The Adventures of Cat & Jack: 2023

(posted on 11/2/24)

When Ben made his plans to take the younger three kids to Tallahassee, he decided to stay a day later than Cat and would have arrived from the Philippines. Our group itinerary had us flying into Los Angeles, so we decided to take 24 hours to explore LA a bit before going back to Utah (still arriving before the rest of the family).

We had a blast! Of course we only hit a few highlights, but it was fun to get a small sampling of what the city had to offer. We watched the sunset at the Griffith Observatory (along with a bajillion of our closest friends), walked Hollywood Boulevard, took a Warner Brothers Studio tour, and spent a couple of hours at the Santa Monica Pier. (Bonus: I rented a car, which means I not only visited Los Angeles, I drove in Los Angeles.)

First meal back in America - CFA FTW

Sunset at the Griffith Observatory... with a bajillion of our closest friends.

This kind of happened by accident. I was thinking we should hike to the Hollywood sign but it turned out to be harder to find parking than I expected, so we just hung out at the observatory, which worked out well, since we wouldn't have had a good view from the Hollywood sign, and probably wouldn't have made it there before dark anyway.

Hollywood Boulevard... including ice cream sundaes, Hollywood Stars, gift shops, and the Chinese Theater, then a walk back to our hotel for the night.

We didn't stop to read all the stars, but this one made me think of Mom.

Warner Brothers Studio Tour... including Gilmore Girls and Friends stuff (and lots of other stuff); a pink WB sign in honor The Barbie Movie, which premiered that weekend; costumes from My Fair Lady, Crazy Rich Asians, and Elvis; lots of Harry Potter photo ops, and more.

Santa Monica Pier... with iconic rides and food (and uncharactaristically cloudy skies).

It was so nice to get some bonus time with my girl, to extend our vacation a bit, and to not worry about all the things that come along with traveling in a large group of teenagers!

Next time I'm in LA:
Hike the Hollywood sign
Stars' homes tour
La Brea Tar Pits

(published 5/8/24)

Ben knew he wouldn't be able to keep a normal work schedule for 2+ weeks while Cat and I were in the Philippines, so he took the kids to Florida during the second week of HXP. Michael and Keturah scheduled a trip the same week, and John, Sarah, and Iris drove over from Jacksonville. Lots of fun family time!

At Mema and Papa's House:

Not the kind of fishing Papa usually does...

Photo album time.

A day at Wakulla Springs:

A day at Wild Adventures:

(a contender for best picture from the week)

Jack's souvenir from Wild Adventures

A few days at Mema and Papa's condo:

Seeing this picture made me think of how many similar
pictures we have of Jack over the years...

Are the fish getting smaller, or is Jack just getting bigger?

Goodbye at the Tallahassee airport...

Quotable Cat

"Do you even know what LOL means?" (1/11/14)
"Tonight can I exercise on the elliptical? I want to gain a few pounds or lose a few pounds." (6/16/13)
(while "teaching" her friends about fencing) "I had 21 years of training. I trained until I was seven."(10/13/12)
"Mom, can you do the cream cheese? I'm better at eating than spreading." (Oct. 2012)
"I can still go pretty fast cause my mind's pretty big. It can fit a lot of stuff in it." (Sept. 2012)
(to Eliza) "Your breath smells like burned pickles but it's okay cause you were eating a lot of chips." (8/26/12)
"I want to clean my room so it can be fick and fan." (7/10/12)
(Cat asked me to be a wicked witch and I wondered what I should do in the role) "The wicked witch brushes our hair really hard." (7/10/12)
"You always make me cry! Every time I cry it's because of YOU!" (5/16/12)
"Mom, can you find me on Facebook?" (Jan. 2012)

Jackisms 2013

"Why can't we eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner at McDonald's?" (10/11/14)
"Guess what? I burped 4 times and farted 3 times. {BURP}. I burped 5 times and farted 3 times." (2/1/14)
"Grammy, how does your sister tickle YOU?" (1/11/14)
"If you're going to marry two boys first you kiss the first boy then you kiss the second a boy on the lips." (6/20/13)
"Pepperonis are the funnest!" (5/25/13)
"Did you know that cheetahs are the fastest tigers on land?" (5/22/13)
"First it was the dinosaurs, then Lehi, then Rescue Bots, then us." (5/8/13)
"Did you know champagne is another word for water?" (5/21/13)
"Prepare to BE a MAZE!" (5/20/13)
"If this bread goes in the trash, it can be recycled. And it turns into a toy!" (2/20/13)
"Mommy, look. My job is easier if I'm a crane. Rrrrrrrmmmm." (2/20/13)
"Does chocolate really MELT?" (2/11/13)
"Mommy. Are you LISTENING to me?" (2/11/13)
"Big bad wolves can't blow this house down cause it's made of bricks and yarn and a little bit of wood." (2/6/13)
(While working on a puzzle) "Ooh, I'm getting so clever at this." (1/24/13)
(While explaining hibernation to me) "Did you know bears celebrate all winter?" (Jan. 2013)

Eliza's Funnies

"Luke tried to eat my whole head, Mom." (6/27/14)
"Mommy, I like how Luke whacks you in the face, and whacks you and whacks you and whacks you." (3/25/14)
"Can I help Luke slobber on his hands because he likes to slobber. (I laugh) I'm serious! He likes slobbering!" (Feb. 2014)
(because I made her eat an egg she wanted me to cook for her) "I wish I didn't have a Mom like you!" (1/31/14)
"Grammy's gonna be late if she isn't on time." (1/3/14)
"I'm a superhero. I save people and I'm stylish and awesome." (12/29/13)
(about Luke) "His kisses are just like slobber." (11/17/13)
"My Daddy is the best daddy ever. He is stronger than ANYBODY." (11/8/13)
"I wish I had a bird on my finger I could keep." (10/25/13)
"Stop talking at me! I'm getting angry at you cause you're making me sad!" --buries head in hands to "cry" for 3 seconds -- (6/14/13)

La La Land

A week in Florida