Parker's 3rd Birthday Celebration: Trains, Planes, Boats and Psychedelic Santa

What a fun 3rd birthday we celebrated for the MOST fun,  little, ALMOST three year old boy!  Parker wanted only one thing this birthday:  To ride a REAL train.  And fortunately, we live in the perfect place for taking a beautiful, economical train ride! 

We boarded the Pacific Surfliner in San Juan Capistrano and rode it down to the last stop, San Diego/Tijuana. Then, we walked a couple blocks and spent the afternoon aboard the very awesome USS Midway aircraft carrier.  Both kids LOVED it, and we all learned so much.  I am mighty humbled by all those men and women who sacrifice (and have sacrificed) so much for their country.

When we returned home, we were right in time for the Orange County Christmas train to make its stop in San Juan Capistrano.  So, we got a surprise visit from Santa and laughed through the most stereotypical CA/psychedelic Christmas show of all time (it included a martian Santa Claus and reindeer with asbestos on their paws...along with a visit from Santa's psychic -- Thomas and I shook our heads and agreed we are definitely not in "Kansas" anymore!) 

All in all, it was a wonderful day celebrating a wonderful little boy!

Our train

The scenery was unbelievable!

The USS Midway

Turner in the BRIG!

Parker in a Navy Phantom jet

The train

The Christmas train

Birthday Boy!!!

The B-I-B-L-E

Guess who got a new Bible (JUST like Sissy's) at preschool chapel yesterday??? 

It is the perfect "accessory" for "playing Jesus," which is what we've been doing ever since the nativity scenes came out of the boxes here!  (Note that the Angel Gabriel has already had three superglues, and it's not yet December 1st)!

Thanksgiving

Give thanks to The Lord, for He is good.  His love endures forever!

God has been soooo good to us this year.  We took a step in faith to move all the way across the country to California, and we have been richly blessed.  In three short months, we have had some great adventures and met some special people. 

So, since we knew we'd miss all our family for Thanksgiving, we decided to do something totally new and different:  CAMP!  Or, GLAMP, as it is called!  (Glamorous camping -- as in, the tent is already set up, and there are beds in it).

We started Thanksgiving day off with a delicious meal of turkey, cornbread pudding, macaroni, stuffing, green bean casserole and biscuits with two families from Chick-fil-A.  Then, with full bellies, we drove up to El Capitan Canyon, near Santa Barbara.  We camped for three nights, cooked over the fire and enjoyed "unplugging" for a few days before the rush of Christmas.  It was such a sweet time.  The kids did great, playing with sticks, using their imaginations, hiking, cooking smores, tie dying t-shirts, feeding llamas, collecting rocks, etc. 

We saw incredible wildlife, too:  a sea lion climbing out of the Pacific Ocean, a host of monarch butterflies, llamas, goats, woodpeckers, owls, a snake, a bat (which incidentally was hanging on our mesh window!!!), a gopher, a fish (someone caught in the ocean and let Parker touch it!), a leaf bug, etc., etc. 

This is a beautiful place, and I am so glad we are getting the opportunity to explore it!

One of many hikes

Feeding the llamas with alfalfa

Parker playing "drums" with his buddy, Reese

El Capitan Canyon, Home Sweet Home

 

Our Crew:  Parker, Turner, Reese and Gabe

Beautiful beach

Team Monkey (see bandana print, which Turner picked out)!

Sweet boy

A sea lion that climbed out of the Pacific while we were walking on the beach

We got pretty close!

The monarchs were migrating south -- they were EVERYWHERE!

Campfire fun

Big sticks

Beautiful view

 The Girls

 Our newly tie-dyed shirts

 The Guys

So thankful!!!

Palm Desert

We drove to Palm Desert the other weekend to meet some precious friends from Georgia.  They were in town for a family wedding, and we were so excited to get to spend time with them!  We visited "The Living Desert" while there and saw a neat bird show and many animals indigenous to California.  Then, we visited the Mount San Jacinto National Park and took a tram up 8000 feet from the desert floor to 6 inches of snow.

Special times with very dear friends...makes my soul so happy!

 Watching the bird show with Mr. Joey, the best tour guide and sucker (read:  Parker got him to swim in the cold pool AND buy the cheesy souvenir coin)

Thanksgiving Feast

Turner's kindergarten class had a fun Thanksgiving feast at school.  She chose to be a pilgrim (and made a pretty cute one!).  We are truly grateful for her school and sweet class.  God has richly blessed us!

Parker eating the leftover corn on the cob, barefoot, in the back of our car in the carpool line!  Ha!  You can take a boy out of the South, but you cannot take the South out of the boy! :)  My SoCal friends got a kick out of this (b/c I am positive it comfirmed many of their stereotypes). 



TWO WHEELS!!!

We enjoyed some sweet times a couple weekends ago, when Turner decided she was ready to learn to ride a two wheeler!  It was so much fun, and she did great!  She has a few more practices in her future, but it won't be long before she is OFF.  (Check out the video at the bottom).

READY!

Her biggest cheerleader holding her training wheels!

Never one to be left behind, Parker trailed the bike most of the afternoon!

Big Girl!
Sweet Daddy!  (He said he'll remember this day years from now as one of the most special).