I am going to have to do my summer blogging in installments. What an amazing summer we had! Lendrum started medical school last month, so it was nice to take some fun trips before the crazy began. Our first stop on our travel plan: California, of course! We loved spending the week with my parents. They spoiled us!! Obviously, we hit up In-N-Out (*cue California stereotype) on the way home from the airport. Mmm! It can't be beat. 

One of our favorite and most memorable adventures was gong to the Dodgers/Mets game at Dodgers Stadium. We took the train from Pasadena to Olvera Street, where we did some shopping and had a legitimate Mexican meal. Then, we boarded the bus that took us to the stadium. Lendrum now has another baseball stadium to check off his list, which he was thrilled about. We met up with my aunt, uncle, and cousin and his fiancee (congrats Craig and Kenzie!). We had a lovely night at the ballpark with a stunning sunset over the LA hills. My dad pulled for the Mets and managed to make a few friends will fellow Mets fans. When it was time for the ride back to the train station, we arrived at the bus line to realize that it was extremely long. I am not exaggerating when I say we waited in line for the busses for an hour after the game ended. By the time we got back to the train station, it was about midnight and we still had a train ride back to Pasadena and then a drive home to Murrieta. We we good sports about it, for the most part. But what an exhausting day! We didn't get back from LA until about 2am. My parents deserve major props for their late-night-party factor there. 

How can I forget about the killer sting rays?? We went kayaking in Carlsbad with the folks and had quite an adventure. We thought we saw fins out toward the end of the bay. Sharks? Dolphins? Fish? None of the above. There was a group (school? herd? family?) of stingrays that were hanging out in the shallow end of the bay. I love sealife, so I wanted to get closer and take a look. Apparently, these stingrays do not like being bothered. With only a few inches of water beneath us, they started splashing their fins and darting under our kayaks! WE FREAKED OUT. Let me rephrase, My mom screamed. I screamed. My dad screamed. Lendrum screamed. They were out of control. It almost seemed like they were attacking us. All of a sudden, we'd see one pop out and smack his fins on the side of our kayak. We paddled away quickly and let them be. This wouldn't be our last encounter with stingrays this summer (see future post re: Belize). 

Other honorable mentions: We watched a cheetah run 70 miles per hour at the San Diego Safari Park. We also saw lions, gorillas, giraffes, CA condors, and lots of other animals. Lendrum and I spent a day at Disneyland just the two of us. Lendrum did not get sick and we got Dole Whips, so basically, the perfect day. We had a picnic on the beach in beautiful La Jolla, but were disappointed with the cloudy weather. I didn't even really get in the water. I guess I've been spoiled with the warm SC waters. But I just loved spending a whole week with my parents! Living out here in Charleston, I don't get to see them as often as I'd like. I am grateful we were able to take this trip and have a memorable week. Until next time, California! 

It's hard to top last year's cruise (shout out to my girl Ktlamber!), but we did manage to get away for a long weekend and visit Florida for some very touristy things.

First, we went to Universal Studios to see all the Harry Potter getup. We loved just walking around Diagon Alley and taking the Hogwarts Express over to Hogsmeade. There were some pretty cool rides as well, but I soon discovered that my sweet husband is very prone to motion sickness. After flying through Hogwarts on a broomstick, he was feeling a little queasy (as he should!). The ride through the Hogwarts castle was scary, like, dementors-sucking-out-your-soul scary! We loved riding through Gringotts, though. The goblins were perfect. Of course, we got butterbeer. Lendrum got the frozen butterbeer, which was much tastier in my opinion. I got the normal, which tasted cream soda with butterscotch whipped cream. Since I am not a fan of cream soda or whipped cream, it wasn't my favorite. But you can't visit hogsmeade and NOT get butterbeer, right!? The rest of the park was okay-ish. We discovered a curse in the mummy's tomb and saved ET from the bad guys. The highlight was definitely Harry Potter. It was fun just to pretend we weren't muggles for a day. 

The next day, we went to a Braves spring training game. It was a terrible game. The Braves lost by I don't even know how much. But we still had fun seeing the players up close. We sat the first couple innings on the lawn and then a nice lady offered us her seats right behind home plate. Lendrum was in heaven. 

That night, we drove across Florida to the Gulf side. We had dinner on the beach overlooking the water just after sunset. We spent the next day at Clearwater Beach. I loved this. The sand was so white and the water was beautiful. And the weather was sunny all day long. It was just the best day. I love the beach so much. I am so happy that I live near the beach and can visit other beaches as well! 

Our last day was spent driving back to Charleston. We made it in time for Devin's Court of Honor. And then it was back to work for me. What a fun trip! It was MUCH needed. This has definitely been a stressful year for me teaching-wise, but I am glad Lendrum and I are in a position right now to take little breaks and spend time together.