Due to the government shutdown, TSA workers were going without pay and the longer the shutdown dragged on, the more they were calling out. Flights were getting cancelled and I had a lot of anxiety we wouldn't even make it to California. Months ago I'd invested in Comfrt sets for myself and the girls and they were perfect for air travel especially not knowing if we'd be stuck at the airport. Turns out we breezed right through security- no lines! It was 5:30am so that helped too.
I had some feelings about the current administration and how the shutdown was being handled, so I wore my "Anything a white, male felon can do I can do better" t-shirt. Got some knowing nods as we made our way to the Admiral's Club.
Brent and I have taken advantage of the Admiral's Club separately, and we've done it with a girl or two in tow, but we've never had the whole family together for a trip. Specifically, Liesel had never been and it was fun to see her explore, grab some grub and settle in. I told Gita I would give her $5 if she'd walk up to the bar and order a Shirley Temple. I try really hard to ensure my girls find their confidence. The bar was surrounded by very serious-looking businessmen but they had the exact same membership to the Admiral's Club that we did. There's no reason she couldn't order a drink like they had (sans alcohol of course!). I was so proud to see her march right up to the bartender who not only put it in a lovely glass, but threw on some garnishment cherries for fun.
Once the other girls saw her with it, they wanted one too (although Ireland went to the bar at the other end of the Admiral's Club so she didn't look like a copycat). We gifted Sydney her birthday present of a new phone early and she was so excited to get it set up!
Everything went smoothly- boarding, take off, the flight, everything! There was a little turbulence but nothing to write home about.
It may sound silly but I feel incredibly proud and accomplished when we all fly together. Never in my life was I on a plane with my own family and the fact we've done it multiple times with the girls is still so incredible to me.
As we walked out of the Admiral's Club, someone said we looked like Care Bears.
I love the way mountains rise from the earth like big, rumpled blankets!
We arrived at John Wayne International and stopped at their Admiral's Club to use the restroom and grab snacks. Brent rushed off to get the rental car while we collected luggage.
I invented Luggage Curling with Brigitta and Sydney on our last trip to Utah so we showed Liesel and Ireland how it's done.
Turns out the car was in my name, so I had to get the rental car. They gave us a rather beat up one with scraped paint but hey, it was just for 24 hours. Everyone had their own carryon and suitcases which took up a lot of room. We made it to the hotel and our room wasn't ready so we hung out in the rental while Brent ran to CVS to get sunscreen and blister Band-Aids. Once our room was ready, Liesel and Ireland just wanted to chill while Sydney and Brigitta were ready to hit the beach.
The beach wasn't cold, but it was windy and of course the Pacific Ocean is always cold! The sun was at the perfect angle for some incredible pictures.
I actually like this picture of the girls prepping to leap more than the actual leaping photo. If you look carefully, you can see neither of their feet are touching the ground as they do their little jump.
I managed to get Brent down by the water for a picture of us together. He was a sport to come along with us even though he isn't much of a beach guy.
The girls insisted on going in the water and I have just enough experience with Pacific waves to know they can knock you around pretty good. Can you even see them out there?
Coaxing Brigitta back to shore took some doing since she loves the ocean so much!
Eventually she came back and we wrapped them up in towels, dusted off all the sand and headed back to the hotel.
Along the way, we ordered dinner from a Hawaiian BBQ place nearby and everyone enjoyed a hearty meal. We met up with family at the hotel pool and watched the sun go down as we swam and soaked in the hot tub. The girls were able to connect with young cousins and there were some funny moments (ie Grandma insisting the hot tub water was far too hot for the toddlers and then Julie saying it was totally fine). It was a fantastic ending to a long day of travel!
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