Cody and I have been married for four years!!! Where did the time go?!?! It has been the best four years and we have made so many memories and done lots of fun things. This year, we started talking about what we were going to do and where we were going to go for our anniversary...then Cody decided he was going to surprise me! He was going to wait until the day we left to tell me...but then he decided to go ahead and let me in on it so that I could pack and we could maybe plan a few excursions for the trip. And...he just couldn't hold the surprise in! I guess he probably told me about a month before we left for the trip. I'm so glad that he told me. Not because I could plan on what to pack or what excursions to go on...but because it gave me something to look forward to after finishing my last class. We left for our trip on the last day of my class...so I could just go, get-away, and not worry about homework or any of the other stresses of school. This last class I took was the hardest class of my entire program and it nearly did me in. So, this trip came at such a great time. We were able to go on a vacation and me not be a bundle of stress and worry the whole time. It was also a perfect way to celebrate our four year anniversary.So...the surprise anniversary trip was to LA!!! Not Louisiana...but Los Angeles, California!!! OMG...it was amazing!!! The weather was perfect and California was beautiful. LA was pretty busy, and the traffic was a bit insane. But, we had a blast and did so many fun things. We actually only got stuck in some pretty horrendous traffic one time. It was on Friday around 2:00 (there was a Lakers game that night...that we went to!!!) and we waited about an hour to go 8 miles...blah! It was pretty bad...but that was the only time that the traffic was that bad. Every other time, there were just always tons of people on the highways. So, I would say that for being there for 4 days, we got pretty lucky with the traffic. Santa Monica was our favorite though. It was only a 15 minute drive from LA, so we went there twice. The first night we got there and the last night we were there we drove down to Santa Monica and walked along the beach and ate at some AMAZING restaurants! It was perfect...and so fun!!!
Let me tell you about all the fun things we did! Our flight left from Abilene around 9:00 and we got to DFW around 9:45. We got into a little bit of a pinch because Cody's carry-on was a little too big to fit in the over-the-head compartments and so the flight attendant took it while we were boarding. When we were getting off the plane, we were told it was taken to a different gate for some odd reason. So, we had to rush around and go back and forth a few times before we found it. Then, we only had like 10 minutes to get from our terminal to a completely different terminal, then find our gate to board our plane to LA from DFW. Craziness!!! We were a bit rushed, but we got on the plane just in time and shortly after we were in the air headed to LA! Our flight left at about 10:20 and we arrived in LA around noon-ish. The only problem was that there was a two hour time change and we were still on Texas time...so our stomachs were telling us it was way past lunch. By the time we landed, got our rental car, drove to the hotel, and checked in...it was a little after 2:00. That means that it was about 4:00 back in Abilene...and the last time we ate was before we left to go to the Abilene airport. I guess that was around 7:15. We had a few snacks on the plane...but nothing to keep our stomachs from grumbling. After we checked into the hotel, we just went straight over to the restaurant in our hotel, dropped our bags, and ordered lunch. We were both so hungry we didn't even want to go to the room to drop our bags off! So, we ate some yummy food...I got a huge salad with lots of yummy goodies in it and Cody got a hamburger that looked so good. I may or may not have stolen a few fries off his plate :-) After lunch, we went back to the room, unloaded all our stuff, went to the work-out facility and got a quick work-out in, showered, got ready, then headed to Santa Monica to being our California vacation!!!
Our first night there was a Thursday night (which was our anniversary, March 1st) and we wanted to go to Santa Monica since it was only 15 minutes away and see the Santa Monica pier, walk along the beach, and eat at a really amazing restaurant! Santa Monica was so beautiful. It was getting close to sunset and the glow from the sun on the water was breathtaking. The pier was amazing...better than what you see in pictures, in movies, or on tv. The weather was absolutely perfect. It was cool but warm enough to enjoy walking outside without being bundled up...i was able to wear skinny jeans and a light three-quarter sleeve jacket without being the least bit cold! The air was so fresh and clean and it felt amazing to be outside walking around in it....especially after being in an airplane for most of the day! After it started to get dark, we found this amazing little Italian restaurant right off the ocean called Il Fornaio. We shared a bottle of our favorite wine. Cody ordered an amazing pasta dish and I had a flat bread pizza. Then we headed back to our hotel to just relax. Our first night in California was simply perfect!!!
On Friday, I woke up earlier than Cody. Even without having to set an alarm clock, I can't seem to ever sleep in for very long! So, I changed clothes and headed down to the work-out facility to run a few miles and do a CrossFit workout. When I got back, Cody was still in bed, so I showered. He was awake when I got out and was heading down to go workout himself. I finished getting ready and we he got back and showered, we went down to have breakfast at the restaurant in our hotel. It was a buffet...and they had everything imaginable. I had them make me an egg-white omelet with tons of veggies with fruit on the side. Then, I piled another plate high with lots of things I just wanted to sample! Cody had sausage, eggs, pancakes, and some fruit. I also drank a ton of coffee...it's my favorite drink other than water! That day, we decided we just wanted to drive all over LA and see all the sights. We drove up to the Hollywood sign as far as they would let us go, then drove up and down Melrose, Sunset, and Rodeo Drive. No shopping for me this trip...I would have gotten into major trouble!!! We had lunch at Luna Park then headed to Beverly Hills. OMG...I've never seen so many ginormous mansions!!! They were beautiful...and the street signs even had crystals on them...amazing!!! That night we had tickets to the Lakers game, so around 2:30 we headed back to the hotel. That's when we got into major long traffic...but we made it back in plenty of time to shower, change, and go eat before the game. The concierge told us about this amazing restaurant called Engine 28 that we decided to eat at. We walked from our hotel to the game...it was only like 3 miles away and that way we wouldn't have to deal with parking or all the traffic. So, we headed out the door around 5:00 to go eat, then to the game. That restaurant was amazing!!! I had seared ahi tuna that was on a grilled vegetable salad. It was so good!!! Cody had gumbo that he said was to die for...definitely a good recommendation! After dinner, we were off to the game. Cody got us amazing seats...we were in a section where servers come to you and ask you if you want to order anything so that you don't have to wait in the long lines at the concession stands or bars. We also saw Jamie Foxx...so that was pretty amazing!!! The game was so fun and The Staples Center is something to see. I thought the American Airlines Center was awesome...but it has nothing on The Staples Center! The Lakers won and played amazing...they are so much better to watch in person than on tv! It was about 10:30 when the game was over and a little after 11:00 when we got back to our hotel, so we called it a night and headed to bed!
Our last full day in LA was Saturday and that was the day that we planned to go dolphin and whale watching! The excursion left at 9:00 that morning, so I woke up early to CrossFit and run before we left. Cody decided he was going to work out afterwards so he could sleep in. We also decided to just grab Starbuck's instead of going to eat at the buffet...it was good but really expensive! So, after I worked out, I went and got me a Venti coffee and both of us their oatmeal...which is so good! We got ready and were headed to Newport Beach by 8:00. The watch was so fun...a little chilly on the water...but I had my hubby there to help keep me warm! I didn't realize how much colder it would be on the water than it is on land...so all I brought to wear out there was one of my Juicy sweatsuits...not quite warm enough! However, the excitement of the cruise made me think less about how chilly I was. We didn't see any whales, but we saw hundreds and hundreds of dolphins. They are such beautiful animals...I'm slightly obsessed!!! The excursion lasted about two and a half hours, so we were ready for lunch by the time it was over. Our waiter at Engine 28 told us about the fresh seafood right off of Fisherman's Wharf in Newport, so we headed there to eat. It wasn't either or our typical places that we would want to go eat, but it was more for the experience than anything else. You got to pick what you wanted and could get however much you wanted. They priced everything by the pound and then you could have them cook it however you wanted. Cody got a pound of shrimp and had them fry it. I also got a pound of shrimp, but had them make it like fajitas with tons of veggies and corn tortillas. I would have to say that it was a place that we wouldn't normally go to and probably wouldn't do again...but it was kind-of a must for being in California and having fresh seafood at your fingertips. After lunch, we headed back to the hotel. Cody went to do some CrossFit and I showered and got ready for that night. When he got back, he showered and then we headed back to Santa Monica to spend our last night in California walking along the beach and eating at an ocean front restaurant. Before that, we decided to go to Venice Beach just to see what it was all about and visit the original Muscle Beach. I'm glad we went, but it reminded both of us of the Jersey Shore. There were muscle heads everywhere, store front shops that were selling crazy things, people selling "medicinal" marijuana (something we definitely were not used too!), and it was a bit on the dirty/trashy side. But, we can say we saw it and have been there! So then, we were off to Santa Monica for a more upscale evening! We ate at Shutters on the Beach and had a table on the patio right off the beach. Once again, perfect weather for sitting outside right off the ocean. That night, we also saw Luke Wilson dining at Shutters too! However, neither one of us could figure out who he was until we sat down and started talking about it...grr! When he walked past us, we recognized him...but couldn't put a name with his face. He did have on a fedora and glasses...so it was pretty hard to tell who he was. Dinner was amazing...as all of our meals were while we were there! I got another salad with tons of goodies on it and Cody got a hamburger. His hamburger was on a pretzel bun and he raved about it. I just couldn't seem to get enough salads while we were there. All the ingredients were so fresh and so different than anything back home...so I took advantage of the freshness and off-the-wall ingredients! Well...that was our last day/night there...so we walked on the beach a little more before we headed back to our hotel in LA.
That next morning was Sunday and our flight left at 12:20. We took it easy that morning...neither one of us worked out. I went down and got Starbuck's again. This time I got a Venti mocha...I had to splurge a little! Both of us got their oatmeal again and this time Cody got two he liked it so much the day before! We ate breakfast in our room and just vegged out while watching some tv before we packed up and headed back to the rental car place. We left our hotel about 9:15 just to make sure we had plenty of time, plus we wanted to get a good meal in before our flight took off. When we got to the airport, it was about 10:30. We had to drop the car off, then take an airport bus to our terminal. The reason it took so long is because there were lots of people on the bus that got dropped of before we did since their terminals were ahead of ours. But, we got to our gate, got through security, then found a Chili's by our gate so we could have lunch. It was all very good timing because we finished up lunch and still had about 30 minutes to spare before we could start boarding the plane. We re-stocked on magazines and I bought a book, then we sat down and waited to board our plane. Our flight was delayed about 20 minutes because a faucet busted in one of the bathrooms and the airplane was floor was all wet. It's against flight laws to fly when anything is wet inside the plane, so we had to wait for them to shut off the faucet and dry the carpet before we could board. But, we took off and actually got back to DFW only a few minutes after we were supposed to arrive to begin with. We had about an hour and a half before our flight left to take us back home...so we ate at T.G.I.Friday's and then just sat and waited. At this point...we were so ready to be home and see our babies!!! We got back to Abilene around 7:30 and my parents were waiting for us at the airport to take us home. It was so good to see them and be back in Abilene...we forget how much we miss it when we're gone! But really...we REALLY missed our precious babies!!! Cody's mom stayed with them while we were away. It's always comforting to know that they're taken care of when we're out of town. His mom is always so sweet to offer to stay and treats them like the prince and princesses that they are...they love her so much! And we know she loves them too!!! When we got home, we had three wiggly butts waiting at the door. We got lots of kisses and snuggles and it was so good to see their sweet faces! After we unpacked, showered, and got ready for work the next day, we crawled in bed so that we could snuggle with them for a couple of hours before we conked out. It was so sweet...all three of them were laying on us or in-between us the whole time they were in bed with us before we put them to bed. We had a blast in LA...and plan on going back to California in the future. It is beautiful there and there are so many other places and cities we would love to visit. I can't believe it's already been four years...but I am so thankful that these past four years have spent with the love of my life. I am truly blessed that I get to spend the rest of my life with such an amazing man that God made just for me...I love you Cody Michael Kelley!!!
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