August 9, 2014

So We Left

With two friends.  Without parental supervision.
It was beginning to plague my mind ~ what were we thinking?
To allow two of our young men to travel right across the province
with two other young men ~ alone.  Craziness.

Yes, crazy.  But, also necessary.  And, good.

(Lest you think we've totally lost our minds,

one of those young men is an experienced outdoorsman
and the oldest in a family of ten children ~ he's very responsible.)

We cannot keep our young people from flying.
We just need to give them wings.  So, we do.
At least, we are seeking to ~ by God's grace alone.

Howie and I were walking on the beach awhile back,
and I got the idea that maybe I should run away with Emma.
Just for a week.  To my sister's house.  While the boys would be away.
What did he think?  He said yes.  So, I looked up flights.
They were on sale ~ of course!  Who goes to the desert in summer?
Hmmm...that would be us, I guess.  More craziness.  :)

So we left ~ just me and my girl.


We were high above Nevada in this shot, I think.
See how the clouds made shadows on the land below?


We landed in Palm Springs late in the afternoon and picked up our car.
It was HOT!  Note all the open doors.  I was inside trying to figure it all out.
We were given a Toyota Prius ~ a hybrid electric car.
What an interesting experience it was to drive that thing!


We drove up through the desert right past a wind farm ~
the windmills are lined up in rows and rows, and go for miles.


When we landed in the desert, the temperature was 110 F ~
as we drove it rose to 112 F.  It felt like standing over an open oven door.
By the time we arrived at my sister's home, after about 40 minutes
of driving, it was 91 F.  She had the A/C on for the Canadians
who were in danger of melting ~ what a relief!  


On Saturday, we drove over to Newport Beach.
Below, you can see Emma following her cousin and a friend
along the path.  See the line of path just in front of the clump 
of palm trees?  That was where we were heading.


The kids are at the end of the paved pathway in the photo below.
We were heading toward the white covered area at the top left.


Emma with her cousin ~ my sister and I each have one girl.


"Let's go fly a kite!"
What a great beach to fly kites at!  :)


Not quite brave enough to go all the way in ~ the shore seemed safest.


My sister's car was out of commission, so I drove.
The highways in CA are crazy!  
Here we are in the far left lane of a possible six or seven
(fyi...someone else took the photo...I'm not that crazy) ~ 
all of which were travelling in the same direction.


We met up with the men of the family for dinner ~
In-N-Out is a *must-do* when in California.


On the way to church on Sunday morning, Emma snapped this photo
of the crisscrossing overpasses as we drove under them.


We zipped over to Disneyland for one day.
Emma and I stayed two nights in a hotel since my sister
lives too far away for us to do it all in one day.


We had one meal out at a Mexican restaurant.
We had packed up a cooler full of food to keep us going for
the rest of the time.  It also helped that our hotel included breakfast.


A self-timer is a good thing to have on a camera.  :)


Emma talked me into going on the swinging ride.
I closed my eyes the entire time which worked out really well.
I was able to avoid motion sickness that way ~ yippee!


This photo is for my Dad ~ it's his all-time favourite thing to see at Disney.
The birds all come to life and sing.  It really is an amazing show.


Mid-day we took a break and went swimming and took a nap.
It's the only way to survive in the California heat!


I sat in the shade while Emma swam and swam and swam.


We went back into the parks for the evening.
See the roller coaster in the background?  We rode it five times.
Yes, my girl...she is crazy!  I was ready to be done after four.  ;-)


The castle is magical all lit up at night.
This photo was taken from the back end of the castle 
on our way out of the park.


We strolled out of the park slowly in order to enjoy
the sights and sounds of Main Street ~ so pretty!


As we left Disneyland, we walked toward the entrance
of California Adventure ~ everything was lit up beautifully.


The day we flew out, we connected with Howie's brother and family at In-N-Out...
it was our second meal at one of these restaurants on this trip.
We don't have In-N-Out in Canada, so it's a rare treat for us.  Yum!


The airport at Palm Springs is absolutely adorable!
Once through security, there is a pretty walkway that leads you to the gates.
It's such a tiny and friendly airport ~ what a wonderful experience.


Another self-timed shot.  :)


We watched our plane land, unload and load baggage,
and fuel up prior to our boarding.
Everything is so up-close and personal at this little airport.


See the round canopied building just ahead of the wing in this shot?
That's the airport we just left...too cute.


Coming in for a landing in Vancouver.
It's fun to go away, but, it's always good to be home.
We missed our family of men ~ it just wasn't the same without them.


So, our adventure came to an end.
Now, we just need to get our boys home safely and we will
all breathe a collective sigh of relief.

How about you?  Have you gone on any adventures

this summer?  Do tell...inquiring minds want to know.

Many Blessings,
Camille


**Photos in this post courtesy of both of us with

Emma's little point and shoot that's been dropped a few too many times.

18 comments:

Nadine said...

Looks like a fun trip for just you two girls!
It has been hot enough here in Washington, I cannot imagine the heat down south. Guess I am about ready for fall! ;)

Unknown said...

We are glad you both came! Come again anytime!!
Love, Janine

Sandy said...

Dear Camille,
Wow, what a fun adventure you had with Emma! Five times on the roller coaster...what great fun!!!
We didn't get a chance to try In N Out last time we were there...must put it on our list the next time we go. Glad you are back, Camille.
Hugs to you!
In Jesus' Love,
Sandy

Jennifer Jo said...

Running away with your girl---what a wonderful thing to do.

Anonymous said...

So happy that you got to spend some special time together! :) It looked like a lot of fun. I have never heard of an In and Out. Glad you made it home safely. I always prefer home!

Melissa said...

Oh, what a blessing to have that time alone with your girl. Precious memories you will both cherish for a long time.

Chelle said...

Looks like you had a fun time. Its always nice to have one on one with the girls in our family too. I do it sometimes. I do things with my boys too. I have been to CA twice and it was very nice. We went to San Fran. And San Diego. Itwas hot when we went too. I'm glad you had a nice trip.

Maryann said...

I love the idea of having an adventure with your daughter, you have made such precious memories. I did have to giggle about you riding the roller coaster four times...your a good momma, looks like you guys had a lot of fun.

Heather said...

Looks and sounds like an amazing time! How awesome that the two of you had some girl time. You are both ADORABLE!

Angela said...

What a great time the two of you had and how special that you could spend that time with Emma. My friends and I are going to a cottage just outside Peachland for a couple of days. It will be HOT but I'm looking forward to getting away, spending time on the beach, doing a wine tour maybe and hanging out with a good book!

Pam said...

It looks like such fun. Our boys went on a wilderness adventure around the ages of 16 and 18 with a few other young men. It is good for them to do those things. It helps them grow into men. We are thinking of doing a very similar trip that you did with your daughter in the next month; via car. We will make a circle from Colorado to Phoenix, to California, to Nevada and home. We will visit my parents and two of our kids in Phoenix, and one of our other sons in California and I have an Aunt and Uncle in Palm Springs whom we may see and then my brother in Nevada; So this all feels like a lovely preliminary view of our trip. There are In and Out Burgers in Phoenix, and we have eaten at them on many occasion. It is a goos food and they are a Christian company;they even have scripture verses on their plates and bags and cups. Well, this was a long comment wasn't it? So I'll say good bye! Have a great day Camille,
Blessings, Pam

Camille said...

Dear Nadine ~ It was such a blessing to be able to do it. Yes, the heat was incredible...but, we survived! Yippee for fall. :)

Dear Janine ~ Thank you SO much! We had so much fun. XO

Dear Sandy ~ Yes, you must! Are you going anytime soon? :)

Dear Jennifer ~ It was such a wonderful treat! :)

Dear Nikki ~ Truly, home is the most wonderful place to be....I agree. However, my sister's home is next best. :)

Dear Melissa ~ The Lord is just so good to us, isn't He? These are gifts from His hand. :)

Dear Chelle ~ It really is a special thing to do the one on one time...for sure! And, yes...it's important to do with the boys as well. :)

Dear Maryann ~ Thank you for your sweet words! I actually rode the thing five times...I just was ready to be done after four. :)

Dear Heather ~ Awww...you are sweet to us...you made me smile. I think you and your girls are adorable. :)

Dear Angela ~ What fun that you have a trip planned to Peachland...I am sure it will be lovely! Enjoy. :)

Dear Pam ~ Yes, wilderness is good for our young men...I agree. It's a little harder on their Mums, don't you think? At least, that's how I feel. I am glad you left me a *longer* comment...it's fun to learn about what your plans are for your trip. What a blessing to have those special family times. I am sure your family will be so glad to see you. :)

With Love,
Camille

Cheesemakin' Mamma said...

Sounds like a super fun trip even if it was super hot, LOL! Glad you were able to get away, friend :)

1HappyWife said...

What sweet memories you and Emma made :). It was fun to "go along" with you too :).
I think we are done with our summer adventures and are ready to settle in to the school year and preparing for sweet Baby. My husband did mention camping in September and October but we thought having a Baby in the tent might be a little too adventuress for us :).

Lois said...

Love your "girl" adventure! And what did your poor hubby do by himself....all alone....at home? I took my two teens on a flying adventure also, from Dallas to Missoula, Montana. Ours was a mission of mercy to see my sister (!) and my aging parents. Not sure how much longer we have, so I wanted them to see their grandparents. We did not ride any roller coasters or visit Disneyland, but frequented coffee shops and the farmers' market. And, when we got home (whew) my handy husband had removed a wall and opened up the kitchen. Bless his heart..he missed me! I hope your sons had a great growing time as well. Blessings to you, Camille.

Camille said...

Dear Jackie ~ Thank you my friend. The Lord is so good to us, isn't He? :)

Dear Joleena ~ I agree with you about the craziness of camping in a tent with a baby!! School is coming up quickly for us as well. What a precious blessing you have to look forward to soon! :)

Dear Lois ~ So good to hear from you my friend! So glad you were able to get away with your teens to visit with family. I am sure your parents and sister were very happy to see you. What fun that you had a bigger kitchen to come home to. :) My sweetie was getting current on a plane...so, he did a lot of flying while we were gone. He was super busy. He was glad to have us home, though. Thanks for asking.

Many Blessings,
Camille

Lisa said...

I love that you and Emma got to take such a fun trip together! So happy you got to do this :) Wish we could have seen you, but glad you had fun! Miss you my friend!

Camille said...

Dear Lisa ~ I am sorry it didn't work out to connect...but, I do understand! Hugs to you! Love, Camille