California: Day 6

We needed today to be a very low-key day. After three days of running around theme parks we were exhausted. We slept in as late as we could before we got kicked out of the hotel. Keara's phone has been down for days so we went to the local Apple Store to try and get things fixed.

Of course we ended up having to get her a new phone. Wondering if it's a ploy?

Anyway we transitioned to a new hotel called the Maya in Long Beach. Beautiful room next to the pool close to the water. 

Didn't do much with scoped out some of the local eateries so I know where I can grab food and fireball price. We did top off the day by eating at our first In and Out.  Needless to say, we will be going back. 

California: Day 5

Got up early this morning so we could head down to San Diego and go to Sea World. Sea World is one of my personal favorites. Got to see the usual suspects... dolphins, sea lions, killer whales. Was a little bit chilly today but there were times when the sun was out and beating down on us as well.

I always find Sea World to be very relaxing. Maybe it's the calming music that you listen to as you walk around and just enjoy looking at all the beautiful creatures. Had a good time looking at all the shows and we topped off the day by going to the Boatside restaurant and eating seafood. 

California: Day 4

Today was the big day for the Colorado School of Dance to do their performance. They did it on the Hollywood stage over in the California adventure. The kids did a great job and had a lot of fun.

We managed to snag a ticket for the new Cars ride and so we went on that today. They usually always run out of fast passes before the end of the day. It was a lot of fun.

Headed back over to Disneyland to try and get on all of our favorites again. Space Mountain was on the list, Big Thunder Mountain was on the list, Indiana Jones and as much as we could squeeze in. I lasted until my back couldn't do anymore and we left Zeb and Kailei to close down the park.

California: Day 3

Today we headed over to California Adventure. It was a very hot day.Again Zeb took care of the fast passes that we needed for our favorite rides. The girls had quite a lot of fun on the Grizzly River ride or something like that. They did the roller coaster ride called California Screaming and loved it.  I didn't go on it because it turns upside down which is not anything I like to do.
 My favorite ride at California Adventure is always Soring Over California.

Walking around these parts this is not the best for my back. So I had to do a lot of sitting. I think we averaged about 18,000 steps a day.  We did have Linner (lunch and dinner) at the rain Forest Café mid afternoon which was just perfect. We needed to get out of the heat and cool off and feed our bodies. I can assure you that the Volcano of Chocolate was quite nourishing.

Later we went back over to Disney to hit a few rides again that we didn't want to miss out on. Keara's been in and out of the park opting to be back at the Hotel when she wasn't feeling good. I think one of the highlights today was the Tower of Terror. Everybody seemed to really like it.

Happy Anniversary!

Our anniversary happened to take place today  and my thoughtful husband decided to get me a gift. He had this painted somewhere but we really had to crack up because he forgot to tell the painter which one of us was the girl. So as you can see he has a mermaid attached to his name and I am his Prince.

22 years together.  

California: Day 2

Got up bright and early this morning so we could hit Disneyland hard. Zeb was king of the fast pass and took care of getting us hooked up on all the rides we were wanting. Weather wasn't too bad today. Hot but not unbearable. Seems like the favorites are Indiana Jones for Keara and Big Thunder Mountain for Kailei. We stayed all day just escaping for a little dinner before heading back for the parade of lights. It was an enjoyable day

End of an Era

Well, tonight Kailei decided that she is going to take a break from dance. I think she's happy with her decision but I have to admit I'm a little bummed though I don't really know why. I should be excited that we will have a lot of time and even a little bit of money but I so enjoyed watching her dance. Will be interesting to see what the future holds although I know piano and Chinese language and dance will still remain in her schedule.

On Our Way to L.A.

Today we spent most of the day traveling. Our plane was delayed so we left late which put us in the L.A. late which in turn made driving to Anaheim challenging as we were in traffic. We are staying at the Camelot Hotel just across from the entryway of the Disneyland Park. It's very convenient. Didn't do much except get settled in the room and go grab some dinner. We did manage to see some fireworks over at Disney. We have a great view of them.

Happy Father's Day!

Dog Show

Keara participated in another dog show today. She was a little nervous but nothing like the first show that she did. It was out at the Kiowa fairgrounds and she did amazingly well. Two first-place ribbons!!  Can you believe it?  We are proud of both her and Lea. 

Message from Keara's Tennis Coach

"Hey I think that Keara is making remarkable progress for how little she has played. And I'm not just saying that because we work together. I think she's got a knack for tennis if she wants to work at it. She's already better than some of the jv2 girls. Hope she's having fun."

Lunch date

Dentist

Unfortunately Kailei had to have four teeth pulled today. Luckily the $5 from the tooth fairy helped ease the pain.

Khiem's Birthday

We celebrated Khiem's birthday today. It was a little early because his family is leaving for Chicago but birthday parties can happen any time, right?   Grandma Phyllis came up and there were more people than ever at this party. The Archer's represented as well as Mark's girlfriend.  Of course we had lots of great Vietnamese food, Khiem got lots of presents and the cousins had a great time.  Happy 10th birthday Khiem!!!

Parker Parade

Kailei's dance company participated in the Parker parade today. This was a first for both the dance company and for Kailei. It was a beautiful day and Kailei had a lot of fun.  I think this is just a pre-curser to the fun she will have in California.

Parker Days

Went to Parker days for a little while tonight. Walked around, ate ice cream and had a little bit of fun. Been a long time since we've been there.  The teenager was with us but refusing pictures. 

Dog Show Videos

Kailei's Dance Recital Videos

Dance Recital

Kailei had her dance recital today. Grammy, Poppy and Uncle Mark joined us in celebrating her year of dance.  She has worked hard. She did 10 dances and needless to say was very tired by the end of the day. We are so proud of our dancer. 

Braces are off!