La Playa

...continued from previous post.

Almost exactly a year ago was when we really started to nail down the details and plan this trip to California. Once I realized this would be a reality my mind was wandering in one direction... straight to the beach. I just knew there was not a chance in... you know where... that I would get that close to the ocean and not take an opportunity to put my toes in it... not a CHANCE! Plus, my kids had never been to the "real" beach. I knew that would be a little slice of heaven for those two sand lovers. The plan was for Myself, Greg, Zach and Cam to head to the beach after our last day at Disneyland, just the four of us. We wanted to stay 3 more days there, but when reality came into play ($$$) we decided to just make it a quickie. So we said our goodbyes around 3 PM, the rest of the Mooney's headed East to start their journey home. We headed West for one more night in Cali.

An hour or so later we arrived at our ghetto little hotel on the beach. I can't even really say it was ghetto fabulous, it was mostly just ghetto, but we're not above that. After all, the only thing that really mattered was the beach across the street. I headed straight into town to grab a couple of sand buckets, towels and a 6 pack of Pacifico. After what seemed like an eternity, we were finally sitting in the sand with cervezas in hand, looking at the sunset over the Ocean, watching shadowy silhouettes of my boys run from one end of the beach to the other. This was bliss, my own little slice of Heaven on Earth.

We were there for just enough time to watch the sun go down and kill a pack of Pringles. About this time I got a text from Greg's Mom saying they had been sitting in LA traffic the whole time and were just barely getting out of town. I felt so bad. Wish they would have joined us. Back at the room the boys wrestled and watched Sponge Bob while Greg and I sat on the patio and listened to the waves roll in.

The next morning we knew we had to get on the road, but I also knew we needed a little more beach time. So we enjoyed another hour or so staring out into the foggy horizon, inhaling as much salt flavored air as I could. It's amazing what just a couple of hours at the beach can do for the soul. I needed this so bad. I had let over 2 1/2 years go by without seeing the ocean... that is against my religion. I just wanted to sit there and savor every smell, every feeling, every visual as if it would be another 2 1/2 years till I get back there (it better not be!)

As we headed out on the Highway, back through the desert and homeward bound for Utah, I started going through our photos on the camera. We took around 1500 pictures over the week and made a million more unforgettable moments. There are so many things, no matter how hard I try, that just can't be captured in a photo, or put into words. No matter how many times we visit Vegas, Sea World, Disneyland, or the ocean throughout our lives. Nothing can replace that first time with our children. It is priceless.