Quail Botanical Gardens

We went to the Quail Botanical Gardens a couple years ago and liked it, so I thought it would be fun to go back. They have a big beautiful children's garden and play area that I thought Ava could better appreciate now that she is older. I also wanted to practice using my macro lens and this was the perfect place. Papa and Nonna played with Ava and I was able to roam around with my camera.

On top of the tree house in the children's garden.

Ava liked going back and forth across the rope bridge on the tree house.

Ava and Nonna building with foam blocks.

Ava's favorite part of the children's garden was the sandbox. We had to eventually drag her out.

We tried to race the boats, but there wasn't enough water to keep them going.

Ava found a worm.

In front of a beautiful tile fountain in the Mexican garden.

One of my favorite things are the plant people in the Mexican garden. I especially like the mariachi band.

More Beach Fun

Ava loves the beach and the cold ocean. She loves throwing rocks into the crashing waves and wading out as far as I will let her go. On this day she dragged Papa and Nonna into the cold water. We all had fun, but were happy to go back to our room for hot chocolate and a hot bath.

No Rest For Mommy

I was sad to see Rich go, but was excited for the week of fun ahead. Unfortunately, I didn't have the restful week I was hoping for. Once Rich was gone Ava didn't sleep in her bed. I thought that after the first night she would be okay and go back to her bed, but I was wrong. Ava became clingy the week Rich was gone and ended up sleeping in my bed every night. I wouldn't have minded if she didn't kick my back and snore. Ava is not a very peaceful sleeper and I'm a light sleeper, so it was not a good combination for me. After the first night of being kicked I rolled a blanket up and placed it in between us, so I could have some protection. It helped some, but I came home exhausted and excited to see my own bed.


The first night Rich was gone Ava came to my bed with one of her friends. She then told me to wait while she made 3 more trips back to her bed to bring the rest of her friends and blanket.

One More Snuggle For the Road

After one day in Oceanside Rich had to fly home. Ava and I stayed to play with Papa and Nonna for another week. The night before Rich left he made sure to get his Ava snuggles in. They were just so cute that I couldn't resist taking a picture. These are the kind of photos that just melt my heart and help me remember how blessed I am. I have an awesome husband and a sweet little girl. I love them both so much!

Oceanside Beach

The day before Rich had to fly back home we went to the beach. Rich and Ava (well mostly Rich) built a sandcastle out of random objects we found around the condo. We also waded in the freezing cold water. Ava loved getting wet. I had to hold on to her tight so she couldn't go in too far.

Otis the Hippo

Ava's favorite animal at the zoo was Otis the hippo. Otis was very active when we were there. He swam/ran all around and kept raising his head out of the water. Ava liked it when he would raise his head out of the water and shake it like crazy. When Otis would submerge underwater Ava would yell at him to come up and shake his head. We probably spent 45 minutes watching Otis. Ava loved him and we loved watching her get so excited.

Panda Trek

We were excited to take Ava to the Panda exhibit because she has loved pandas since she was tiny. Her first favorite stuff animal was a panda and it was one of her first words. Ava did like the Panda, but it wasn't her favorite (post to come).

On the Panda Trek we also saw a Red Panda. It was chilling in a tree.

Galapagos Tortoise Exhibit

My favorite exhibit at the zoo is for the Galapagos Tortoises. I love tortoises and turtles and just think these giant creatures are amazing. This is usually the first exhibit we go to because sometimes they are put inside early to stay warm. On this visit we went there first too and I'm glad we did. We met a nice zoo keeper that told us all about the tortoises and then let us pet them. I can't even begin to express how excited I was. It was a dream come true. We learned they like to be scratched on their throats. We all had an opportunity to pet the tortoises and it was awesome. Now I just need to visit the Galapagos Islands to complete my dream.

Can you tell how happy I am? It was amazing!

Rich tried to help Ava pet one of the tortoises, but she didn't want to. That is as close as she wanted to get.

This is Winston. He is a famous tortoise. We were told that Steven Spielberg used him as a model for one of his well known movies. Can you figure it out? I knew right away.

I was able to convince Ava to sit on the tortoise statue with me.

Ava didn't mind petting and playing with the fake tortoise.