Christmas in California

Christmas feels so long ago (it hasn't even been a month!) but I'm having a hard time moving on to other things without posting about it. You know what that means... a great big picture list! Here are some highlights (+) and lowlights (-) from our 12 days in the glorious golden state!

+ Newport Coast. The Lees have a timeshare at the Marriott Villas there, so we enjoyed a week in paradise. I think heaven is going to be a lot like this place.

- Soooo much rain. The downpour during our CA stay might have killed me if kids and I weren't already dying from the worst colds/sinus infections ever. Saying it all dramatic like that made me realize-- it's a miracle I survived.

+ More Newport Coast. As soon as we had a break in the rain, we took the babies on their first trip to the beach!

I'm touching the ocean!

How are my baby's legs already less white than mine?

Sabrina & Olivia dancing in the water.

- Isaac eats sand. I never understood parents talking about their kids eating sand. How could you let your kid eat sand? Well, now I know-- it's because it happens faster than you can say That's the sickest thing I've ever seen, partly because it's a long thing to say. And since getting really grossed out and frustrated didn't help (I definitely tried that first), I then took some pictures. It still grosses me out though.

Blech.

+ Birthday party for the one-year-olds. Cousin Scotty & the twins were born only 5 weeks apart, straddling Christmas, so on Dec 20 we threw a Cars-themed 1st birthday party. They got some great toys from Grandma & Grandpa, but poor Scott didn't get to play with his much while Bethany was around. She just loved sitting in that wagon!

Happy birthday, babies!

Sorry Scotty.

+ First steps, wahoo!

+ Christmas Eve Eve at Uncle Andy's. It's a great Taylor family tradition, even if it meant I had to sing a Christmas song in front of everyone, while sick. We enjoyed stew and cold cuts and yummy olives, a talent show, live nativity by the little cousins, and a walk through a nearby neighborhood that goes nuts with their Christmas lights. Except Jared & I skipped out on the lights to go to...

+ Sajid & Kiran's walimah reception. My friend (and former co-worker) getting married = date night for us! It was good to see a bunch of old Mercer LA buddies. Plus, we got a taste of some Muslim wedding traditions and I got to stare at some amazing dresses. I love the vibrant colors and that they're not afraid to be sparkly. And I think henna is so pretty and feminine.

- Meeting Santa. I think he's the only person Bethany & Isaac have ever met that they don't like. I guess we'll have to work on that for the future, or else how are we going to threaten them into good behavior?

+ Christmas! All of Jared's siblings and their families were there, and Jared's parents always bend over backwards to make everyone's Christmas comfortable and special. We felt extra special spending our babies' first Christmas there with everyone.

We love Grandma & Grandpa!

A Christmas kiss!

And yes, those are Care Bear pajama pants.

Merry Christmas, babies!

All the cousins:

Olivia, Anna, Isaac, Bethany, Jacob, Sabrina & Scott

+ Family photos. Jared's sister, Johanna, is a really talented photographer, and we're so lucky she's so willing to share her talents with us every time we get together. Here's her website. (I don't think our portraits are up yet, but if you look under Portfolio and then Children you can see my babies' newborn photos!) I'll have to post our family pics when I get them, because those Lees are really good lookin'.

...especially this one.

+ Johanna is pregnant! Yay! Baby Luke joins the fam in April.

+ Sunshine and t-shirt weather, finally! Once back in Fullerton, we spent a few glorious days at the park and in the front and back yards-- a real novelty to these NYC babies (green grass right outside your door??) and bliss to me.

Isaac & Olivia

Isaac continues the tradition...

of 4 generations of Lee men to drive Great-Grandpa Orville Lee's baby blue 1960 Ford truck.

- JFK arrival. Here's how we ended our blissful vacation (in excruciating detail):

1:00 AM Arrival at JFK.

1:30 AM Baggage claim. Babies entertain fellow bag-waiters.

2:00 AM Still waiting for bags. Babies are somehow still happy but wanting to move. We take turns-- one baby and one parent walk a circle around the carousel while the other baby and parent dance a circle around our carry-ons.

2:30 AM Stilllllllll waiting. Walking and dancing circles more creatively.

3:00 AM Bags finally arrive. By this time Isaac is about to lose it so he is being swung in his infant carseat (yes, he's way too big/old for this but it made sleeping on the plane possible), and fortunately Bethany is happy to sit in the new single umbrella stroller.

3:05 AM Taxi line, outside, with the other 54 people who just got their bags. Still swinging Isaac who finally loses it and then falls asleep. Bethany's still chilling in her single, wrapped in a thousand blankets.

3:45 AM Get taxi, which fortunately (+) is an SUV. Load babies and things. Ask driver if he knows where Washington Heights is and then distrust his answer. Fall asleep with the babies in the back seat (Jared up front) only to wake up in Harlem, going the slowest way possible. Fall back asleep.

4:30 AM Home! Diaper change, jammy change (from all that walking around the airport in footed jammies, ew), babies in bed.

5:00 AM Moms & Dads in bed.

9:00 AM Babies awake, and seeing that it was 9 AM makes it actually feel like we slept in! Hooray!

+ The babies and I literally spent the next 2 days and nights sleeping like it was our jobs. It's so much easier returning to work from your vacation when sleeping is your job.

Done! Merry Christmas 2010!