California Girls

We did it!  We finally did it!  Lila and I hopped on a plane, flew across the country and landed in sunny California last Friday morning.

Mom, Aunt Colleen and Madison had gone the day before and picked us up from the airport.  We met Aunt Glenda and Leslie first, toured Glenda's apartment (so stunningly beautiful!) and were off to lunch at Fashion Island.  Tres Chic!

Fashion Island even has it's own koi pond, too.  Very cool.

 

After that, we went to the harbor to hop on our Duffy Boat.

Not knowing what a duffy boat was, I had offered to drive. Turns out even a five year old can drive one!  It's an electric boat with a top speed of about 3 knots, so it's almost fool-proof.  Almost!

First, we took a tour of the marina.  There were such neat houses with beaches in their backyards.  Now that's living right.  Amazing!

Laid back and lovin' life.

Pretty soon, Captain Lila got the hand of it.  She might over-steer just a bit, but she sure is cute.

And she wore her hat, just like Aunt Glenda.  So fabulous, dahling!

Captain Madison was up next, and proved that sometimes two years is a big difference. 
She was a terrific boat captain and didn't try to wreck us once!

We took the boat all the way out past the jetti so that we could see Little Corona Beach. 

As a bonus, we saw a guy hovering over the water with a jet pack on his back!

After a lots of laughs and a few adventures, we were headed back to the dock. 
We were so happy to see Lady Lila on the water.

Lila's mom really wants to hang out on Bellissima, though.

This trip, though, the Duffy was just our speed.  And so perfect for hanging out with our family. Two little blondies just monkeying around on the back.  So cute!

Although we were a tad bit late, due to some unforeseen adventures, we made it back to the dock with everything in tack.  Go girls!

We drove back to our hotel, where Lila and I just had to enjoy our balcony view for a few minutes.  Then we hopped in the shower, prettied ourselves up, and met the rest of our group for dinner.

We knew that Aunt Glenda and Leslie wouldn't take us to any shabby places, but we had no idea we would be dining at this grand palace!  It was breathtaking.

Pelican Hill Golf Resort.  Go there.  Put it on your bucket list.  Trust me.  Even if all you do is walk around at sunset, it will be worth it.

We had a table outside in the perfect 78 degree air and just chatted the night away, as girls like to do:)

It was fantastic getting to catch up with this pretty lady, and we loved meeting her friends who were there, too.  Madison entertained them quite well with her rapping and imitation talents!

 

My view from the table.  I was thinking, "is this for real?!"

 

It was THE BEST day with my favorite five-year-old on the planet.  She makes my heart happy.