Mama & Kumquat Vacation Date

On Friday, it was my turn to stay with K while everyone else went to the tournament. Our little Kumquat was such a great traveler and did so well hanging out all day at the golf course the day before. I thought she really deserved a super-fun day of activities she would enjoy.

So, we decided to start the day at the Monterey Bay Aquarium. It was a fun aquarium with a pretty great Splash Zone for toddlers.

Oh, and just so you know...

We played around in the Splash Zone for a while and then went outside to have a snack.

After we finished at the aquarium, we went for a walk around the Cannery Row area.

I probably should have taken the sweet girl back for a nap at this point. That would have been the responsible thing to do. It was kinda killing me, though, that we were in CA for nearly a week and we'd get to see so little of it. Don't get me wrong; I was so glad we were able to go to the tournament. I just wanted to have my cake & eat it, too. I realized that this day was the one day I had there without anything else I had to do. So, we pressed on.

I knew Big Sur was only about 45 minutes away from Monterey and we were already on Highway 1. I thought maybe the little one would sleep in the car and we'd see what we could see. It really was a gorgeous drive.

I think it would have been a much more enjoyable drive if I didn't have the baby in the car. Have you noticed that things that were totally fine before kids can now be terrifying with one? The drive was gorgeous, but also terrifying. The road is a little crazy. Plus, I do have a fear of driving over bridges. I made it over this one, thanks only to lots of deep breathing.

When we got to the next one, I just couldn't do it again. Boo. :( I kept imagining headlines of a poor Kansas doctor who lost his wife & child in a terrible car accident on this bridge. Dramatic, I know.

So we turned around and headed back towards Carmel. On the way, we stopped at Point Lobos State Natural Reserve. It was getting late by the time we got there and I do wish we'd had more time. It was just beautiful.

I loved this little cove.

I've talked before about how much I love large bodies of water. It's awesome to watch the powerful waves surging over rocks and crash into the shore. It was also a nice change of pace to be near water that was so still and peaceful. The way the light glistened off the water was just luscious.

I finally tore myself away and took my little girl back to Carmel. We cooked a yummy California-type dinner for the family to eat when they returned from the tournament. It was really a wonderful California day!

A Dream Come True

**Family name notes: I've blogged about DKG's family before, but just in case you don't know or have forgotten.... We use Filipino family terms for his family. "Lolo" is DKG's father & our Kumquat's grandfather, "Lola" is DKG's mother & K's grandmother, and "Tita" means "Aunt." In this trip, "Tita A" is DKG's youngest sister. Got it? :)

Remember that little vacation thing I was posting about ages ago? Part of the reason of keeping this blog is to be a sort of scrapbook of our memories for little Kumquat to have as she grows. So, even though the vacation is old news now, I do want to get these posts out there.

And, I do have a big plan for the last one. You'll have to stay tuned for that one. My goal is to finish these within the next week. Fingers crossed!

So, anyway, back to the vacation.

The main point of this trip was to attend the US Open at Pebble Beach. It was a dream come true for DKG. Attending a major gold championship at what is hands-down one of the most beautiful courses in the country? Amazing. Plus, it was the week of his birthday AND Father's Day. And we took his father. What more could a guy ask for?

Oh, right. Having his girls come along, too!

I've had a hard time figuring out what to write about the golf aspect of our trip. I have finally decided to just post a ton of pics with minimal commentary, but hopefully enough to give you and idea of what's what. I'm sure DKG would have picked totally different pictures, but I'm the one posting. (Although he's more than welcome to do so whenever he wants... hint hint...) :)

We had amazing tickets that got us into the tournament every day! We had 4 tickets with access to the "Trophy Club," which basically was a huge, amazing "tent" with food, nicer restrooms, TONS of TV screens, etc., etc. It was also heated and we were quite thankful for that!

The Open ran Monday - Sunday, but we just arrived Monday night. So, we had 4 tickets and 5 adults (me, DKG, Lolo, Lola, & Tita A), so we decided Lola (K's grandmother) & I would take turns going to the Open or watching K and the other 3 could go every day.

The first 3 days were practice rounds, so fans were allowed to bring cameras on the course. From Thursday on, though, absolutely no cameras were allowed. We took as many pics during those first two days as we could! Tuesday, DKG & I went, while Tita, Lola & K rested up from a big day of travel. It was great to get a feel for the course and make a plan for the rest of the week. It truly was amazing to be on such a famous, gorgeous course and to have the opportunity to see some of the biggest names in golf up close.

The excited boys on the shuttle to Pebble Beach.

Hanging out at the 1st hole, checking out the players on the practice green. (Don't they look sooo happy?) :)

Father & son at the famous 18th hole.

DKG & I at the 18th hole.

Here are some of my favorite shots of the course itself...

On Tuesday, we also had a chance to scope out the kid situation. Naturally, we wanted the Kumquat to have a chance to experience being at the US Open. On the other hand, bringing a lively, busy, noisy toddler to a major golf championship didn't exactly seem like the greatest idea. After seeing the throngs of small children wandering around the course Tuesday, we decided it should be OK to bring her for one day to a practice round. SO, Wednesday, the entire family headed out to Pebble Beach together & we were able to get an extra ticket at the gate. I was so proud of Little K! She did remarkably well, considering she was cooped up in her stroller for much of the day and that this is the only nap she got...

I think it really made the Father's Day part of the weekend extra-special for DKG & Lolo. They loved sharing the experience with their favorite little Kumquat.

We all had a great time there and really enjoyed being able to share a once-in-a-lifetime experience!

Interruptions

So, I got a little interrupted while sharing about our big vacation.

We were distracted by these sweeties.

We're way proud of their daddy who currently is serving in Afghanistan. All military families make sacrifices.

We did our best. It was hard to take time out of our lives to cuddle this guy.

And his brother, too...

We also managed to work in some important lunch meetings.

It was all very serious business.

Hardly any time for fun at all.

We did our best, but it was rough!

Now, back to your regularly scheduled blogging!