A Beach Vacation to Remember

Last week, our trip to California could have easily been called: Every good reason to stay out of the water.

It was almost like a curse with gray skies, hundreds of thousands of dead red crabs, riptide warnings, cold water and a great white shark attack on a swimmer at a nearby beach.  We could have proclaimed “This one’s for the history books, kids,” as we packed up and left, but with boundless energy and cousins joining us, we made it into one of our most favorite trips ever.

Last year while in Newport, I had a three-week old baby and was primarily on mom duty.  

You mom’s out there know how beach trips are – cooking, cleaning, packing, unpacking, loading the car, unloading the car, folding strollers, unfolding strollers, keeping sand out of the baby’s eyes, ears, nose and mouth, etc. Last year I had a hernia, neuropathy in my feet, back pain and let’s not forget a mound of belly fat so protruding, it left me unable to bend to tie my own tennis shoes.  I can blame most of these physical problems on my pregnancy (especially the belly fat) and I was in pretty poor health.  I remember one particular day trying to body surf and when I felt the pull of my hernia, I quickly realized my days of playing in the ocean were done.

This year, I went to Newport Beach with a completely different outlook on life and a new appreciation for my health.  Because of my five-month commitment to intermittent fasting, I could play, jump, body surf, even run up and down the cliff stairs over and over again (yes, I did this for fun) because I felt so good.  My belly fat?  It's almost gone.  It's like saying goodbye to an old friend you never want to see again, except that old friend was never a friend, but a big old jerk who eats all your nachos.  Yep, that's how I feel about belly fat (I'm telling you, intermittent fasting zaps belly fat), it was a big old nacho jerk.

This was the trip salsa was made of?  Did I mean to say dreams?  No, I meant salsa.  I made it every day with loads of avocado, feta cheese and cilantro.  Eden and I made a conscious choice to not comb our hair.

Canyon made a conscious decision to take only three-minute daily naps.  

Because his nickname is “Perfect” and he is the happiest baby I’ve ever been around, it all worked out because he was still happy and perfect.  The boys made permanent residence at the resort basketball court 

and only came up for food, sleep and when it was time to go to the beach. 

Because the counselor and I are both self-employed, it can be a challenge leaving work for play.  We both love, I mean LOVE our work.  If I don’t physically leave my house, I find it difficult to let go of my writing and furniture projects, but this year it was different.  Because of intermittent fasting, I feel so very present. I don’t feel rushed, nor do I feel the pressure of regret.  I don’t worry about what should have been done and what needs to be done.  I no longer feel hungry while fasting.  If anything, I don’t even feel like I put a ton of effort into it anymore.  I am intentional with prayer and purpose and have spent the last two weeks fasting for my dear friend Bill Mellyn and his family.  Bill passed away after being hit while riding his bike and my heart has been broken.  Fasting has played a critical role as I’ve worried, pondered and trusted in God.  Because of Bill’s passing, I have been very aware of my blessings, how precious life is and the beauty of the earth.  I had some necessary internal conversations with God about the meaning of life, the type of mother and wife I want to be and the things I hope to accomplish with my limited time here.

I spent so much time kissing the top of Eden and Canyon’s heads; they probably both have some permanent indentations.  Eden said her favorite part of the trip was coloring.  I watched as she colored The Little Mermaid and leaping dolphins with rainbows in the background.  I marveled as Canyon learned to walk, taking in each precious pitter-patter step as evidence of the absolute miracle it is to have a baby. 

Canyon loved when I turned on the noise maker to ocean waves.  It sounded just like the beach.

I watched with awe as the counselor, well, did anything and everything because he is just so loving and precious I find I must pinch myself.  

Yeah, he’s that great.

Eden's Goodwill shirt in California

While in California, I frequented the local Goodwill.  This was a special day, a day where I was to drive off on my own without 5 kids and leave the counselor in charge of holding down the fort.  I was savoring a few hours on my own, when Mayer approached me, begging to come.  I’m always up for some one-on-one time, plus Mayer is a great shopper.  

Here he is in a jacket he picked out.  He wore it almost the entire trip.  I think he liked the cool weather.  

He has his own sense of style and always seems to find just what he wants.  He likes his Lebron James shirt enough to wear every day.

Mayer and I drove into Costa Mesa, the town next to Newport.  I could hardly wait to get out of the car.

While there, I found some great things for Eden.  This little French designer heart shirt was $1.99.

I made it a point to document all the places she went in this little shirt.

At the beach with Goodwill shirt.

Her little binky fell in the sand more times then I'd like to mention.  

I couldn't catch her fast enough to wash it off before she stuck in back in her mouth.  If it wasn't for the French designer shirt and Beyonce Dereon jeans, she'd look like a little orphan.  

Loving up with Daddy.

Learning to walk on the board walk.  She's talking steps on her own.  

"Any day now," I tell myself and my baby will be walking on her own.  Where has the time gone?

Eden loved the ocean.  I'd put her in the sand and she'd crawl to the water every time. 

Goodwill shirt with Snow White.

and Belle.  Eden seems quite smitten with her.

Asleep in our Goodwill $7.99 baby backpack with the characters from Toy Story.

Watching the princesses in the parade.

Eden, who was teething with a low-grade fever, seemed to love it all, even still.

Small World, which Mayer said was his favorite ride.

“Mom, you know that man who made this place?” he said.

“Walt Disney,” I replied.

“Yeah, he was a good maker.”

I agree with Mayer.  My favorite Small World display?

The Hawaiian Hula Dancers.  

I remember them from when I was a kid.  My dad says he took me on
Small World over and over again.

Reef cried through every firework spectacular.  Poor little guy.  

He just wouldn't warm up to the idea of fire works in synch with beautiful music.

Each night, I wrapped Eden up in her flannel P.J.'s from Goodwill.  It was colder then she's used to.

Other then a few Disneyland purchases, all our souvenirs came from Goodwill.

Unlike Disneyland souvenirs, they're not broken and already in the trash.

The 6 Miracles of my Family Vacation

My family vacation to California can be summed up in 6 distinct experiences.  

These experiences can be labeled as miracles or disaster?

You decide.

Miracle #1

The car was packed to the max, all the kiddos were buckled, the gas tank was full and the counselor and I started down I-10 in Phoenix and headed to California.  I had just turned on Gnomeo and Juliet for the kids on the portable DVD player when I slammed my foot on the brakes.

 “I forgot the Disneyland tickets.  They’re at home on the kitchen counter!”

We turned off the freeway and drove the 30 minutes back to the house.  I ran in and grabbed the tickets while all the kids came into the home and went to the bathroom again.

This is not a good way to start a six-hour car ride, but to my family’s credit, no one was upset about this mishap but me and that says a lot about the type of man I married and the type of children I have!

Miracle #2

When we arrived in Newport, I walked into our condo rental while the counselor worked on carrying in all the luggage.  

We’ve stayed at this place several years in a row, so before I even had the lights on the kids ran into the master bathroom with the huge whirlpool tub.  After a nice hot bath, I wrapped Reef up in a towel.  I was ready to put on his P.J’s, when I noticed him limping.  Reef, my adorable little three-year old has always been a little too thin, a little too pale and gets sick easier then my other kids. 

I notice he’s limping, not just a little, but like he’s crippled.  At first I think maybe he has a poky in his foot.

“Did you hurt your leg?” I asked, but he’s oblivious to the whole thing. He just wanted to jump on the beds like his older brothers.  I have him walk to the counselor and it looks awful, but he doesn’t appear to be in any pain.

The counselor was really upset about it, but growing up with 8 brothers and sisters I knew better then to panic.  Since Reef didn’t appear to be in any pain, we decided to give him a day or two for his body to work it out.  We also said a family prayer and had faith that whatever was wrong would correct itself.  The next day, we noticed a little improvement and by day three, he was walking normal.

I still don’t know what happened to him, but I recognize the miracle of him walking like a normal kid again.

Miracle #3

Sometimes I work more then I should.  I know, huge shocker, but before we went on vacation, I stayed up late nights working and trying to get things done before the trip.  On day two of our trip, I woke up in the middle of the night with a sore throat.  By morning, I could hardly turn my head.

Walking Pneumonia! 

I have had it so many times, I can diagnose myself.

By lunch, the infection had moved into my neck glands and ears.  If I didn’t get an antibiotic soon, I would be in desperate shape.

To stay healthy, I drink apple cider vinegar on a regular basis.  Last July, I had horrible symptoms of walking pneumonia.  I had gone to see my doctor and he’d prescribed me antibiotics, but I worked one more day with my own natural remedies.  I had caught my symptoms in time and I didn’t need the antibiotic he’d prescribed after all.

I remembered I still had that prescription in my purse.

I called my doctor and told him what was going on and that I needed an antibiotic immediately.  I also told him about the prescription in my purse

He told me I could still use the prescription from earlier, that it would be just what I needed to get better.  The counselor drove into Laguna and within 30 minutes, my prescription was filled.  I felt better by the next morning.

Miracle #4

We visited Balboa, Newport and Laguna Beach.  

They we're THAT excited!

Yes, we're THAT family!

The counselor did his thing, trying to capture all the fun on film!

While in Laguna, the boys and I were out knee-high in the ocean, just goofing off and jumping over waves.  

I noticed a woman on the shore motioning me toward her.  I walked over to her and she pointed out to the surf.  No more the 50 feet away, dolphins were playing, jumping, twisting, diving; being so beautiful I jumped up and down with joy.  For over an hour, my little family watched this dolphin family ride the waves and play.  I had never seen anything like it in my life.

My children know of my love for the sea and my desire to be part of the sea.

“Mom, go out there and swim with them,” Chandler said.

“Yeah, Mom.  It’s your dream to swim with dolphins,”  Payson said.

I stood comfortably on the sand and about chocked on their suggestion. 

“I can’t go swim with wild dolphins!” I said to them.  “That’s not what I have in mind at all.  I know I’ve always wanted to swim with dolphins, but I want to swim with trained dolphins in a closed off area with life guards and instructors.”

“Winona would do it,” Chandler said, referring to the main character in my YA book, Colors of the Sea.

Aren’t kids great when they're honest!  

My kids couldn’t believe I wouldn’t go out there.  And I realized I’m somewhat of a hypocrite because I’ve always wanted to swim with the dolphins and my children know this, but there was no way I was going out in the ocean to swim with those dolphins.  But I sure loved watching them.

Miracle #5

On day six of our trip, we drove to Dana Point to visit a tide pool full of starfish, hermit crabs and other little beautiful creatures.  

We spent a couple of hours scavenging around the beach and walked back to our car parked in an underground pay-by-the-hour parking garage.  The kids jumped in the car and I buckled the babies when I heard the counselor try to start the car.

“I think the battery’s dead,” he said.

Neither he nor I are handy around a dead car, so I asked a few people in the parking garage if anyone had jumper cables.

“Why don’t you ask at the hotel up the street,” a man suggested.

So, I walk about ¼ mile up Pacific Coast Highway to the Montage Hotel.  

Image found here.

This place was so glam, I felt like a member of the Beverly Hillbillies that didn't quite fit in.  I did my best to flatten my wet messy beach hair behind my ears and asked concierge if anyone could help up jumpstart a car down the street that was stuck in a parking garage.

I made it clear I was not a guest of the hotel and the lady working concierge made it clear she would do everything she could to help me.  Don’t you just love nice people!

She radioed her maintenance guy and said he would meet me in the garage after he went to pick up some jumper cables from the local mechanic. 

So, how did God turn this disaster into a miracle? 

He sent a maintenance man in a silver Mercedes that looked like Enrique Iglesias.   

Image found here.

I just had to post this picture of Enrigue because this guy was really that good looking!  Mr. Gorgeous jumped our car (and my heart) and followed us to insure we arrived safely at the mechanics.  A new battery, including labor was $100.00.

How did we pay for it?

The counselor and I had toured a timeshare in Newport and were given $100.00 Visa gift card for attending.

Battery and labor paid for in full!

Miracle #6

After a few days at the beach, we went to Disneyland.  That morning, baby princess woke up with a fever, but with no other symptoms.  Eden has had such a difficult time teething and I had a feeling that’s what she was dealing with.  So, my little one-year old spent three days at Disneyland on baby Motrin.  Every morning, that fever was back, but she was such a trooper.  I’ve never seen somebody have so much fun while trying to fight off a teething fever. 

Although, she did have her moments.

So, what do you think?

 Miracles or disasters?

I know, many of them were disasters, but when God answers prayers in silver Mercedes and with a package of baby Motrin, then I know He’s there taking care of me.

I call them miracles because everything worked out, God answered my prayers and I saw dolphins swimming in the ocean.

And even now when I think about, there is no way I would’ve gone out there and swam with that beautiful dolphin family.

It was nice to watch a miracle happen while standing with my feet planted firmly in the warm white sand.