
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| Ava showing the boys how to "listen for fish". |
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| Driving over to Zuma Beach. |
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| Awesome to get there before the crowds. |
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| Ava loved the ocean! |
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| Already eyeing the next wave. |
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| Catching some water for building sandcastles. |
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| Uncle Pete making sure Jameson doesn't get carried out to sea. |
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| And Uncle Pete claims to not like the sand...hmmmm. |
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| Cali girl :) |
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| Hungry cousins! |
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| Fort Fun with Uncle Pete. The screams (of delight) that this activity produced far out numbered any others on this trip! |
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| Experiential jellyfish exhibit at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. |
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| More of the La Brea Tar Pits. |
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| Enjoying a picnic lunch on the tar pit grounds. This was one of Jameson's last almond-butter sandwiches before he was cleared for the real deal :) |
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| We made plans to meet up with our friends, Melissa and Pete, while we were out there. Melissa and I went to graduate school together and have since each gotten married and had two kids. Jameson and Ava had a blast hanging out with Owen and Wesley. We met up for brunch in the Long Beach area and then headed to a community park. The park surprised us as it was hosting a festival - which we kinda assumed/hope was open to the "community" ;) |
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| Rob and Melissa supervising the bounce house. |
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| Left the park and drove to meet up with another "Boston" friend of ours who lives in West Hollywood. |
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| And we got a little lost - but with napping children, sometimes that's a blessing in disguise. |
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| More fun with toys back at cousin Oliver's house!!! |
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| Good-bye for now, LA! We had tons of fun in the Cali sun!!! |
