Going Back to Cali

2/13/2013 Back to California we go (just for a short visit)!

Well we almost didn’t make it to California with Zoe’s carseat. Thankfully our friend April helped fix my mistake. Thanks April!!

This was the first time Zoe was interested in staring out the window. She was so curious as she watched the man direct the airplane as we taxied out of the gate. We are loving every second watching her get to know the world as she studies everything she sees.

Our first stop on our whirlwind trip to California was my old classroom. Zoe and I frequently FaceTime my students. Since they didn’t have school on Friday or Monday, Thursday was our only opportunity to see them. We didn’t even make in the gate before we saw Mrs. Jefferson. We got to say hi to all of the office staff and then we finally made it back to the classroom. We got to spend some time with Myrna before she had to go back to her 9th graders. Then after snack we headed over to “the apartment” for a party. I enjoyed hanging out with the kids and catching up with them. I miss them a lot. And a visit with my kids isn’t complete without a few songs!

It was so sunny in California, as it usually is, Zoe got to wear her shades. The only thing is she is older now so they don’t stay on as long as they used to. After visiting MVHS we headed back to Corona to celebrate Valentine’s Day and Grandpa Val’s birthday!

The next morning we headed down to Temecula. It was time to start preparing for Zoe’s first birthday party. Sami chauffeured us around Murrieta and Temecula to pick up party supplies and decorations. Thank you Sami! It was such a beautiful day I wanted Zoe to enjoy the out doors. We don’t get to do that a lot right now. We are eagerly awaiting the arrival of Spring. So we took advantage of the sunshine and met up with Grandpa O at the lake in Harveston. We enjoyed a few swings at the park and then visited with the ducks. After that it was time for a nap.

While Zoe napped we began getting things together for the party and making decorations. More people arrived to help. We had dinner and continued our preparations. I am thankful for all of the help and for the time we got to spend with family and friends. I am lucky to have so many people to call on. This whole experience helped me to remember that you need others in life. Life isn’t a solo act. It was meant to be shared with others.

See Hairy 1st Birthday Party post for more details…

Sunday we took a few minutes to take a few family photos at Harveston. Harveston is special to us because that is where we got married. So I thought it was a good opportunity to capture our family on our 4th anniversary. Thank you Laura and Sami for capturing our family.
When we were done with pictures we headed to Orange County to see Tommy’s Dad’s side of the family. They surprised us with birthday party for Zoe! I am so glad we got to celebrate with them! This was also the first time in awhile that ALL of the Perez boys were together! We couldn’t miss this photo-op!

side note...Zoe is the first Perez grand-daughter!

The next morning we got everything together to catch our plane. Thank you Auntie Ashie for taking us to the airport!
We had a wonderful trip to California filled with plenty of sunshine and lots of memories!