California trip: the wedding

Our last full day in California was Sarah and Brian's wedding day.

They were beautiful.

This was the first time I attended a wedding as a mother of two, and my boys made it tricky to enjoy the ceremony. We didn't worry about keeping Liam and River in their seats so much as containing them to the row where we were sitting. And River added some baby-babble commentary at the quiet moments. But it was special to witness the beginning of this new chapter in Sarah and Hannah's lives.

We never really got a chance to meet Brian, aside from who's-who introductions, but they seem happy together. And we're happy for them.

Liam was more than happy to help decorate their wedding getaway car. Once we told him it was okay to color on the car, there was no holding back.

And because a wedding is just the kind of occasion to make some matching brother outfits, I added bowties to the overalls I made a few weeks ago (they wore them Arkansas-style when we went blueberry picking a few weeks before).

He's going to hate this picture when he is thirteen, and I will continue to love it!

River was equally dashing in his wedding outfit. I still can't believe they kept their bowties on, but somehow it didn't bug them. Hurray!

And because they don't hold still, this is the closest thing I got to a picture of the two of them together. Always on the move.

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We got back on the road to drive home extra early the following morning. We divided the long drive into two days for the trip home, and even though we were all tired and ready to be home, the boys traveled well.

I told myself that I had to finish these California-trip posts before the end of the month, and it seems I have just barely squeezed it in. Either way, it's finished, and I am ready to move on to everything else that's been going on around here.

Maybe tomorrow.

California trip: flowers flowers everywhere

Not long after we made our travel plans to visit family in California this summer, Gabe's little sister, Sarah, called to tell us she was getting married. And she was nice enough to plan it for the same weekend we had already decided to be in California. The timing was perfect.

And since I offered to do her flowers for the wedding, the day before was set aside for all of the arranging. But first we had to go to the growers to pick up the flowers.

This was a new experience for me. When I've done other weddings in San Diego, I always sourced the flowers from San Diego Wholesale, choosing the flowers by handling them, setting them side by side, and working with what was available the day I showed up to purchase them. Here in Arkansas, my process has been the same, except I only had the not-so-great selection at Sam's Club.

But Santa Maria is full of the growers that supply the flowers all across the country. Buying direct meant that I could have any flower I wanted, but it also meant that they had to be ordered in advance. Placing that order was tricky, but Sarah had visited the grower a few weeks before hand, and wrote down the names of flowers that caught her eye. That's what I worked from, and it turned out great.

I had never been to a flower farm before. Acre after of acre of greenhouses. Some flowers at their peek, some past their prime, and others just starting out. It was easy to see how they can keep up with the flowers throughout the growing seasons, which is pretty much year-round in California.

Cindy really did most of the leg-work. She found the grower at the farmer's market and made all of the connections to make all of this happen. Her mom, Gabe's Grandma Roberta, came along Friday morning to help with the flowers.

Seeing the flowers in mass quanitites was really quite a sight. These snapdragons were taller than me!

Not only were their many varieties to choose from, but the color selection was impressive as well.

Dahlias in red, cheery and bright.

Dahlias in red, dark and dramatic.

Here's what we left with: roses in three different shades, gerbera daisies, snapdragons, bouvardia, baby's breath, hypericum berries, pom poms, ranunculus, dahlias, freesia, stephanotis, and two types of greenery.

It ended up taking me all day to finish them. It was a lot of flowers in a lot of arrangements. But they turned out beautiful.

the bridesmaid's bouquets

the bride's bouquet

I love making flower arrangments for weddings, but when they are for family, it's all the more special. Thanks, Sarah, for allowing me to be a part of your wedding day.

well, that was easier than expected

I really didn't know what to expect, I suppose, but I never would have guessed how excited Liam was to go to the hospital to have his thumb fixed. It took him well over an hour to fall back asleep after we got him out of bed and into the car at 1:30 this morning. I am sure some of it was nerves, but mostly, he just was happy to go.

Once we were at the hospital, he wanted to see all that there was to experience. Coloring sheets! Crayons! New socks! Soft jammies! And this was at 5:30 AM. Let's just say that Gabe and I aren't quite so animated this bright and early in the morning, especially after a 4 hour drive. 

Once the nurses and other technicians began filing in and out, taking vitals, marking charts, asking questions, a bit of trepidation crept in. He cooperated. Barely.

Then the nurse suggested they give him some happy juice before wheeling him off to the OR without us. Best decision ever. Within five minutes of drinking the stuff, Liam requested/slurred to lay down. Once he was in bed, he giggled, smiled, and lolled his head around the pillow like he'd had a few too many drinks. When the time came for us to part ways, he smiled and said goodbye, muttering indecipherable sentences to the nurse who rolled him down the hall. 

According to the surgeon, once they were in the OR, Liam went to sleep just fine with the gas mask before they gave him an IV and intubated him. Once they got going, the procedure took 20 minutes and was a complete success.

Recovery took awhile. He woke up incredibly groggy, disoriented, and upset about the IV set-up on his right hand and enormous red cast on the left.

But once he calmed enough to eat a popsicle, everything became much more tolerable. That red blob under the towel is his cast-covered hand and arm.

As soon as the IV was out and we walked out the main entrance with his new giraffe softie tucked under his good arm, he was happy happy happy. After stopping at Whole Foods for some yogurt (his request), he slept almost the entire drive home. And he has been in a remarkably good mood ever since.

We'll go back in two weeks for a check-up and to have his cast removed. Keeping that thing clean and dry in the meantime will, undoubtedly, be the most difficult part of this whole ordeal. 

two thumbs up

Liam is having hand surgery tomorrow to fix his bent thumb, which won't straighten all the way.

this is as good as it gets

It's known as trigger finger. Basically, the tendon that makes our thumbs bend and straighten slides through a guiding sheath at the base of the thumb. Liam's tendon has a thickned portion down by his palm, making it so the tendon can't slide all the way through. It's not from an injury, it's just something his body did on its own. The good news is that the surgery to correct it is minor, a simple little incision through the base of the thumb to widen the guiding sheath.

Our pediatrician referred us to the local orthopedic surgeon, who signed him up for surgery the following week. But then I asked him how frequently he performs this surgery on a young child. Once every 3 or 4 years. So then I asked for a referral to the pediatric hand specialist at Children's Hospital in Little Rock.

This surgeon sees 2 or 3 cases of this every week. I'd rather this be a routine procedure, wouldn't you? So that's where we are going tomorrow.

His surgery is at 7:30 am, and we need to be there in Little Rock by 5:30. So we will be on the road by 1:30 tomorrow morning/tonight. It's going to be a long day.

Liam knows that we are going to the hospital and the doctor is going to fix his thumb while he is sleeping. And when he wakes up, he'll have a really big band aid. We've been reading plenty of books about hospitals, playing with a stethoscope, and play-acting with a surgeon puppet.

I think this is as prepared as we can be.  Here goes.

California trip: SLO farmer's market

Gabe's parents took us to the Thursday evening market in San Luis Obispo, a market unlike any other I've ever visited. This was more than produce vendors, more than live music, more than humongous crowds and balloons and popcorn. This was an event. And it was a lot of fun.

Grandpa Kenny supplied the kids with balloons.

And there was kettle corn to munch on Uncle Trevor's shoulders.

And the California bounty: fresh figs! kumquats! 

artichokes!

raw milk!!!

Hurray for crunchy places!

California trip: Pismo Beach

We spent a morning at Pismo Beach with Grandma, Aunt Kellie, and Hannah. It was a short hike from the road down to the sand and shore, but walking through the eucalyptus grove made it all the more memorable. Cindy told us about the butterflies that come and spend the winter in these trees, making the long journey from Canada. It was fun to imagine the branches full with butterflies.

The waves here were gentle, and the shallows stretched out a good distance before the water got very deep. Perfect for little people to play in. At least the little people who aren't nervous about the waves, or in Gabe's case, stingrays.

River loved running up and down the shore. And he loved digging in the sand.

Liam loved running up and down the shore, too, but he mostly wanted to stay away from the water. Those gentle waves are mighty scary...

Pausing a moment for a family photo

minus one kid who wanted nothing to do with a portrait...

 

The beaches here are so different from what we were used to in San Diego: more for exploring and experiencing than sunbathing. It made for a great morning.

Speaking of mornings, look at the sun coming up and over the hills. Just beautiful.

California trip: cousin time

Gabriel's parents moved up the coast to Santa Maria last summer. This was our first trip out to visit since their move, and let's just say that the San Luis Obispo area they now call home is AMAZING. It's the perfect combo of California beaches, farmland, mountains, and funky college town. We're tempted to move that direction now, too, but the cost of living is a little more than outrageous. And our house doesn't seem to be switching hands any time soon. But one can always dream, right?

As for Liam, the real draw is a certain little someone named Hannah. They made the most of cousin time and played, and screamed, and chased, and climbed, and colored, and played some more.

Not only did he have Hannah to play with, but he also got to spend lots of special time with Grandma (and a cute little kitten, too).

And with all of the excitement that two cousins can create, some relaxed time reading with Grandma was a treat for all of us.

A treat that Grandma was happy to indulge lots and lots of time.

But it wasn't long before these two were back to the wild and crazy cousin celebration.

California trip: sweet snacks and starbucks for the road

I am going to let you in on an Imperial Beach secret: Stardust Donuts. The best cinnamon rolls. Ever.

This little hole-in-the-wall donut shop is perched on Palm Ave just before it turns into the Strand and goes toward Coronado Island. You could blink and pass right by, but then you'd really be missing out.



Then again, you could stop by in the morning and still be missing out since their business hours are whenever they decide to show up. They could be open at 7 and sold out by 9, but sometimes they don't even open until 11. They get to make the rules because they are that good. 

I waited in line for a half an hour before they brought out the first trays in the morning. It was totally worth it.

Is it a donut pretending to be a cinnamon roll? Or a cinnamon roll disguised as a donut? The best of both worlds? Yes, yes, and yes.

Liam agrees, putting a temper tantrum on hold to devour his first one.

Stardust is not the only California favorite worth seeking-out. We also made a stop at See's Candies, where they give free samples. Yummy. We came out with a bag-full of lollipops: chocolate, vanilla, cafe latte, butterscotch, and rootbeer. Creamy and delicous.

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We left IB early Wednesday morning, driving up the coast to see Gabe's family in Santa Maria. Our trusty GPS navigated us around all of the traffic, which meant our route went something like this:

1. I-5
2. I-15
3. I-805
4. I-5
5. Hwy-73
6. I-405
7. Hwy-710
8. Hwy-105
9. I-405
10. Hwy-101
11. Hwy-154
12. Hwy-101

The standard route? I-5, to the 405, to the 101. But following the GPS' traffic alerts! and all of the redirecting was so much more entertaining, not to mention quicker than sitting in traffic. In all, the drive up the coast took about 5 hours.

Just as important as the GPS getting us through all of the traffic was the Starbucks stop along the way. Latte-powered and ready to go.

Liam's drink of choice is a lukewarm hot chocolate with whipped cream, please.

River may not be big enough for Starbucks yet, but that didn't stop him from enjoying a See's vanilla lollipop. And by enjoy, I mean the kind where it gets all over his face, hands, hair, collar, and carseat. Sticky goodness.



California trip: at the San Diego Zoo

No San Diego trip would be complete without a visit to the zoo, and we fulfilled the obligation. Gladly.  

Liam was smitten with the meerkats. They are a social group, scampering in and out of their tunnels, going nose to nose with curious boys on the other side of the glass...

Forest and Estella: getting cozy like the meerkats.That sounds like some weird inuendo. They're just hugging, Mom.

We had a big group at the zoo that day, making it all the more fun. We were so happy to have Molly and Rachael along. Actually, getting to see Rachael everyday while we were in San Diego was one of the highlights of my trip.

And getting to see Rachael everyday meant getting to squeeze this bundle of joy daily. Hello, Bailey.

The zoo is full of amazing habitats with breathtaking landscaping and all kinds of animals, but that's not what my camera fixated on. No, apparently, the zoo is the perfect place for weird family photos.

The siblings with the enormous lifesized (scary!) polar bear. Wish you could have joined this one, Linda.

Scootering under a mammoth.

Peeking like a seal pup.

And kissing one too.

Best of all, becoming fierce as a saber-toothed tiger. Yes, the zoo is a wonderful place for self-expression.

And after all of that: touring the zoo and seeing the exhibits, taking funny pictures, and Liam tripping and scraping his ankle, what captured River's attention above all else? Mardi gras beads.

Fun times.