Christmas Lights in Solvang

My parents wanted to take a small trip with Amaya, so we decided to go just beyond Santa Barbara and visit Solvang.  The drive up was around 4 hours because of the heavy traffic and at times it was quite difficult for Amaya.  It was the longest car ride she has been on. We arrived to the hotel hungry so we just dropped our stuff into the rooms and went for food.  After Amaya went to sleep, my mom and I drove to Solvang and checked out the Christmas lights.  The town was so cute and the lights were great, but almost all the shops were closed because it was Sunday night.  After we had our fill of Christmas lights we headed back to the hotel and called it a night. 

                                                    snow on Saddleback

                                                        the founders of Solvang

                                                                Hans Christian Andersen

Finally a Warm Day!!!

After being home for more than two weeks, we finally had a typical Southern California day.  The weather was great and we were able to be in our t-shirts! We got lunch from Wahoos because like In n Out, its a place I must visit while I am at home. Amaya was sleeping in the car, so we had to bring the food to the car and eat from the trunk in the parking lot. The things you do in order for your baby to have a proper nap! After lunch, we went to Baby Beach. Amaya had a great time at the beach. Then we headed to Strands and FINALLY got to see the sun set directly in the water.  All the other times we tried to watch the sunset there were clouds just above the waterline.  I took a lot of pictures! 

                                        

                                                        

                                        

                                        

                                        

                                        

After Christmas Shopping

The day after Christmas is my favorite time to shop.  The discounts are usually really good.  However, this year the discounts weren't as good as they have been in the past.  We went to the mall to check out the deals, but didn't get much.  I was able to get a nice pair of waterproof boots, which turned out to be handy with all the unexpected rain we got.  It was raining a lot, so it was good to be in the mall and other shops. 

                                                                fun purse to color

                                                                holiday Starbucks cup

Sunny Christmas Day!

The weather around Christmas day was terrible.  There was so much rain and it should've rained on Christmas day as well.  However, when we woke up on Christmas day, there was sun.  It was a Christmas miracle!  I was so happy.  The rain the previous days didn't allow us to do much besides shopping.  Normally, we open presents on Christmas eve after dinner because of Czech tradition, but Amaya was already asleep by then, so we decided to do it for the first time in my life: USA style and open presents on Christmas morning.  After we opened presents, we took advantage of the good weather and went to the beach and harbor.  It was a great way to spend a sunny California Christmas day!