California Adventures

We took off for California last Tuesday and wow what a vacation! Aaron and I thought we'd forgo our jackets and sweaters (it was well in the 90s, 107 TODAY) when we left. When we arrived in Oakland it was a cool and balmy 64! We couldn't believe it!!! Gabi did awesome on all of the plane rides and kept everyone entertained with her excited screams and goofy faces.

Wednesday we thought we'd try to brave the elements. I must admit my hubby is somewhat of a doppler genius. There was a storm coming in but somehow we bypassed it in San Francisco of all places! Gabi borrowed some of her cousin Alyssa's fits (she's 2 years old!) and we were actually sweatin' by the end of our trip! It was SOOO great to see Gabi with her cousins Alyssa, Elijah, and Noah. They are between six months and 3 years of her age so they had a ball! If you have never been to the SF Zoo, we HIGHLY recommend it! I took my kids to the El Paso Zoo for an end of the year field trip. MAN!!!! There is NO comparison!!! Before heading home we took Gabi to the Pacific Ocean for her very first visit...I cried!!! I know, I'm a big baby but it was such an amazing moment for the Benefiel family! Our baby was screaming with delight at every turn. We even found a sand dollar for her, completely intact.

Thursday was cousin Tiffani's graduation. We are SOOO proud of our niece! Despite so much adversity she has persevered and held it all down gracefully under tremendous pressure and drama. She will be attending CAL STATE FULLERTON in the Fall. You are living the dream, babe. May God continue to bless you Tiffy!!!! Onward and upward; we love you!

Friday we did some last minute shopping and scrambling. NEVER EVER go shopping with my sister Chon if you're not willing to put in HALF of your day!

Saturday was Tiffani's graduation party. It was great seeing cousins, aunts, and uncles, some who have never met our baby yet. Gabi was hamming everyone up, as usual. I promise I did NOT teach her this but she's begun to tilt her head back and flutter her eyes at people. It's soooo adorable!

Sunday was the main event: Gabriella's 1st Birthday. Her Nina, my sister, had reserved a space at Lake Cunningham Park in advance. We went all out!!! Aaron was a good sport about it. It was a fairy tale princess DREAM! I found this AMAZING made to order "princess" gown on Etsy and our Belle was all set for her ball! I had a princess castle and frog prince cake made especially for our guest of honor princess. We drove all over Oakland to find Gabi's princess castle pinata. I joked that Aaron could stay in the car when we finally found the place-in the ghetto. LOL!!! I got princess goody bags for the girls and knights for the boys. Skates the Clown did face painting, parachute games, and balloon animals. Lots more cousins, aunts, and uncles came to the party. The kids had a blast and the adults chatted and caught up. We will be eating beans and rice all summer but it was worth it! Gabi will have have to wait for her Quinceañera to throw a party like that again!

We are 18 days away from Gabriella's 1st birthday. Saying good-bye to everyone on Monday made me think about how badly I want us to be back HOME. It was so hard tucking our nephew Noah into bed the night before we left-knowing we may not see him for several months. Aside from all the party stuff and frill, it was good just to see our family again. You can't put a price tag on that and we are too far away now. I can't wait to see all these crazy kids playing together again. More than that, I can't wait for more birthday parties, graduations, and time just spent together, making memories that will bring OUR kids back longing for HOME when we're old. Love u guys, miss you already!!!!!