California Day 1

Dec. 1, 2010 - Today we headed off for our fun adventure in California. We were actually planning on making this trip in about 3 years when Ashlee was 5 and hopefully a little easier to handle, but circumstances made it so we chose to go earlier. Andy's 96 year old Grandma Enid Jacobsen passed away a few days after we returned home from Juleen and Clark's wedding in Utah, so we decided that since we would already be going to Burbank for the funeral we might as well make a fun family vacation out of this and hopefully the kids will remember this trip and associate it with the fun Grandma Enid would have wanted them to have. Andy was born in Burbank but moved to Cody, Wyoming when he was 3 or so. Grandma Enid lived in Burbank up until a bad fall that made it necessary to move her to a care center in Bountiful, UT, where she would be close to Andy's four sisters. And what a blessing they were to her and to all of us in keeping us updated about Grandma's health. We felt very blessed to have been able to see her twice this year and to have the kids get to know her just a little bit more before she moved on to be with her sweetheart and parents and siblings. Grandma was a very fun person who loved life to the fullest. She taught us to live each day to its fullest and just have fun. We visited her while we were in Utah for Juleen's wedding and she even sang one last song for us despite her very failing health. She loved her grandchildren so much and loved to talk to them on the phone. We miss Grandma but know that she is bowling and singing and walking hand in hand with her sweetheart once more!

So, on Wednesday we loaded the excursion and headed for Billings. Thank goodness our flight didn't leave until late morning so we didn't have to rush too much. Trying to pack for 7 people and only have to check on bag was quite the feat but we did it. Thank goodness everyone could have 2 carry-on bags. I think we actually only took 11 instead of the 12 we could take. We met Grandma Kathy and Grandpa Jeff and Aunt Sara at the airport in Billings. It was so nice to have 1 adult per child to get through security and it went off without any problems. We didn't really have to wait too long in the boarding area either. The kiddos were great and very excited for their first airplane ride. We took off on time; landed slightly early; and were welcomed by a nice warm California day! 2 hrs and 10 mins. on an airplane vs. 19 hours of driving was a no brainer!! Flying is the way to go!! It took a little while for our baggage to come through due to some problem with the conveyor belt but it eventually came and we boarded the shuttle to head to get our rental car. What a sight we were!! But we made it and got loaded into our rental mini-van. It was so nice to only be driving a mini-van in California traffic. Our excursion would have been interesting to say the least. After getting something to eat, we headed for the beach!!! The kids were excited! And we had the whole beach to ourselves. I guess only crazy Wyomingites go to the beach in 40 and 50 degree weather. It was heaven to us and the kids loved running from the waves, gathering shells, and running in the sand. We saw the most gorgeous sunset and then decided it was time to head for our motels. What a wonderful day we had!! The kids were fantastic on the flight, we had GPS to find our way places, and we were able to settle into a nice comfortable room for a goodnight's rest before the funeral the next day! How thankful I am for Heavenly Father's plan of salvation - to know that families can be together forever through the sealing ordinance. I married into a wonderful family that accepts me for who I am and loves my children. I know Grandma Enid was smiling down watching her grandchildren and great-grandchildren enjoy the beautiful California sunset as she did every day.