The trip, the scouting, the pics, the earthquake...Part 1

Back from the most loveliest weather that So. Cal had to offer. We hit the Cali border and it was all rainbows and sunshine and ME in my happy place. Back where I started from...sort of...OK I didn't start there. To be clear I started in a little po-dunky town in Nowheresville USA, but that's another post.

Anyway, back to our trip. Like most of our trips it was a random, spur of the moment, last minute deciding, even more last minute packing trip. As with all of our mini vacations the Big Guy had some work there so we justified going with him.

To be straight with you Matt had just come home 5 days earlier or so to a almost unrecognizable mess of a wife. She had been alone with kids, with not one minute of help or alone time for 7 days, isolated in the boonies with snow storm after snow storm. Let's just say this wife, this girl, this crazy person whom I didn't even recognize was on the edge of a real deal nervous breakdown complete with....wait for it.........

Crying.

Not a crier by nature. Not the breakdown girl who is overly emotional and cries at the drop of a hat. I got all of my crying out before the age of 10 (and trust me as a child I cried at everything. If someone looked at me weird I fell apart, just ask the Little Korean Mama). Anyway, it pretty much went down like this....

Me: I can't really do this again for another week alone. I'm crumbling inside, I can't breath, I'm so sick of it here (dramatic, yes?)

Him: You are coming with me.

Me: No we can't afford it. I'll be fine,,sniff, sniff, sob, sob.

Him: I can't leave you in this condition.

Me: Sob, sob, breathing issue, sad turning to anger, sniff, anger, freak out...Its fine, go on your trip to sunny California and I'll rot here in Flag while you enjoy the sun and restaurants and...SOB, BREATHING ISSUE, the ocean and we have NO Money to go!! I am Mad that you get to go and I have to Sniff, Scream, sob sob..stay.

Him: You're scaring me bad. I can't leave you. You are coming. Done.

It's truly amazing what Bad Weather, A week alone with my lovelies who were also missing Daddy and starting to lose it, living in the boon docks and the thought of my Husband leaving again will do to a girl.

I am lucky that my Husband could see that if he didn't remove us all from our current situation he may come back to his Wife being living in a padded room at the loony bin. You are a good Man.

Then their is always the money issue with us lately. How do we do it? How will we pay for this trip? Can you Sleep and Dash out of a Hotel? I kid. I promised all of us that I would work super hard upon our return to make the money to pay for it...and boy have I ever been a working. You always pay to play dontchya. I will say this though, California is seeing such a drop in tourism that we got a room for a great price. Cheaper than we have seen it in many years.

We also used the time there to reevaluate where we need to be in order to make the most of the family time we have together and to figure out if Sunny California is calling us back.

Let me just say they got my number and I really want to answer. So it was a bit of a scouting trip as well. And as not to invest to much time into something that probably won't be a reality for a little while longer, that's all I have to say about that.

We got to reconnect with our old pals who have 4 boys under the age of 6. Can you imagine?!! They are brave folks and they handle it beautifully. It was nice seeing old friends again.

A major highlight for all of us but especially the wee ones was to be able to see Emo Buggy! What is an Emo Buggy you ask? Emo is Aunt in Korean and Buggy is a nickname that she has had since childhood. Ahhh dear Emo Bug... the funnest playmate a niece could ask for. Even Little Abs who can be somewhat shy and coy couldn't get enough of Emo B. And so happy for me that I got to spend time with my little Sister. If only we lived closer.

And of course it's official that I am 3 weeks behind on SSS my 52 Randoms. Talk about falling off the wagon. I promise I will do a catch up and then get back on track soon.

So I am putting Liv's asleep right now (meaning sitting at the edge of her bed to keep the boogie man at bay) so I haven't dumped all of the pictures down yet so more to come in the next post. Hopefully tomorrow after work if I'm lucky to have a moment.

I have missed reading what ya'll have been up to. Hoping to catch up with you soon.

Have a great Monday everyone.