We Went to California in May

My dad came for a visit a few days before Mother's Day. We visited and played and had a great weekend here in Provo. The Tuesday after Mother's Day, Derek and I hitched a ride with Dad through Las Vegas and on to, what I was hoping would be, sunny California.

Here's Derek with his Uncle Cory and Aunt Katie at our stop in Las Vegas:

Wednesday, we spent most of the day with Dad. Derek just adores his Papa Walker. They had so much fun playing together. And Derek loved the dogs and the cats at his house. He can say "doggie" but calls the cats "meows". I think doggies are his new favorite animal. We had lunch with Dad and Sam at a cute little Bakery, the Edelweiss Cafe, I think. Then we went to K Mart. No trip to Tehachapi is complete without a trip to K Mart. We had a few things to pick up there like allergy medicine and tissues.

Thursday we spent the day with my Mom and Sam. We had lunch at the Great Wall and went shopping around Tehachapi. I can't believe how much my little hometown has grown. I barely recognize it.
Mom made us a yummy taco salad for dinner and Sam spent the night with us. We stayed up late talking, watching TV, and eating my mother's day box of See's chocolates. Sam wouldn't spent any more nights with us though claiming that we were just going to watch Nancy Grace and go to bed.

Friday morning, Mom, Woody, and I took Derek to see Woody's horses. He was very intrigued. It was really cute.

Friday night, Sam and her boyfriend, Jeremy, came over for dinner at Mom's house. Jeremy is very nice and we enjoyed his company. We had pasta, artichokes, and salad. Derek wasn't feeling very well, so I didn't get to enjoy much of the dinner. It was still nice to have an old fashioned family dinner. Poor little Derek. He caught a cold right before we left and it just kept getting worse. The allergies around the animals didn't make things any easier. His fever was really bad Friday night and I was really worried. I was getting ready to take him in to an Urgent Care facility. I thought I would at least wait until Tyler got there.
Tyler came and Derek's fever had gone down slightly and he was doing a little better so we decided to wait until morning to see if we should take him to the doctor. It was good to have Tyler with us again! Derek and I missed him.

Saturday, Derek was doing much better. He was even running around. I'm glad we didn't take him to Urgent Care. We just can't afford unnecessary doctor's visits. Tyler, Derek, Mom, Woody, and I went to Bakersfield, Had lunch at Red Robin, and shopped at the good ol' Valley Plaza Mall. I haven't been there in years! Mom and I had a lot of fun looking at jewelry and handbags while the men rolled there eyes and tapped their feet with just a pinch of irritation. No, it wasn't that bad, they were really patient with us. They even gave us a few smiles. I bought some earrings. I'm trying to wear earrings more often. I always forget to put them on and I always admire them on other people. So I'm going to try to hide the holes in my ears with various doo-dads and/or crystals.
That night, we had dinner at the Anderson's house with Rob, Connie, and my dad. It was so fun to see them! The food was yummy and the company was, of course, great. Their house is looking pretty great as well. The yard is plush and nicely landscaped. It's a little weird to see them anywhere but the house in town but it still feels like the Anderson's house and that still feels like my second home.

Sunday, we went to church with Mom, Woody, Dad, and Connie. After that, we drove to Bakersfield and had lunch with Jessie and Johnny! It was a lot of fun to catch up with them. They look well and happy and that makes me happy. I wish I could see her more often. You know those friends that you talk to like once a year or just once in awhile and you get together and it's still easy to talk to them and be comfortable? She's one of those friends. I miss her. I just wish I could have seen KT while I was there too. I have only talked to her once or twice since her wedding in '07! I need to be better at keeping in touch with people.

That night, Tyler, Mom, Derek, and I packed up the car and drove to the Castle Inn and Suites in Anaheim. We had fun just chilling in our little hotel room that night. My next entry will be about our Disneyland adventure!