Yesterday was our final day in California. We woke up at 9:30 a.m. and started packing up to check out at 11:00 a.m. Temp was 58 degrees and we dressed with no thermals and Brooke even wore short sleeves. The kids wanted to eat at Sonic so we headed there and I wanted to go to the Disney Character Warehouse Outlet. Lo & behold, the outlet store is right across Sonic! We went to the Character Warehouse and then I finally got to go in a Michael's Craft Store. After that, we headed to a Ross to buy a suitcase. We stopped at Walmart and Aunty Pinky's house to drop off the tire chains. We then headed to have our last meal at In N Out (in La Mirada) and there was a Staples there too. I went in but didn't buy anything. BTW, the animal style fries at In N Out are YUM YUM!
On our way to the airport, I told the kids that their Christmas present was complete and if they liked it. Cody said "I'd rather have the memories than all the toys." Brad said "Wow, someone's maturing!" I said, "He finally gets it!" The kids all thought that this was a good gift and we hope to do it again in a couple of years!
We returned our car to Alamo a little after 5:00 p.m. The temperature was colder so we put on our jackets and caught the shuttle to the airport. I have to say that the shuttle driver was very helpful & nice; one of the nicest people we've met on our trip. Even the kids commented on that. As a side note, Brad & I noticed that a lot of people we encountered weren't very friendly or customer service oriented. There were a few exceptions such as our lodge owners at Big Bear, the front desk at the Mirage, Disney, and at ALL of the In N Out restaurants we visited. Every employee we encountered at Disney & In N Out was pleasant and went out of their way to help. That goes a long way in leaving an impression on someone. It also helps to remind me to show the aloha spirit to people I meet.
When we were checking in, I noticed that our flight was leaving at 11:15 p.m. instead of 7:55 p.m. When I asked about the schedule change, they said it was changed back in November--huh? That couldn't be since I checked our flights before we left. We proceeded to the gate and later found out that the plane was delayed in Miami due to security issues. The kids were already wanting to go home and it was a long wait. We finally boarded at around 11:45 p.m. Right before take off, a passenger made a threat to a crew member and we had to return to the gate. The passenger & traveling party were met by security and we headed back to the runway without them. We finally took off at 12:40 a.m. (we were supposed to be in Hawaii at 11:55 p.m.) and made it home at about 4:45 a.m. We all zonked out on the plane. Earlier, I bought us dinner from Chili's To Go & brought it on the plane, but I was too tired to eat. Most of us even missed beverage service.
The first thing we all said when we got off the plane and into the jetway--"it's so hot!" That was funny! We all took a layer of clothes off and by the time we got our bags, it was a little past 5:00 a.m. We headed home and I was zonked. I fell asleep until 9:30 a.m. this morning. It's good to be home but I'm already missing the cold!
Our vacation was so full of excitement and fun! The two travel days were kinda stressful but overall, it was an adventure that we embarked on as a family! The kids responded well to the little pockets of stress that were presented to us and I'm sure all the fun memories will be talked about as we review all the pictures & video of this trip. We enjoyed our time together as a family and I'm really glad we had the opportunity to do this. Now we begin the new year at home and I'm sure it'll be full of life and activity. To those that came along for the ride on this blog, I hope you continue to stop by to keep in touch with our family!
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