EXCITING POST #1: Part I

Alright, so I know I've been putting this off, but here it is...and I'm warning you, it's going to be a LONG (wordy!) one!!

So, a few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to go to 3 places I have NEVER been before. (Yes, I was a deprived child. Thanks mom and dad!) It was spring break for my MIL, so they decided to take a trip down to Las Vegas (where my SIL Juanita lives) then onto California. My dear sweet hubby got it all set up so that I could go with them. However, he didn't get to go, so that was a total bummer. But it was still fun. So here's how the trip played out...

Wednesday April 1, my FIL, MIL, and SILs Adrienne (who was home from Kentucky) and Annie stopped in Logan to pick me up. From there we started the forever long journey to Las Vegas. I have NEVER been to Vegas before, so I was really excited...(haha, you can make fun of me all you want.) I didn't want to fall asleep, cuz I didn't want to miss anything. (lol, right?) So can I just tell you that coming off of the mountain and seeing the lights was like the COOLEST thing ever. My heck. those lights go on FOREVER! It was pretty cool..lol...I didn't get any pics though...just a mental picture that I can't share. HA! The strip looked way cool. Kinda floated in the middle of the lights. Pretty cool...Well, after getting a little lost we finally made it to Juanita's house. Jake was asleep, but Kyla was waiting to see Grandma. I walked in last, and I think she was expecting to see Shaina, cuz when she saw me, all the excitement drained from her. lol. She wasn't too sure about me...It was kinda funny. Grandma got her (well Jake) this little lamb that would sing when you pushed it's nose. Well, she would go around to everyone and wave it in their faces, and when she turned to me, she just paused....then turned around...lol, it was pretty funny. But it was good to see Mike and Juanita and Kyla. We haven't seen them since last summer.....

Alright, so the next day we continued our journey onto CALIFORNIA!!!! (Where, I have NEVER been!!) Adrienne & I went with Mike, Juanita and Jake, Grandma, Grandpa, Annie and Kyla in the other car, went a different way...(lol, I won't say much about that though! :) Driving out of Vegas I got to see more of the strip. Crazy stuff. It was pretty funny too driving from Vegas to Cali because in the middle of nowhere there would be a big huge casino...nothing else...made me laugh. I did get to see the worlds largest thermometer...Mike pointed that out to me....hmmm...our first stop in Cali was Barstow, just a quick potty/get out and walk around break. Here are some pics of that! (Had to take pictures of my first Cali stop!)

(the last pic on the right is at our motel..)

Then we continued on down to San Diego. I must say that that was one of the funnest drives. Just being able to see a whole new area that I've never seen before. It was a great trip. We finally got into San Diego and it was gorgeous. Even with all the smog. Everything was so pretty......Well, we dropped off our stuff at the motel and decided to go to the beach. I was way excited for that! I have NEVER BEEN to the ocean! So that was exciting. We started driving, and I could kind of see it, but I have to admit, I was a little disappointed because everywhere I saw you could see the buildings all around...(if that makes sense...) I just wanted to see water that went on FOREVER! we got a little lost, but once we found our way, and I was able to see the ocean that went on forever...it was definitely worth the wait! It was GORGEOUS!!!!! Oh my heck. I Love it! I took a zillion pics of just the water...lol...I could've stayed there all day. It was kinda chilly while we were down there, and cloudy, but that's the type of weather I like, so it was all okay. (Besides....it was about 10X warmer than the SNOW everyone else got here! HAHAHAHAHA! Yes I laugh..that's what you all get for complaining about it! :) Anyway...so here are some pics I took. I put them all in a collage, because there are like a zillion (like I said) pics that I took. I will edit some individual ones and post later, but this is what you get for now. I didn't take my real camera with me, thought I kinda wish I would have. But it's okay, because I'm happy with the way they turned out with my point and shoot. Alright...here goes...

OH...it's so pretty! I love the "city" in the distance...The ocean was beautiful too...and Mike..that's him walking..Then my feet...and a bird...Adrienne, Juanita (who is super cute prego) and Jake. and you can guess the rest...

I SO want to learn to surf! I think that would be so fun! And the sun trying to shine through the clouds. GORGEOUS!
Jake, me...yes I look like I was in a car all day...and yeah...I should have edited that one...lol...Jake again, and Adrienne and Jake. Jake was so funny. He didn't like it when the water would come in and hit him...I think he eventually got used to it..
Just some random shots of the beach. I really wish Greg could have been there...
Kyla (when they finally showed up..haha)...the plants down there were so pretty! ... I would love to rent a beach house someday..for a week...any guess on how much they cost?!? Yeah WAY too much...But it was so cool to just look down and see all of the different houses...Would be way fun...
See..Jakey got used to the water...I love that pic of Adrienne. I so love the colors in these pics...(haha, I'm a totally dark person...)...ummm...yeah...we let Jake run around in his diaper...he was so funny. Cute kid that one! He was a lot of fun.
I like this pic too....
Next to the pics I posted earlier (of the lifeguard place, I dunno what they're called), this is one of my fave pics...I should say this is my fave sunset pic because I love all the other pics I have too! Haha! SO PRETTY! (I will say, I kinda wish it wasn't cloudy, because I would have LOVED to see a sunset on the ocean! Oh well...there's always next time!)
And in case I missed any while I was making those collages in stinkin' Picasa...Here's the pics that I had to narrow it down to from the zillion that I took!!

WHEW!!! What an exciting day, right?!?!? Don't worry, there's more...stay tuned for parts II and III...yeah, it was a great trip..
And Lauren...I didn't know you lived in SD. I think I may come visit you someday...lol, and I think I want to do a photo shoot down there. So...if anyone in SD wants to pay for me to drive/fly out there...I'll do your shoot for FREE!! (what a deal! lol)
Okay, that's all! Thanks for sticking with me...It was a long one, I know!