California Dreamin' - part 2

The second half of our trip was much more low key. We jammed a lot into the first few days and Olivia was showing some signs of exhaustion...like throwing huge tantrums for no reason. When that would happen we knew that she needed a nice long nap in order to recharge and return to her pleasant, happy self.

On the third day of our visit we drove up to UC Berkeley to visit my Cousin Justin, who is a freshman. We spent the day touring the campus and enjoying the gorgeous weather. It was fun to see him and be on a college campus. Although, it made me feel quite old.

The next day we did only things Olivia would enjoy. First, we visited a local pumpkin patch and met up with some little girls my aunt used to tutor. They were so sweet and we thought that Olivia would enjoy picking out pumpkins with them. Olivia was in a mood that day so she did not play with the girls like I thought she would. We still had a good time and Olivia picked out a nice round pumpkin for her Aunt Sue Sue.

The pumpkin patch was huge. I have never seen so many pumpkins in one place before. More than that I have never been to a pumpkin patch that over looks the ocean! See, we are used to picking out our pumpkins in Indiana...corn country. To look up and see the ocean is something I am not used to but I think I could easily adjust!

Later that afternoon we took Olivia to a huge playground. We took her to this playground on our last visit and she had a blast. I think she had just as good of a time the second time around. I just watched as my brave girl climbed from one part of the playground to the other. It was another beautiful California day and I was so glad that we had been able to spend so much time outdoors during our visit. To this point the weather had been perfect!

Even though Olivia loves going out to do things she also just loves being at home. I think she enjoyed the evenings at my aunt's house as much as our trip to the aquarium or the trip to the beach. Olivia became very attached to my aunt's dog, Rusty. Olivia has always loved Rusty but this time was different. She wanted to help take Rusty for walks, put him in his cage when it was time, and even try to get him to play with her. Rusty is an older dog and really has no interest in playing with a two year old, but he did like it when she would lay by him. As much as I would love to get her a dog I am afraid that will have to wait.

Our last day in California was a wash-out. It was chilly and rainy and we had no idea what to do. We searched the Internet to try and find indoor activities for kids, but surprisingly there was not much to choose from. Maybe because it is California and most of what there is to do involved being outdoors! We ended up just going to the mall and out for pizza. That afternoon while Olivia napped my aunt took me out to a couple of local wineries for some tasting. It is nearly impossible to go wine tasting with Olivia so I was afraid that I would not get to do that this time around. We visited two great wineries and enjoyed some very nice wines. It helped to make the trip complete!

That night after dinner my aunt put on a little birthday party for Olivia, since they would not be able to come to her party. She was thrilled! She got her some cupcakes, a few presents and sang to her. Olivia thanked Aunt Sue Sue by telling her that this was the best birthday ever!

She had so much fun tearing into those cupcakes and ripping open her presents. It made me realize just how lucky Olivia is to be surrounded by such a wonderful family. She just loves my Aunt Sue and her Uncle Ron. They are so good to her when we visit and she talks about her time with them often.

The next morning we hopped on a plane back to Fort Wayne. It was a long day traveling home, but Olivia did very well. She was thrilled to see her Daddy...as was I. He missed us very much and I think he was happy to have us back home. It was such a fun trip and we look forward to doing it again next year. Thank you Aunt Sue and Uncle Ron for showing us such a great time. We are so lucky to have you both!

I meant to share this video of Olivia at the beach on my last post, but left it out. Here she is excited about water until a wave knocks her on her behind. Very cute!

Well tomorrow my girl turns 3! Yep...3 years old! Hard to believe. I still have so much to catch up on. We had a wonderful Halloween and we have done some other fun things this fall. This weekend is her birthday party so check back soon to see more of Olivia's recent adventures! Happy Birthday my sweet Olivia!