Y O L O - California Adventure 2016 - Day one- St. Bernards in Paradise

Anyone that knows Lacey knows what a #1 germaphobe hyper freak that she is.

So when we decided to load Deaton Alan Holt up on a plane and head to California to visit his over the top homesick Auntie Kip, we both had to give up some control.

For Lacey, that meant not worrying about every single person coughing on her.  For me, that meant not getting road rage when things don't go my way.

So we adopted the term, "YOLO" (You only live once) to be our code word, when we were getting close to jumping off the edge.

We started bright and early, which we come to find out, is the best way to travel with our little bright eyed bushy tailed 5 am riser.

After a cursory look outside, Dee Dee took to reading the exit plans.  He liked the way they tasted too.

He is a teething mess.  NOTHING gets by this boy's slobbers.  Especially the seat in front of us.  YOLO.

 He was utter perfection that first flight.  He tricked us into thinking he was a good traveler.

When he was awake, he played with all the fun things we brought for him in our overstuffed backpacks, full of treasures for the traveling baby.

Come to find out, we didn't really need those things.  All he needed was this.

And he looks all high tech in this picture, but it lasted about as long as it took to take the picture.

Because, he slept so hard, we were able to carry him off the plane and chunk him in his stroller (which is a "Must have" for traveling).

He tricked us on the way out.  We bragged and bragged on him.  "Best traveler EVER" we bragged on our social media sites.  We'll talk more about this later.

THEN ALL THE SUDDEN, THERE IS THE reason for the trip....AUNTIE K & Uncle B!

DeeDeeBaby sat in the backseat, in his carseat and charmed Auntie K, who hadn't seen him since Thanksgiving.  She couldn't get over how big he was.

He couldn't get over how much she looked like his mama.  He kept pointing at her, and then he showed her his fun new trick.

I'm telling you, a teething baby will chew on anything not nailed down.  You know it's true.

First order of business was to drive to PARADISE (yep, that's the name of the town, and it's pretty apt) and visit Brandon's parentals, Don and Pam and see the newest Hall member, Brooke (Younger brother Brad's cute wife).  Hallie was very unhappy about this turn of events, because in her mind, she is an honorary Hall (bonded tight at the wedding at Yosemite), and thinks nothing should happen without her present.

DeeDee LOVED the Hall dogs.  Now everyone that knows Lacey, can vouch for me when I tell you she is NOT in any way shape or form a DOG person.  I gave birth to the anti-dog human.  It's true, and I'm not proud of it.  She made Tyler take a blood oath that he would NEVER EVER ask for a dog EVER, before she said YES to his marriage proposal.  I know how I exaggerate for humor and all, but I might be understating how unimpressed this child is by a canine.  SO, when the HUGE dogs appeared, I was super proud of my YOLO embracing kiddo.

If you think taking a picture of a baby is hard, try taking a picture of a baby and two very large St. Bernard dogs.  It was like herding cats.

And come to find out, Don Hall is a genius at herding cats.  He got a loud piece of paper and managed to get all three of the subjects' attention.

Hey Deaton.....

 Whaaa???

Come on you three, pay attention!

Did you hear something?

Deaton thinks it was Huey.

 But NO, it's up there.

WAIT....it's over here.    SO FUNNY.

Then the most beautiful baby in the world, found himself in a tire swing shaped like a horse, but since it had some stuff tree sap or something on the seat, he found himself plopped on some tissue paper, and since his balance is still that of a ....well....baby...Pam loaned her robe tie and we harnessed the lad to the pony.

He LOVED it. 

Ride 'em cowboy!

Here are a few more pics that need to be shown, because, well Auntie K's new camera is just really amazing and she is a brilliant photographer.

This one speaks for itself. 

It was a tie who drooled the most, the dogs or the boy.  (who just so happened had a picture of the dogs on his shirt! Mama is a genius)

He's just beginning to cautiously walk this week, and we all love watching him dragging his right foot kind of sideways to balance himself.  Walking man at 10 months old.  What a stud. 

 Ball is his favorite word, (and toy) and it doesn't matter that its three times the size of his head.  He's in.  Let's do this.  Let's barely walk, but carry a ball everywhere ten sizes bigger than me.  Wallenda carried a long pole, Deaton Holt uses a ball.

Enjoyed a fun first day in California, visiting with the HALLS.  

A quick picture of PARADISE and we head for Redding..

(Yeah, this was made from my phone)

Made it to Kip and Brandon's, had some delicious chicken fajitas (My kid is so domesticated!), and our Oklahoma time difference and the 4am alarm that morning, made us all in bed quite early that first night!