Murrieta

After we left Disneyland, we headed south to Murrieta to stay with Tara and Tony for a few days! They moved there in August and we were anxious to get there to see them and the girls. Our first full day there was Ivy's birthday. She started the day off with a bowl of cookies for breakfast courtesy of her Aunt Tara. I won't forget that someday when I get to be with her girls on their bithdays! Later that day we went to the pool in their neighborhood and enjoyed some very cold swimming and a nice warm hot tub:) We made homemade pizza that night for dinner and enjoyed a cake that my mom ordered from a local grocery store for Ivy!









Saturday Tara organized a little horseback riding adventure for my kids. They got to learn a lot about horses and enjoyed riding in the ring. Pretty sure Max was picturing himself galloping along a trail on his own horse for a couple hours, but this wasn't quite it. There's a lot to learn about horses before you get to that point! It was a good experience for the kids and they are still talking about their horses. That night we invited Chris's cousin Joel and his wife and son over to Tara's house for a barbecue. We hadn't seen them since our wedding so it was great to catch up! We had a wonderful night...the Iowa win over Michigan didn't hurt.





Sunday, Chris, the kids and I packed up and headed south to La Jolla Beach. We enjoyed a tourist day in Sunny California and had a couple hours on the beach watching the surfers, the seals and playing in the sand. We had a great lunch of fish tacos after the beach too! After a crazy long drive home (due to a forest fire on the side of Interstate 15) we made it just in time to head out to the winery with Tara and Tony! We left the kids with a babysitter and enjoyed a quiet adult night. They live about 15 minutes from the wineries so I expect we'll be back there checking out more wineries on our next visit! In fact on our way out, Tara picked up the card of a limo driver so that we can do a whole day trip of it! That night after we got home from the winery, Tara and Max headed out to pick up some In-n-out burger...something we definitely needed to check off our California to-do list!













Monday was our last full day and Tony had to work. We headed to the pool and enjoyed a few last hours in the sun before heading back to the cold tundra! We loved our time there and can't wait to visit again! It was the perfect mix of activities and relaxation. We had plenty of time to sit in their gorgeous backyard playing cards and sipping on some adult beverages. It was hard to say goodbye to the girls, but knowing we'll see them in a month for Christmas made it a little easier! Thanks Tara and Tony for the wonderful hospitality!