Vacation Recap: Part Three.

On Thursday, Ethan and I woke up early - excited for our Disneyland trip!

While I baked some vegan biscuits (that I, too, also enjoyed with a bit of honey) for the sleeping Michelle...

Ethan shaved. This is my favorite photo from the whole trip. He's so darn cute!

Michelle bussed Ethan and me over to my family's hotel, and then we were off to the Happiest Place on Earth!

Everyone knows the real fun happens in the parking lot!

And waiting for the tram!

And waiting in line!

Ethan showed this ride who's boss.

Please notice my family's propensity to squint when we smile. Ethan's eyes look huge in comparison.

The fam in front of Cinderella's Castle. :] Ignore that weird shadow on my chest.

Tucker insisted we take "mouth shots."
Ahhh.

Kinda gross, huh? I don't know why I posted them.

???

My parents had never been to California Adventure, so that was fun. My dad, Tucker, E and I went on one of the last Tower of Terror drops. It was awesome! I think we all agree, though, that "Indiana Jones" is still one of the best rides ever. We all had a great time!
The next day, Ethan flew home while my family and I made the four hour drive to San Diego. Despite the looks on our faces, we were happy - we were at SeaWorld!
"Come on!" Please admire Tucker's blonde hair. RIP.
Oh, so this was amazing. And I'm not just talking about this food out of the complimentary all-you-can-eat buffet (delicious though it was).

A friend of my dad's has a brother-in-law who works as a trainer at Sea World. He was able to hook us up with some special passes that allowed us to eat a late lunch while whales swam and did tricks in the pool next to us. It was so cool!
Also, despite the fact that each of them have names, every whale at Sea World can be referred to as Shamu.

I couldn't help it - I kept the "SHAMWOW!" jokes going all day.
It was truly awesome... I was freaking out! Whales are the best.

Afterward, my dad even got this cute whale to wave back at him. Half-heartedly, but still!
Flink pamingoes.

Tucker, longing to be back with his kind...

We even saw some whales doin' cool stuff in the dark.

We then shuffled off to the beautiful Hotel del Cornado for some beauty rest. :]

What. A. View!!

Vacation Recap: Part Two.

What's a trip to Southern California without a beach visit? Or two? So off we went to Huntington Beach, where the weather was beautiful and the water was... freezing. Only at first!

WELCOME TO THE BEACH!

Remember this hat? Thanks to mi madre, it enjoyed a makeover! It's easier to match and much more feminine now.
Not that I do it any favors.
Michelle insisted on this sappiness.
She also insisted on bitterness. She refused to smile normally with Ethan in a photo. Apparently siblings "don't do that."

I rest my case.

This little guy's name is Shadow. We met him wandering with his owners on the beach. He's about as big as my hand and as adorable as can be!

Whatta celebritay!
The water was chilly.
Ethan can walk on water.

Best friends angry in the ocean.The hat would only stay on for so long. Eventually we all ended up soaked and happy. :]

We burried Ethan in the sand and he emerged a changed man.

The next day, Michelle gave us two options: A) to stay near Fullerton for the day; or B) to visit Santa Monica Pier. Stumped, we told Ethan to make the decision. He chose A. And yet we ended up in Santa Monica nonetheless. Such is the power of a woman.

Please look at Michelle, who, thanks to the background of this photo and her adorable outfit, looks like she is straight out of a vintage Pepsi ad. :]

Happy happy happy!

You could pay about $500 to have this thing bite your finger.

Typical.

Little did we know that moments later, Ethan would point out a pantsless man standing right next to us.

We opted for a Bubba Gump lunch. We had the nicest waitress ever!

And Michelle finally reached out to Frank of Bossa Nova fame. ;] His response to her super sweet text message? "¿Hablas español?" Darn it!
We made a quick trip down the Promenade and stumbled apon this miraculous view in the Kitson Outlet, which was... otherwise sadly unimpressive, actually.

I snacked on this chocolate on chocolate cupcake from the appropriately-named Yummy Cupcakes before we hit up the theatre to [finally] see "Harry Potter." Which was fine. None of us are huge fans.

We got lost on the way home and somehow found ourselves at Bossa Nova again. We couldn't complain. This time we had the pleasure of meeting Frank - and we can't say we weren't thrilled when Frank sent another complimentary dessert to our table. This time, it was their chocolate grande cake. So good! So good.

And then my parents arrived... ;]

Vacation Recap: Part One.

Ethan and I had been looking forward to our trip to Orange County - after it came and went, we can't say we were at all disappointed! It was crazy - exhilarating, hilarious, confusing, shocking, touching, and fulfilling all at once.

Sleepy Ethan waiting to board.

Myself, bitter over the fact that the girl who checked our bags gave me attitude. Grrr.

Once we arrived chez Michelle (and Cassie and Kayla and future roommate Amanda), Ethan was all Chewy bars, all the time.

Day 2. We make make [theoretically] heart-shaped cinnamon pancakes. :] The first batch? Not so good. The second?...
So cute! Our lovely hostess offered us balled cantaloupe and guava juice to go along with them. Please admire the very fancy tableware.

Next on the agenda: overhaul Michelle's lovely little apartment. We put up some drapes.

I like to take credit for this kitchen masterpiece - Michelle's apron and assorted cooking tools and utensils, and a dishtowel. The top righthand corner needed something. Aha! A "Sex in the City" DVD cover placed in a white Ikea frame. Perect.

The next day was reserved for hangin' out before heading to Los Angeles for dinner at Bossa Nova. Michelle got so excited she needed to use her inhaler.

Ethan got excited in a different way. Michelle followed suit.

Boyfriend's so good-lookin'.

The only candid shot Michelle allowed me to take.

Obligatory sibling shot.

My best friend is so beautiful!

We are so avant garde.

Besties bein' besties.

And again, but cuter.

This is Angus, the apartment complex cat. Angus is a female.

Bossa Nova was amazing. If you're ever in Los Angeles county, stop by and try the pao de queijo and the skirt steak salad! Ask for Frank, who works in the back. If you're a pretty female, like Michelle, he just might send you a complimentary dessert accompanied by his phone number.

Thursday Word: Genesis 1:20.

"And God said, 'Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the expanse of the sky.'" Genesis 1:20.

via my flickr.