Family Vacation

We took a quick trip down to Palm Springs, CA for family vacation this year. I would say that it was fantastic, but that wouldn't be completely honest. Am I glad we did it? Yes. Do I think we'll do it again? No.

Reasons why this was not the best vacation site for our famly:
1- It was an 8 hour drive, which we did with a two year old on a Sunday afternoon after church. We did not arrive until after 10 PM.
2- It was 115 degrees every day that we were there. And don't even try to say, "It's dry heat, so it's not so bad." No. 115 degrees is HOT, any way you look at it.
3- The "resort" where we stayed left a lot to be desired. A few examples here:

• When we pulled up at 10:15 after driving all day, the first words out of my mouth were, "You've got to be kidding me. Are these our barracks?"
• The occupants before us were smokers. Andy hates smoke with a vengence.
• I've seen better pools at the Holiday Inn.
• Several of the guests were just not "our kind of people". One man continually talked with me about medicinal marijuana and showed me his bottle of "Dr. Puffer". True story. I'm just thankful that's all he showed me.
• This same man couldn't stand one of the other guests at the resort and she couldn't stand him. But for whatever reason they both felt comfortable confiding in me about their messed up lives and disdain for the other person. Quite relaxing.
• We had flies in our suite. Flies. The kind that buzz all around your head and land on your face when you're almost asleep but are too fast to kill.

4. It was another 8 hour drive home with a (grumpy) two year. He decided to use this opportunity with us all locked in a car to take tantrums to a whole new level.

I think it took us all a week to unwind and recover from that "vacation".

But, with all that said, we still had some fun times. Ice cream at Cold Stone, splashing in the pool, pedicure, and the highlight of the week: a day at a water park. Andy and I would take turns playing with Caedmon in the kiddie area and going on all the rides. It felt a little strange, though, standing in line by myself surrounded by a bunch of high schoolers. Similar to attending the movies by yourself. I felt the need to explain to everyone that I had a husband and small child who were waiting for me in the wave pool, but I refrained.

Hope you enjoy the pics! (They are all out of order b/c I couldn't figure out how to format them on the blog.)