The Gray Family 4: April 2008

Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Huntington Beach

On day 6 we arrived at the beach at last! Madelyn had been asking all week to get to the beach to see the ocean and the sand.

"Hooray!! We're finally here!"

Last summer she didn't want her bare feet to touch the sand. This time she wanted to walk in it, but after a few minutes she decided there was just "too much sand" at the beach and wanted to be carried.

It was COLD on the beach on this day! Daddy put his feet in, but Madelyn was a bit too chilly to try it.

The view from our room. Just amazing!

Here she is practicing her floating and kicking. The pool was heated, so it was a better choice than the ocean.

She learned her way around the hotel immediately and loved riding in the elevator. She knew which floor we were on and remembered our room number!

The Children's Museum

The Palm Desert Children's Museum was full of exciting things to do! We only spent two hours in there, but we could have been there all day.

Daddy helps hoist Madelyn high in the air by pulling the rope.

Madelyn stopped at an old typewriter to compose a quick letter.

A little grocery shopping had to be done! She picked out her produce carefully.

The cart got full very quickly!

Taking a turn on the motorcycle as California Highway Patrol.

Turning these gears was especially fun for her.

She spent some time as a veterinarian and brushed this kitty's hair.

She took care of this large puppy by putting him back in his cage. (It was a tight fit!)

A masterpiece was created when she put her touch on this car with some orange paint. Both Garrett and Ivy have painted on it in the past, too!

Making her final mark on this beauty.

Since lunchtime was approaching, she made a quick pizza for a tasty treat!

She forgot to wear her oven mitt when getting it out of the oven. Oh no!

The Windmills

One of the most unusual sights we'd ever seen was the Windmill Farm just outside of Palm Springs. These 4,000 windmills stretched for 10 miles along the highway! The blades are the length of 1/2 a football field. It's a very windy area, which we could tell by how it was pulling our car as we drove. We read that they generate enough electricity to power all of Palm Springs. Pictures really don't do this sight justice. Madelyn couldn't believe how many there were, and we couldn't either.

Palm Desert

On day 3 we left Aunt Amy's house and headed two hours away to Palm Desert. It was one of the most beautiful places we've ever been. We were in a condo right on the golf course.

This is the view from our patio. The mountains in the background made for a spectacular sight!

This family of ducks visited us each morning. They were very friendly!

Madelyn fed the ducks from her hand, which was so fun to her!

She would have given them an entire loaf of bread if we'd have let her.

Riding on an alligator in the kiddie pool.

Soaking up the sun. This is the only family picture we got on this trip.

Madelyn loves when Daddy throws her in the air!

This is her favorite way to swim.

Legoland!

We spent a perfect afternoon at Legoland with Garrett, Ivy, Aunt Amy, and Uncle Keynon. It was Madelyn's first time at an amusement park, and it couldn't have been any better!

Riding in a boat through Fairytale Land.

Aunt Amy, Uncle Keynon, and Garrett were in the boat in front of us.

Big hugs for Terry!

The girls showed off their excellent driving skills by steering and using the gas pedal on the oval course. They each earned a driver's license when they finished!

Although the minimum age technically was 3 to drive the cars, Madelyn fit right in.

Enjoying a helicopter ride with Daddy. She loved flying so high!

She liked this ride so much she did it twice!

Riding the train with Ivy. They had a terrific time!

Time with Cousins

The first part of the vacation was spent with cousins Garrett and Ivy. They have a beautiful house in a San Diego suburb. Ivy was excited to be the big cousin able to teach little Madelyn a few new things!