CA Trip - Beth

This past week, you may have noticed we did not post as usual. That is because I (Bethany) took a trip to California. It had been 6 months since I last was in the US, which means it was time to renew my papers. What made this trip unique was that I did not go to a conference, and only went to one service the whole week. It felt odd!

I only brought one carry-on suitcase which also felt very out of the ordinary. Usually I'm bringing about 32 outfits and 22 pairs of shoes - struggling to keep my suitcase under 50 lbs. It was so extremely liberating to walk around the airport with my tiny little suitcase - I felt like I was proving something to myself. I've heard it all from the lucky men in my life that have had to lift my suitcase into the car, take it into the airport, or carry it up the stairs to my house. "What have you got in here? The kitchen sink??!" "HOW long are you staying?" or my favorite (usually from my dad) - "How much of this do you actually need??"

(Thank you for listening to me speak on this topic of luggage which I am aware nobody cares about. But  it makes my heart smile.) 

I felt like Arthur Dent proclaiming, "I saved the waaaald!" 

I don't over-pack for the fun of it. If it was possible, I'd pack this light for every trip.
This is my actual suitcase. (I love my luggage - I've never seen anyone with my same suitcases). 

Before getting into my actual trip and the happenings thereof, I have to mention something. 

Before every major trip we go on, something bad happens in the days prior. Pets decide to kick the bucket. Saints go off the deep end. One time one of my parents backed our van through a saint's wall. This same parent set his/her keys on the back bumper of the van and drove off, leaving our house and church completely defenseless the night before we were to fly out. We had to run to Home Depot to buy padlocks for all gates and doors. 

Dad was working feverishly in the days leading up to our trip, trying to get as many pens made to take with him to the US. The night before we were to fly out, he somehow got his thumb tangled in the drill press. It was late at night, but I was up packing when my mom called for me to go in their bathroom. I walk in to find my dad hunched over the sink, white as a sheet, blood all in the sink. It was pretty gross! In Dad's words, the drill press turned his thumb into "ground hamburger meat". YUM! 

**WARNING**

***NASTY PICTURE ALERT***

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Feel free to click and zoom! (Nicole voted to not post the picture, so we are compromising by making it tiny.)

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He went to the ER the day after we flew in to California and got it looked at. The nurse vigorously scrubbed at it, saying she wanted to see blood. This was obviously very painful and my dad let her know it. She responded with, "Well, it could have been worse." My dad replied, "WELL ITS NOT YOUR FINGER!" Hahahaha! 

Besides renewing my papers, the other reason for this trip was for Austin to have his normally scheduled doctor check-ups. In case not everyone knows, Austin was born with hydrocephalus and has a shunt, he had a heart murmur, a cataract in one eye and has had scores of operations since he was eleven days old. Naturally, the doctors like to keep an eye on him and make sure everything is running smoothly. 

One of his appointments was at Shriner's hospital in Sacramento. Dad and I were to be singing together that next Sunday (a rarity) and we were hoping to get a chance to practice with a piano. 

Just so happens, Shriner's has a piano in the center of the first floor of the hospital. 

Don't worry - I don't make a habit of running around with my hair stringing all over the place. I was in the midst of tying it back when I saw the piano...it all happened so fast...

That is my pillow/blanket on top the piano, by the way. This became extremely handy in doctors offices and waiting rooms. Between adjusting to the time change and trying to acclimate my body temperature to the arctic conditions of , I did a lot of sleeping on hospital couches. Nothing better than passing the time away curled up on random people's chairs and couches...
I became an expert in sleeping sitting up, thanks to my very handy inflatable neck pillow. I did feel a little weird, huffing and puffing, blowing it up, trying to hide in an obscure corner of the waiting room. "Don't mind me, guys. Nothing happening here!"

Our rental car

After a good nap at Shriner's, we walked over to UCDavis for some more opportunities to sleep. 

This particular instance didn't work out too well thanks to Dr. Phil and more air-conditioning overkill. I ended up going outside to sit with sister-girl in the nice warm California air. 

Finally my family came out. Austin performed the most annoying thing he knows how to do to women in his family:

Pinching Sister UCDavis' back fat

We ended up eating at Ruby Thai for lunch. Couldn't resist some boba....

I tried out the Apple watch. Not out of interest, but just to be able to rag on it with some intelligence and be able to say that YES I did try it out. 

DON'T GET ME STARTED!

I could go on and on and onnnn. 

This watch is for the person that feels he is not already sufficiently wrapped up in the fantasy world of technology. 

:)

Yes, I did just say that. 

I just don't get the big hubbub around it. I think it is stupid. 

I tried it on so I CAN have an opinion! 

We ate at one of my favorite places in the world: Chick-fil-A! 

Perfect chicken nuggets with their perfect Chick-fil-A sauce

The Marysville church hosted a mother-daughter banquet. I got to go with both my mom and grandma (my mom's mom). We had a great time! I went around getting pictures with all of my Gramma Wakefield's friends to send to her. I knew she'd get a kick out of seeing all of them. 

Sis. Bledsoe

Sis. Bellew

Sis. Woodward - my Gramma's twin!! They aren't related, but look like sisters. 

Me and my sweet grandma that lives in California - telling me secrets :P

Sis. Whorton

Mom and "Sharon Flo, Sharon Flo" (sung to the tune of Disney's "Let it go, let it go!")

Sis. Harding spoke to the ladies

I was grateful that the one service I did get to go to while I was in the US was in Anderson with the Green's. I absolutely love their church. I didn't get any pictures of the actual service, but got some of the trip up there and of the town...

We stopped at the penny candy store - a tradition for us when we are in the area. On this particularly hot day, a sno cone was just what we needed. 

Interesting, old-timey candies at the penny candy store

We stayed at a hotel that had a gym...Austin was thrilled with that...

"Hey buddy, would you mind getting out of the painter's scaffolding?"

It was funny - the whole way up to Anderson I was trying to persuade everyone to have lunch at Applebee's. I was going to be leaving in two days and was craving their Oriental chicken salad. It turned out to be a little too far out of town, but after church the Greens randomly picked Applebee's for dinner! I was one happy girl. 

Me and Sarah Baker, soon-to-be Davis!

A snake smashed in the parking lot of Bank of America

Austin aquired a new pair of sunglasses - he was quite infatuated with them. 

I flew back after a week to get back to the school. We are in our 2nd to last week! 

Interesting :P

My last flight - this little plane would take me right into Puebla

Nineteen hours of travel later, I was back home, looking over the beautiful city of Puebla. 

This is just the "campo" surrounding the airport outside the city limits of our very large city. 

I am a little jealous - the other night my mom texted me 31 pictures of the town where I was born and lived in until I was 7, Antioch, the house we lived in, the park we played in...I did wish I could've been there for that!
I had a great time - but it is sure nice to be home!!

~Bethany~