CA Thanksgiving Trip 2018

We just returned home from our annual trip to CA for Thanksgiving. This year looked a lot like last year - time at the coast - because who doesn't want to spend time at the beach when you know it's 30* out back home!? LOL 

We picked the kids up from school Friday and hit the road. We stopped at the same hotel we've been staying in for 7 years now in Klamath Falls that evening. Saturday we got back on the road bright and early. We reached Grandma's house by 1:30. After unpacking, we left Grandma with the kids and Sam and I took off with Aunt Sarah to run some errands and pick up some things we needed for our stay. It was so nice to be doing something other than ring in a car! 

This year, our visit to CA consisted of a 3 night stay at the Marriott Hotel in Monterey, CA. We headed out Sunday mid-morning and got there in the afternoon. After getting checked in, we all took a breather for a few hours. The kids ran amok and Sam and I watched a Christmas movie, haha! That night we headed on down to Monterey's Fisherman's Wharf. We enjoyed a nice meal of fish and chips and then walked they shops! 

Monday, our first full day there, we took a drive to the Pebble Beach area to check out the coast line. We stopped to play at a beach for a bit, then took the 17-Mile Drive that explores some of the beautiful coast lines of the area. 

 

Afterwards, we headed over to the Big Sur area where we had a picnic lunch and a little hike among the redwoods. That night, Sam and I got to go out and do a bit of shopping and eat dinner on our own, while Grandma and Grandpa took the kids, but we were so busy enjoying the evening, I didn't bother to any photos of us walking around or enjoying out meal. Trust me though, the clam chowder was amazing. 

On Tuesday, our second full day, we headed to the Moss Landing area to go kayaking at Elkhorn Slough. We did this last year as well, and wanted to make sure we got back there again this year because it was so much fun! It was pretty toasty out this day, and we were paddling against the current on our way out, so by the time we hit our turn around mark, we were all sweating our butts off. We saw seals, otters, and lots of birds! We all had a great time.....except for when my phone fell out of my pocket onto the beach when I was pushing a kayak out and I didn't realize it until I was out in a kayak myself....then had to turn back to see that it was already being hit by the gentle waves.....ugh!!! Luckily it survived it's bath with no damage. Yay! Happy ending. 

After our kayak adventure and a picnic lunch (all that kayaking had us starving!!), we drove to Fort Ord Dunes State Park. This beach is beautiful! I just love all the colorful succulents and the soft sand. I wish we had a beach exactly like this back home! I'd go every day. The kids really had a great time playing here; finding shells and logs, building moats, running away from the waves, getting whipped by seaweed.....hahaha

That night, after cleaning all the sand out of our toes, we took a stroll down to Monterey's Fisherman's Wharf. We shopped, sampled the 7 different clam chowders offered to us by all the different restaurants, went in all the candy shops and selected only the finest they had to offer, lol, and ate dinner at Monterey's local Benihana. The kids and I had never been to a Benihana before, so it was a fun treat for us! The kids loved watching the cook flip eggs and crack them, do little tricks, and light on fire a stack of onions. It was a show, for sure, and the end result was a delicious meal! 

We checked out of our hotel on Wednesday, had a nice breakfast at a local cafe, and then hit the road. It took most of the day to make it back to the house due to traffic. We just kicked back, relaxed, and ate a ton of snacks. 

Happy Thanksgiving! On Thursday, Sam and I were kicked out of the house. Grandpa went to work, and Grandma insisted on making Thanksgiving dinner with the kids. So that left Sam, Sarah, and I to go find other plans to fill the morning. We decided on watching the movie Instant Family while pigging out on cheesy nachos!

By the time we got home from the movie, most everything was ready. I set the table, Grandpa got home from work, and we all dished up. We all talked about what we were thankful for, and the kids enjoyed breaking their wishbones (I give each kiddo a wishbone to break with someone every Thanksgiving!). Afterwards, we watched a Christmas movie. I guess we're all suckers for a good, sappy, Christmas show. 

Every time we head to CA, Sam and I like to spend a day in San Francisco. This year, we decided to bring Anthony along with us. After an hour long Bart ride, we arrived in the city!....and it was raining! BOO!! Luckily we had umbrellas. We shopped a bit (which Anthony thought was boring, but he was well behaved and patient anyway), ate out at the same place Sam and I eat at every time we go to San Fran, Yank Sing, visited the Palace Hotel while we waited for Grandpa to get off work, had a treat at the Ghirardelli store, and finally rode the Bart back home! The rain was a bit of a bummer, but we still enjoyed our time in the city.  And Anthony only had to witness a few public outbursts on the city streets, so all in all it was a good day! 

Saturday morning we packed up and said our goodbyes. After 6 hours of driving and a handful of stops, we arrived back at our hotel in Klamath Falls. Since we arrived a few hours before bed time, we took the kids to their favorite dinner in the area, Elmers! A long travel day called for ice cream sundaes!

Sunday we were up and in the breakfast hall by 7, and on the road by 7:30. Commence the second leg of our drive! No one ever likes the long drive home, but it's made a bit easier (in between the million pee breaks and screaming at the kids to quit fighting.....) when you have a cute kid who will to serenade you. LOL 

Another fun trip to CA in the books!!! I am continuously so thankful that we are able to make the trek there. It takes so much work to prep for such a trip, but it's great to make those wonderful memories with the kids. 

With love,
Mama Hauck

Musical Haucks

A couple weeks ago, Anthony wanted me to record him playing Careless Whispers, the latest song he's been working on from lessons. He is doing so well! Not only does he play the sax every day in band, but he comes home and practices every day after school, and then has lessons most every Thursday as well. I love that he puts in the time. I love that he enjoys it. I love that he progresses every week. And I love listening to him jam with James, his saxophone teacher, when he's in his lessons. I just love, love, love that he can play this wonderful instrument!! 

Molly also wanted me to record her playing a song. First she played Here Comes the Sun, then Don't Worry Be Happy. She is working hard on that finger picking in Here Comes the Sun! It's been a challenge for her, but she's getting it! She seriously gets better every single time she picks up her ukulele. And that girl, she definitely needs a microphone so you can hear her sweet voice over her uke! Maybe for Christmas. We are so proud of her. I love listening to her play and sing! 

Did you know she and I wrote a song together? We wrote the lyrics and melody, then her music instructor, James, helped polish it up. I'll have to record her doing her own song soon. She is amazing! 

And then there's me...lol!! I decided that it's time I pick the violin back up and see what I can do. It's not much, hahaha, so don't get too excited! I haven't really played since elementary school, so there is definitely a severe lack of skill, like bow control and hitting the note correctly, but I am surprised that I remember anything at all!

For the past few weeks I've picked it up every now and again and run through some songs in my old books. I need to relearn my notes and how to read sheet music, for sure. I also thought it would be fun to try and figure out a song Anthony can play on his sax - Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes. I've done this over the past 2 weeks mostly via watching youtube videos and picking the notes out by ear. Fun!! I tried my hand at it last night with the song playing in the background. It's not stellar, and I know I don't know all of the correct notes because I'm trying to figure it out myself, but for only practicing for 2 weeks, it's pretty ok if I do say so myself, lol. 

In other exciting news, Timothy started piano lessons last month! I managed to find a gal right in Goldendale! He'll go every Tuesday, right after school, for 45 minutes. He's super excited to learn and we are super excited to add him into the musical mix! I was waiting to see if he would take an interest in something, and piano it is! He has already learned all of his notes and has practiced every day! What a good boy! 

And last but not least, Sammy picked himself up a double bass! He used to play when he was younger, and has been on the search for one for a while. When we saw that out music store had one come in, I knew he had to buy it. He's figuring out relearning all the notes. That'll be easier and quicker for him to do once his book comes in...it should be here shortly! 

Yay for music! 

With love,
Mama Hauck

Trick Or Treat!

Last night we had so much fun!! 

We decided instead of doing our town's annual downtown trunk-or-treat, to actually go out REAL trick-or-treating. This was THE BEST decision! The kids were soooo excited!! 

We headed up to a little neighborhood behind the hospital and got to work trick-or-treating! For a bit, we would do a house, hop back in the van, then go to another house. That just wasn't doing it for us though. The weather was great out, no rain and not too cold, so we decided to just go on foot. We parked the van and started walking, hitting up all the houses with their front porch light on. Fun, fun, fun!

Trick-Or-Treat! Molly was a unicorn, Anthony a jailbird, and Timothy was "The Incredible Hauck" hahaha. I was a librarian, and Sam....well....he didn't dress up this year, and I was not very pleased about that. 

It seriously brought back so many memories of my dad taking me and my siblings out around the neighborhood. We had such a great, great time! I'm glad we made the decision to skip the downtown mayhem and experience a real old school Halloween! 

After going around a bit, we did head to the High School to trick-or-treat there and participate in their food drive. That was good fun! We got to see a lot of our friends. 

Afterwards, we headed to Grandma's to finish our candy night and check out our loot!  

Super fun!! 

With love,
Mama Hauck