On March 11th we started our trek down to California. Brandon had to work that morning so we didn't take off until after lunch. We made it to Cedar City to stay that night and then get up and play in the pool for a little bit before making the rest of the drive to Jason and Devin's house in Burbank. The plan for our spring break was to spend a couple of day with Jason and Devin and then head to Tifany's house to spend the rest of our spring break with them and go to the beach and other fun things. After spending about 5 days with her we were going to head to Utah and see Ashley and her new baby boy and stay with Brandon's cousin for a night before heading the rest of the way home. Sadly, most of our trip didn't end up happening. Before leaving for our trip Jason informed us that his kids had gotten some tummy bug. They were doing better after a couple of days and he said he would inform us if he or Devin got sick later in the week. I figured by Saturday we would be in the clear to stay at their house without risking getting sick. Tifany had told me we shouldn't risk it. I was not wanting any of us to get sick especially with a tummy bug over our spring break but I figured 5 days was plenty of time for them to be germ free and for our plans to go down the way we wanted. So that Friday we started our trek!
The kids were super excited for our trip. They handled the first 10 hours of driving really well. In fact I brought Kayden's little steering wheel paw patrol toy with us and he played with that for hours that first day. Then we let them watch a couple of movies and then we were there. That night in the hotel was interesting. Kayden had fallen to sleep right before we got to the hotel and all the boys were super tired. By the time we got every one situated Kayden woke up enough to have a bunch of energy and did not want to go back to sleep. I finally ended up feeding him some muffin that we had brought in from the car and some blueberries and then he went to sleep. It was not until after 11 that night. So it was a late night. The other boys were so tired that Emmett was throwing fits because of the sleeping arrangements. Finally Wyatt said he would take the floor so that Emmett would stop being grumpy and let them go to sleep. So we got situated and were all finally asleep after 11. T he next morning we got up and the kids ate some muffin and blueberries and we headed down to play in the pool and hot tub for a bit before heading out the rest of the way.
The boys had a bunch of fun in the pool. I was not feeling like getting in the water. I did not want to be shivering from the cold water and make my back bug me more. So I just observed and enjoyed time with them in the hot tub.
While waiting for Ethan to get done in the bathroom Kayden wanted to eat a muffin and watch Mickey. We didn't want him on the couch because he was still wet and in his swim diaper so this was how we improvised. haha
Then we were off in the car again. We planned to stop in Las Vegas to get lunch at IN N OUT. By the time we got there Ethan had pulled out 2 of his teeth. haha All of a sudden he would call from the back of the car and say he just pulled out a tooth. Then a little later he said it again. haha I guess when you are bored in the car the best thing to do is to work on pulling out your loose teeth! haha
Look at those gaps. haha Silly kid!!
After a tasty lunch we were on the road again.
Passing the street where I grew up. Crazy that it had been over 2 years since we had been back to California.
The last 40 minutes of our drive Kayden was super done with being in the car. He was so upset and just kept crying and screaming. It was so much fun! haha
That evening we just hung out and got some yummy Mexican food. The next day we went to a big park. We walked around and the kids got to play at a park for a little bit. Then we did some more hiking to see the Hollywood sign!
Griffith park was a cool area. Some pretty natural areas and just a nice day outside. The kids were really hot by the end. Then we went back to the house to make some lunch and let the kids relax. They played outside a lot as well. It was nice weather and we were glad to be in the some warmer weather for a bit. The kids had a lot of fun playing with their cousins.
Side note: On Saturday night Devin was stressing out. When I asked what was up she said that her tummy was bugging her that night. She said that Jason had gotten their kids tummy bug later in the week and she had shared a drink with him and was worried that she was now getting sick. I told her that if she did it was all good and we would probably take off the next day. Our plans were not super set so we could be flexible. She ended up not getting sick which was good but I was a little upset that Jason didn't tell us that he had gotten sick later that week. I told Brandon that night and I was now really hoping that Devin wouldn't get sick. I didn't want any of us to get sick on our trip. Especially since Tifany was just telling us not to risk it and that she didn't not want her kids getting a tummy bug. Which I didn't want ours to get one either. So that was not good news. I was just glad that Devin's tummy felt better in the morning.
Monday morning we ate some tasty bakery goods and then packed up and took off.
The kids had so much fun together. It was pretty cute!!
We stopped at IN N OUT on our way to Tif's house and then got their to see her new place and to get settled before heading to see our old Dental School friends the Blackmores.
The Blackmore's had a place out in the mountains and had a bunch of space. They had bunnies to play with and a bow and arrow and a fire pit that we roasted hot dogs and marshmallows on for dinner. The boys had a ton of fun being outside that afternoon.
Kayden was not as much of a fan of the bunnies. He got scratched on accident once and then was terrified of them. haha
The boys had so much fun with their kids and being able to do a bunch of boy things. Their kids were so good with ours and Kayden took to their daughter Naomi. It was pretty cute to watch him with her.
Then it was time to say bye and head back to Tifany's house.
On our way out Lizzie asked if the kids needed any food for the road. So Ethan and Kayden grabbed chips, Wyatt got some of their yogurt pie to take with him and eat and Emmett asked for their pineapple. Not just some pieces of pineapple. The WHOLE thing. Lizzie told him he could have it and I told him he didn't need to take their pineapple. So when she asked what else he wanted he said he wanted the cantaloupe. She said he could have it and Emmett thought it was the best thing in the world that she was letting him take their Cantaloupe. I still can't believe he asked for that and that she was so willing to let him take it. haha He was so thrilled though that it was pretty cute!! Then we were back on the road for the last hour drive of the day.
We got back to Tif's house and had the kids get in jammies and head to bed. We were heading to Sea World the next morning and it was already a late night. So they needed to get some sleep. Brandon and I stayed up for just a bit with Tif and then headed to bed too.
That is when our trip changed, and not for the better.
Kayden woke up crying around midnight. We figured he was just up crying because he was in a new place again or was having a bad dream. He just kept crying and crying. Then he stopped finally and layed down. Then a couple of minutes later he started screaming and crying again. All of a sudden he started throwing up. So I got up and went downstairs to find a bowl to use. Then Tif heard me walking around down the halls and came out to see what was up. When I told her that Kayden had thrown up she was all upset and was like, "Now all the kids are going to be throwing up this week!!" I told her we were really hoping it was just something he ate and that he will get it out and then be good. Sadly, that was not the case. Kayden ended up throwing up like every 10 minutes the rest of the night. He threw up constantly until about 6 that morning and then he finally was able to get some good sleep. He was so tired that we would hear him start to make a noise and Brandon would have to lift him up so he would throw up in the bowl and not just all over himself and breath it back in. He also would almost fall asleep in the bowl when Brandon was holding him over the bowl. He would ask to lay down on his pillow while Brandon was holding him over the bowl for him to throw up. It was so sad and worrisome to see him so sick. He would throw up so much and then he would be thristy and start chugging his water and then a few minutes later he would throw up again. By the time it was 5 in the morning I was looking at my watch to see how long he would go without throwing up. By 6:30 he was finally going 45 minutes without throwing up. From there it started to spread out even farther which was good. The sad part is that we knew he was sick. We knew we couldn't stay at Tif's house. She was so worried about her kids getting it and Q was gone for 3 weeks for work. So I totally understood her not wanting to deal with sick throwing up kids on her own. So we knew we couldn't stay. We also didn't know if we were able to go to Sea World. Brandon and I were now planning on driving home. We had just made the 16 hour drive a couple of days ago and now we were planning on turning around and going home. So I got up and went downstairs to talk to the boys. When I saw Tif she asked how Kayden was doing. I told her not good through tears and told her that we were going home. She was sad for us but I think also releived that we were not staying. The hardest part was telling my boys that we were not staying and that we were heading home. I tried to be tough but I couldn't hold back the tears. I told them that I needed to talk to them and that Kayden was really sick. I told them that we were going to pack up again and head home. Wyatt asked if we were going to go to Sea World still and I told them no. They took it like champs and then a few minutes later I saw Wyatt looking like he was trying not to cry and he then told me that he was really sad that we couldn't go to Sea World. Which made me cry even more. Then I told Emmett we were leaving and he was all, "Ok, But we are still going to Sea World right?" When I told him no he started crying. So then Brandon and I decided that he would get a hotel in San Diego and I would take the 3 older boys to Sea World. We had already paid for it so we figured it was best to not let 500 bucks to waste. When I told the boys the new plan they we so happy and thankful that we were at least going to do that. Then poor Ryan was crying so hard as she got ready to leave for school. She was so sad that her cousins were leaving. She didn't even get to play with them. We left soon after she got home from school the day before and now we were leaving and not able to play and do all the fun things we had planned for that week. It was a very sad morning. I had shed a lot of tears that morning and so had my boys and their cousin. So we packed up all of our things again and said our Good Byes. We got to the hotel and Brandon checked in and headed up to hang out with Kayden in the hotel room all day. Then I drove to Sea World with the older 3.
I was so sad that Brandon and Kayden couldn't be there with us. Kayden would have loved seeing all the fish and shows. Plus I felt bad that Brandon had to hangout in a hotel room all day with a sick Kayden. I was happy to be able to take our other boys to Sea World and let them enjoy something we had planned to do with them over spring break. So we made the most of our day and I enjoyed the time I had with our boys. With my back pain issues I have not been able to do anything really fun with them so I was glad to get this chance to spend time with them doing something fun.
So here are the pictures from our Sea World day!
The boys loved this part. Letting these little fish eat the dead skin off their hands. haha
Wyatt was the only one that wanted to feed the Seals.
Brandon sent me this picture saying that Kayden was acting back to normal. So we were really hopeful that he was done being sick. Then I was even more bummed thinking they could have come with us. Problem is we didn't have a stroller so that would have been miserable. Plus he didn't sleep well and needed a good nap. So Brandon sent me a picture and I sent him a few pictures throughout the day.
The turtle exhibit was closed so this is the only turtle we got to see.
Ethan and Wyatt braved their kid friendly roller coaster!
They really liked it and went on it twice! I think they are getting old enough to start trying out more roller coaster rides.
It was a fun afternoon! The only bad thing from the day is that we didn't eat enough so we all got a little grumpy. haha We had snacked on popcorn and a churro and drank plenty of soda. Then by 3 we were so hungry that I finally bought 3 hot dogs. I shared with Emmett because he said he wasn't that hungry and Ethan and Wyatt got their own. We were planning on going out to eat with Dad and Kayden when we got back so I didn't want to eat too much. Plus they were expensive hot dogs! haha Then with the whole hiccup of Kayden getting sick threw me off and I didn't even think about bringing sun screen. So by the end of the day the boys and I were all sun burnt! Oops!! Mom fail on that one! Other than those 2 things it was a fun day and we enjoyed our time seeing all the exhibits and watching the shows. Before heading out I let the boys pick out a souvenir and we picked out one for Kayden as well. Then we made the drive back to the hotel to get some dinner with Dad and Kayden.
Sun burns!! My bad!!!
After our fun day at Sea World we slept that night and Kayden threw up a couple of times that night and then was done again for a while. So we got up and ate some breakfast before heading back on the road yet again. We got this bucket from Sea world for our popcorn. We ended up using to for Kayden to throw up in. Thankfully when he put it on his head like this he had not used it yet. haha
We made it to St. George and stopped for dinner at Wingers. We planned to stay at a hotel for 2 nights in St. George to try and have some kind of fun on our kids spring break. We figured driving straight home seemed like a terrible spring break. Since we were breaking up our drive by staying in St. George we figured it would be more fun to take 2 days there and be able to play at some parks and just enjoy some time before driving another 10 hours.
The hotel we stayed at had a really nice pool and big hot tub. The kids loved it. Kayden really liked it too. Thankfully, he was starting to act better. So we were really hoping that he was going to not throw up anymore.
He was loving staying at these hotels.
Picture courtesy of Emmett. haha
This one was all thanks for Emmett. haha
The hotel room we stayed in had a trundel bed as well as 2 Queen beds. The ottoman it had was wide and long enough that we put it in between the desk and our bed and covered it with blankets and it fit Kayden perfectly, Which was also nice because it made him even closer to Brandon so he could help Kayden if he threw up again.
Then we went to the Dinosaur park. It was a little busy and you could tell Kayden was not himself yet. He was whiny and not wanting to do much or leave our side. So we played for just a little bit and then left to go grab sodas and some lunch before heading to the park that was like a ninja warrior park.
As soon as we got to the other park Kayden started crying about his tummy and saying he needed to throw up again. So I ended up hanging out in the car with Kayden while he watched Mickey Mouse.
Once the kids were done playing at the park we headed back to go sit in the hot tub.
We enjoyed the hot tub. Then Kayden started crying about his tummy again. So he wanted to go back to the room and watch some more Mickey. Plus he was really tired. So Brandon took him back to the room and I stayed with the other boys for a little longer. Then we headed back to the room to find out that Kayden had thrown up in the hall as they walked to the room.
Then Brandon took the older boys mini golfing and I hung out with Kayden in the hotel room while he threw up a couple more times and then he fell asleep for like 2 or more hours.
Once he woke up we headed to get IN N OUT and then get some ice cream and Iceburg and Nelsons custard.
Sadly, Kayden was crying again about his tummy and IN N OUT so Brandon took him in the car to eat there in case he threw up. So the boys and I ate quickly and then we took off to go get our ice cream. While Brandon was getting his custard Kayden kept crying so I sat in the car holding the bucket for him to throw up in. He didn't throw up but he was sure crying about it.
That evening I went to the hot tub for one more soak with Emmett and then we were off to get cleaned up and pack up to get back on the road early the next morning.
This might seem like a random picture but I had to take it because Kayden kept calling the mountain "blue mountains" They do look blue. So it made me laugh. He kept wanting to go on the blue mountains.
We made it to Thornton and stopped for some lunch. Emmett kept complaining about his tummy. We figured it was because he was sitting in the way back and was probably just feeling car sick. So we stopped and got some firehouse and then let them play at the outlets park before driving the last 45 minutes home.
Kayden was starting to act a little more normal and was actually playing a little bit. So that was good to see. It was pretty cold when we were playing. Mostly, because the wind was blowing which made it feel colder.
Then we were finally home! We had driven over 37 hours in the car in about 8 days total. It was a sick amount of driving for such a short amount of time. Yes we would have done about that even if Kayden had not been sick. However, the driving would have been spread out a little better. Plus we would have had way more fun if Kayden had not been sick. We didn't get to use our roller blades that we brought of Kayden's wiggle car. We didn't go to the beach at all. Didn't get to play with Ryan and Remy and go to the tide pools or any of that fun stuff we had planned. Didn't make it to Utah to see Ashely and her new little boy Caleb or hang out with Brandon's cousin and her 4 boys. We did see Jason and Devin, go to Sea World, swim in hot tubs and go to a couple of parks with a boy who kept randomly throwing up. So we tried to make the most of our Spring Break trip that got thrown a major curve ball. It will definitely be a spring break we wont forget!!
Oh ya, that night after getting home Emmett threw up! Yay!!!! Let the fun continue!!! hahahaha
