Fish Market

After heading south along the coast on Saturday we all loaded up and headed north on Sunday. And where did the coast take us? On a random trip to the Port of Call in San Pedro. And what was there? The Port of Long Beach and Los Angeles with large cargo ships everywhere. At the end of the road was rows and rows of restaurants with fish markets attached. There were loads of people walking shoulder to shoulder pushing their way to the many restaurants/fish markets. Next to the restaurants were tons of picnic tables filled with people eating cookie trays full of fish that was just caught and cooked to order. I surprisingly got overwhelmed quickly by the loads of people and chaos around me. We ended up finding this great little restaurant where we feasted on a variety of seafood.

Fish Platter.  Lobster anyone?

Brynn even liked the food.

Eat first. Ride second.

Couldn't leave without picking out some fish for dinner.

Fishy face. 

 

G-Pa and G-Ma

Grandpa Casey and Great Grandma Donna have been visiting, which is music to Brynn’s little ears.  When they are in town Brynn gets picked up from school early, spend hours outside, and gets Grandma’s home cooking.  Over the weekend we enjoyed a lovely day outside where we drove the coast and made a couple of pit-stops along the way.  It was such a beautiful day.  The water was blue, the sky was clear and sun was shining. 

Brynn and Great Grandma Donna

Our first stop was the shake shack for lunch where Brynn was on the look-out for dolphins. 

I see dolphins!

The second stop was the beach where we ran in the sand, walked on the rocks, and played catch.

Cameron and Grandpa Casey taking in the scenery.

The third stop was for a nice walk along the cliffs.  Here Brynn and Ashley took a nap on the grass.   

Fast asleep.

Patiently Waiting

Can't go anywhere without sunnies!

VDay Fun

In the days leading up to Valentine's Day, Brynn once again got sick.  This time around she crashed pretty hard so I was quick to take her to the doctor.  We were lucky we got her to the doctor when we did because this time she came down with pneumonia.  Between the naps, breathing treatments, and movies Brynn and I worked diligently on homemade Valentines.  After being locked in the house for days I think we had made enough Valentines for the entire neighborhood - times 2! 

 

Getting Ready for VDay

I was hoping and praying Brynn was going to be well enough to go to her Valentine's Day party at school.  Brynn had made personalized cards for all of her friends and teachers and even had picked out her outfit.  So as Valentine's Day approached and she still was not healthy enough to go to school for a full day, I did my best to make the day extra special.  She had been on her medications long enough and not contagious anymore, so Brynn was able to hand deliver her Valentine's at school.  Brynn was so excited to see all of her friends and did not want to leave despite barely being able to keep her eyes open.  We spent the rest of the day making ladybugs and butterflies out of paper plates, watching a strawberry shortcake movie together with popcorn, and eating cookies.

Stuck Inside

After Cameron got home, we had a nice dinner together and exchanged gifts.  Brynn was very excited to get her gift and we spent hours playing Candy Land.  The first few games were a little rough but she finally got the hang of it.       

Candy Land fun!

Quick Getaway

It is rare that Cameron gets a day off of work.  So when his company announced an “appreciation day” and gave some employees a Friday off, we jumped at the chance for a last minute family trip.  A few suggestions later and we were booking a trip to Portland.  Quick…divide and conquer!  Cameron was in charge of making sure Uncle Matt and Aunt Kelly were going to be in town and prepared for Baby B to wreak havoc on their house.  I was in charge of flights and double checking to make sure Matt and Kelly were fully aware of what a two year old is capable of.  After getting the green light, we were booked and departing in a few short days.     

The flight was easy and Brynn was in a great mood.  Kelly picked us up in the “big truck” and Brynn was immediately excited to be in Portland.  The sky was blue and the sun was shining.  We took full advantage of the nice weather by having lunch outside and walking around the neighborhoods of Portland.  As the sun was setting we head back to Matt and Kelly’s house where Brynn made herself right at home.  The next day we picked up Uncle Barry and some friends to go wine tasting.  Here we enjoyed the gorgeous views Portland has to offer and some nice wine.  And we cannot forget the game of duck-duck-goose, some Care Bear love, piano playing, and a dance with Uncle Matt.

Taking in the views

Beautiful scenery

Just one more dance, PLEASE!

 

Chopsticks anyone?

 

Future musician

 

Music lessons

Our final day in Portland was spent indoors catching up, playing, and watching a portion of the Super Bowl.  By then Brynn was ready to move it.  Her toys were dominating every room and she was singing into her microphone while dancing with her puppy to Justin Bieber.  The “gazillion bubble” grand finale was a hit.  Brynn could have ran around popping those bubbles for hours.  I think I know what needs to go in her Easter basket this year. 

Too many bubbles, not enough time.

We had a fantastic trip.  We enjoyed every minute of Portland and the time we got to spend with Matt, Kelly and Barry.  I am not sure the Portlanders are ready for our return anytime soon.  But hopefully once they forget the havoc we caused, they will invite us back.