California Dreamin'

warning: one long, slightly humorous account of one long, slightly humorous week with extended family

For our trip to Cayucos, California (and it's surrounding cities) last week, we joined Joel's entire family - 20 of us in all - ranging in age from 3 weeks to 54 years old - at a 5 bedroom beach house his parents had rented in Cayucos. Joel's parents both grew up in CA, and Joel's grandma used to own a candy store called the 'Cayucos Candy Counter' in the town. Our beach house was one block from the store, and 2 blocks from the beach. This trip was really a chance for the whole family to reunite in the place where Joel's parents had taken them for vacation while growing up. It was very much steeped in traditions. Some highlights of the trip included:

* Driving all night long to get there. With a caravan of two vehicles, 6 adults, and 5 children, this posed quite a hilarious scenario when all were just too tired to drive anymore. More about that later.

* The most spacious, well equipped rental house, with beautiful views, I've ever stayed in...because there have been SO MANY. (...ahem. This was the first.)

* The beach. Oh the beach. I miss it already. At least I have the bag of smelly seashells the kids collected to turn to when I'm really homesick for it!

* Family. A gazillion of them. In addition to the 20 of us who directly belong to Joel's parents, siblings, and their offspring, there was a steady stream of family who live in CA stopping by or spending the night. My children were getting a bit confused - Who is this aunt, or Granny, or great uncle, or grandma who used to be married to someone.....? You get the picture. It really was great though to finally introduce them to all of the family that we have down there! We miss them all already.

* In direct relation to family - cousins! The kids so rarely get to see each other, it was so much fun just letting them play day after day, and really get to know each other.

* Food. Each individual family had a day assigned to do meals - and we ate well. I worried about the kids having snacks and such while on the trip, but there was no need to worry. It was leftover heaven and to top it all off, we were smack in the middle of the best produce city in the country. Joel's great Uncle Don and Aunt Shirley kept us supplied with Bakersfield fruit and pistacchios the entire time we were there. (My now cold-sore ridden lips are a direct result of these sinful delicacies!) The local faire was amazing as well. Fresh clam chowder, fish and chips, smoked albacore. Mmmm. Yummy.

* Sightseeing. We toured the magnificent Hearst Castle, went to the Morro Bay Museum, went to a farm, walked the Pismo beach street fair - where I ate a chocolate covered cricket and got others to join, walked out on piers and watched dolphins swim, visited an old Catholic Mission/museum where my little nephew nearly lost his life on the stairs (ack!), toured antique shops and quaint frou-frou shops, walked the beach at midnight barefoot with my honey, stood in an alley way completely covered in chewed bubble gum, broke rules and walked out on rocky jetty's - speculating over bird poop and what squirrels can and cannot eat, and, of course, the highlight of the trip (cough cough - Aunt Tara would agree) was the Morro Bay 'Aquarium' - one of those sneaky Hallberg family traditions! (a tiny, somewhat creepy display of fish that may or may not be alive, with a performing seal that has been in captivity for 21 years that made the whole thing worth it. In case you were wondering - he would say 'Aaaaarggggghhhhhh. Slap. Slap'. Dismembered fish would be thrown. He would gulp. And then it would repeat.) All of them were amazing and memorable.

* Crafting. With other women. My messy, lonely craft room will never feel the same.

* Guitar Hero. Nuff said. My hand is still cramped from jammin' with my brothers from other mothers! :)

* Family photo sessions. Did I mention there were 20 of us? In a house. For a week. And we took pictures at the end of the last day. Yeah.

* Paper plate awards. Chad and Mel awarded clever 'trophies' made out of plates to each and every person there - We might just have to weasel that one into the family traditions. ;)

* A return trip with vomit (So, so sorry it landed on you Annie!), children's music, Bob's Big Boy burgers, and 2 trips to In-N-Out. If I see another burger, I might just vomit myself.

* Memories. Lots of them. Yay. Now if only it didn't have to end............