I haven’t posted in a month…and feel like I have a lot of catching up to do! About a week after Nate finished his semester in April, we took a week-long trip to Palm Desert, CA. Some really generous friends that Nate worked with were not able to travel to use their time share week and offered it to us. It was really so nice of them and we were extremely grateful for their kindness! It was the perfect stress reliever after the end of the school year.
We were there with just our little family for a couple of days, then Nate’s parents joined us for a few days. A few of the highlights of the week:
-
6 trips to the swimming pool
-
3 rounds of tennis for Nate and I (trying out 3 different courts – regular ones, grass, and clay)
-
1 day at the beach in Newport Beach with my friend Kim & her daughter, and a visit to Nate’s uncle & aunt’s house
-
1 date night in Palm Springs for Nate and I – dinner, walking around downtown, and enjoying the peaceful, deserted hot tub late at night
-
Walks around the grounds
-
Breakfasts, Lunches, and Dinners out on our porch overlooking the golf course
-
Lots of naps and book-reading on the porch
-
A day going up the tram in Palm Springs and enjoying a picnic lunch in the woods
It was a fabulous vacation and we enjoyed being together as a family, spending time with Nate’s parents, and getting to stay with his grandparents in St. George on the way down and back. Here’s half our week in pictures:
Bennett playing with “Oma” (his great-grandma), and eating out on the porch (where we enjoyed most of our meals)
middle: the view of the golf course from the back porch, and Ryan watching the ducks
Ryan enjoying the pool
Right: Sunday night walk – Bennett’s grandpa brought “noculars” for him and he carried them everywhere we went there – and almost everywhere since we got back too
Pink flamingos at the hotel that was part of the resort where we stayed
On our way back from seeing the flamingos on our Sunday walk, we took what turned out to be a long detour, and the boys were asleep in matching positions by the time we got back.
Palm Springs Tram
Right: Ryan and I in the forest at the top of the Palm Springs Tram
Floating sticks down the river in the forest at the top of the tram (below: Bennett’s pose for the camera)
Left and Middle: the tram. Right: There was a steep walkway with switchbacks we had to go up to get from where we ate lunch in the forest back to the tram. Nate was carrying Ryan and Bennett was supposed to walk, but Bennett insisted on being carried – and insisted on daddy doing it – so Nate trekked up the hill with both boys. The best part was when Bennett said “Dad, I’m getting tired”
Golf Day
Nate and his dad went golfing one day, and I brought Bennett up to meet them for the last couple of holes. He loved riding around in the golf cart and watching them golf.
Nate hit a golf ball that landed on this waterfall – he went back later and they had turned the waterfall off to retrieve his ball.
The Pool
Walks
The hotel at the resort had some lakes and waterways, and you could ride boats out to the restaurants they had there. Nate took Bennett over to see the boats and they weren’t very busy, so they gave Nate & Bennett a little tour of the lakes / waterways. Despite his face in the picture, Bennett thought the boat was pretty cool!
Hanging Out
Left to right above: Ryan watching the ducks, Bennett & his Grandma’s drawings, and a yummy dinner prepared by Nate’s mom.
Newport Beach
Feeding the Fish
Last Day at the Pool
And finally, Bennett showing off his best post at the top of the Palm Springs Tram.
PS – sorry for the extremely long post. I put all the pictures in one post so I could organize them, then was going to split them up but can’t figure out how to get it to work. So – here it is, all together.
