Santa Catalina Island

***UPDATE...I can't believe I forgot to add some stuff! A few firsts...

: Holden's first Ice Cream (he didn't meet a flavor he didn't like!)

: Holden's first boat ride...we went on a undersea adventure one where you walk down and there are windows so you can see into the water and see fish...that was pretty exciting...and the boat back to Long Beach...not as exciting...

: We took Tom's folks on a flying fish tour...unfortunately as nature goes there were no flying fish:( But it was a nice night out boating...

So this post if FULL of pictures...A week ago Holden and I returned from a week on Santa Catalina Island ...this is an annual vacation my parents take for their anniversary (08/24), and they always invite us, but we are not always able to go...This year we were! And we were lucky enough that Tom's dad could fly us down in his plane, and then Tom's parents and my side of the family could hang out for a few days...Tom could only stay a few days as well...so we all flew down and then Tom's dad flew Tom and themselves back up North...It was a fun time:-)

Here is Holden "flying"

The flight down only took a little over 2 hours...The nice thing about flying with Holden in Tom's dad's plane is that he can roam around and play with his toys...or go up front with dad and watch him fly:-)

Holden thought he was BIG STUFF atop this Buffalo
I have no idea why Holden wanted to be on top of this buffalo but he did...This was at the airport on Catalina...it is called the airport in the sky...and as soon as you come in for a landing you know why...I would have taken a picture if I had had my camera out...the runway is basically atop the mountain...and it falls off on either side...you definitely don't want to overshoot that landing! It wasn't worrisome at all we had plenty of runway left when we stopped and I trust Tom's dad completely:-) Just catches your eye when you first see it... Here's the walker!

While Tom and his folks were there I wanted to do the hike/walk up to Wrigley Memorial...it is a pretty serious hill...especially pushing a stroller...Holden loved getting out and roaming around...he walks everywhere now...never crawling...and he's starting to run! Watch Out!

The view is awesome and the gardens are fun to roam around in...Once you get to the top...you need to rest a bit...at least I did! My brother and his wife are pictured below...resting:-) It was very fun to hang out with my family from So. Cal. We don't get to see them often enough!

Matthew and Paula after the long hike up to Wrigley Memorial

Holden at the beach...

The one bummer about going to this island and being on the beach is that unfortunately the water was inaccessible...the reports said the water wasn't safe to swim in...swim at your own risk due to high levels of bacteria...so of course we didn't go in...a lot of people still swim there but I wasn't willing to risk Holden getting a bacterial infection so we stayed out and just played in the sand...Holden didn't even seem to notice...He was perfectly content in the sand and watching all the people:-)

Lu and Flynn listening to music:-)

My parents rented a house for the week...It was nice to have a place to call home that had a kitchen and space for all of us...the place was really spacious I never once felt like we were on top of each other and we had 5 adults and 3 kids with us! We had many meals there which is easier for the kids...and we had a place for everyone to nap when they needed it etc...

This what Holden thought of the slide at the park...

One of the things that I realized on this trip is when you travel with kids you spend a lot of time at the park...we went to the park everyday I think...Holden loved the slide and watching the BIG kids:-) he kept wanting to go on the slide over and over...most of the other stuff was too big for him...but stairs are fun too when you are just learning to walk:-)

I must of read this book to the kids 100 times! Go Pajama Time!

We brought some books with us and Lu and Flynn brought some books and we all shared...it was fun...Pajama Time was a big hit and by the end of the week Lu could "read" it to herself she knew most of the words:-) I am getting big doses of reading books over and over again many times in a row lately between Flynn and MJ...guess they are preparing me for when Holden can say "again"...It was fun to see Holden doing what the big kids were doing and watching them do what he does...and just watching Lu and Flynn love on Holden was Fun! They taught him about jumping on the bed! Uh Oh! miniature golfing is fun!

I think Lu and Flynn went Miniature golfing 3 times while on Catalina...I went twice with them...this is time number 2...a much better day on the course for me...the first time I was WAY over par...this time probably around par...Its fun going with little ones who do things their own way and are figuring things out...and Flynn liked to yell, "Nice shot Aunt Anna!" and "Great Job Aunt Anna" I soaked that up! :-) See how much fun I had!

It really was so much fun...We laughed a lot...I think twice I said we needed to have the camcorder on at all times to catch the funniness...and I think it was right after this picture was taken I remarked, "This is why so many people think their lives would make a great reality TV show...trouble is its only funny to the people living it...and its only about 1-5% of the time! That's why we have blogs...so we can just report the fun" even then sometimes its only fun to us!:-)

Holden and I playing while we waited for the boat...One last time at the park...

The last day we had to be out of the house at 10am and our boat left at 11:45am...luckily there was a park on the way to the boat launch where we stopped and played...had the last of our fried food for a while...One thing about Catalina...the food is GOOD! We ate too much fried food, too much ice cream, and too much everything else! Good thing we walked everywhere!

Playing!

Each year Matthew and Paula take a pic of their kids in the lions mouth...So I thought I would take Holden's too...It will be fun to see how much he's grown next time...

Holden thought he was SO BIG in this car...Thanks Lu and Flynn for letting us play!
Holden and I made a stop off in So. Cal. at Matthew and Paula's for one night, just so we didn't have a FULL day of traveling...so after we took the boat to the Long Beach we drove to their house and the kids got more time to play! Lu and Flynn have some fun toys...Sharing is hard but the kids all did great! And it was sad to say goodbye...The pic below shows off Flynn's beautiful curls and eyelashes...this kid has the longest fullest eyelashes ever! Women would kill for his lashes! LOL

Look at THOSE eyelashes!

I can't believe we have been home a week and I am just now getting to this post! We have been extremely busy since getting home...And Holden is struggling with his teeth again so the days have been rough! Luckily the nights haven't been too bad!