California...The Second Half

Day Five: Thursday, July 22nd
Curt was booked all day Thursday for Pete's bachelor party - they went golfing at the TPC Stadium Course at PGA West (yeah, I'm jealous, so that's all I'm going to say about that), and then had dinner and drinks, etc.

I took advantage of having a day to myself and went shopping. I went back to the mall we found on Wednesday, and took my time checking it out. It had two of my favourite stores - J.C. Penney and Target - and they were both three stories high, so it was perfect that I had all the time I wanted to look at everything!

Wednesday, on our way 'home' we also spotted a spot with a Ross, a TJ Maxx and a Famous Footwear, so I had to go there too, of course. And again, I took my time in these stores, and tried lots of stuff on, and just enjoyed not feeling rushed.

So, after a 5 hour shopping trip, you'd think I came 'home' loaded down, but I didn't. I was pacing myself, we plan on hitting up the Outlet Malls in Arizona, so I did't want to overdo it too early.

I did get a few things worth noting though - a cute little gift for my niece, Abby, and a great pair of black shoes from Target. And, the deal of the day - a pair of Birkenstocks from Famous Footwear for, drumroll please....$40!!!

I didn't get home until around 6pm, so I didn't get to lounge by the pool, but, I got a little pink in spots on Wednesday, so it's probably better that way (I had sunscreen on, I swear, but I missed a few spots - like a random line on my leg!).

It actually cools down quite a bit here at night, so after reading on the balcony for awhile, I did some blogging to keep track of everything.

Day Six: Friday, July 23rd

Friday morning was pretty relaxed...Curt needed a little extra sleep after the events of the previous day (the bachelor party from sunrise to sunset!). So, while he was sleeping/recovering, I made my way to my favourite spot of the week...the lounge chair by the pool...and spent the morning reading/relaxing/tanning/swimming. Ahhh, doesn't it sound lovely :)

Once Curt was ready to face the day, we got cleaned up and went to help with some wedding stuff. We went to the house that would be the site of the reception, and while Curt helped set up the dance floor, I helped put together forty or fifty paper lanterns that were later strung up outside for lighting. It was easy work, and while I did that I visited with Pete's sister, Carla, who I have met on various occasions, while she was making the cakes for the wedding.

There were a lot of helpers, so things there went fast, so Curt and I were left with a few hours to spare before the rehearsal. Curt, having been up for a few hours at this point, was ready for a nap, so we went back to our place to relax for a bit :)

However, just as Curt laid down, he remembered that he didn't have SHOES for the wedding! Pete had asked him to bring a specific style of black dress shoe, and he didn't really have anything that worked, so he figured he would buy some on one of our shopping trips...but, we hadn't really had a lot of time for shopping, and he hadn't thought of them until that point. So yeah, we were in a bit of a panic...but, we made it to a few stores and he did find a pair and we made it to the rehearsal on time.

Not much to say about the rehearsal, it was typical...although they are having some pretty unique music at the ceremony, but more on that later.

The rehearsal dinner was held a few blocks away at the house of some friends...actually, Shauna met this man when he backed into her car in the parking lot of a Starbucks, and despite that, both couples have become great friends :) All of the food was prepared by friends, and they did an amazing job. Following the dinner were speeches...many of the speeches you would typically hear at the reception (wedding party, family, parents of the bride and groom) said their speeches here to save time at the ceremony. Curt gave a little speech, and presented Pete with some 'gifts'...a Canada flag and some Canadian beer! And, I'm thinking that Curt should have changed his name to Robertson (rather then me becoming a Vreugdenhil) because he cried a little bit when saying his speech...it totally shocked me, but it was kinda cute to see how much Pete's friendship means to him.

Day Seven: Saturday, July 24th

Wedding Day! Curt had to be at Pete's early to get dressed and start pictures, so no sleeping in today. I drove him to Pete's place, dropped him off, and then went back to our place...I spent a few hours poolside, and then it was time for me to get ready for the wedding.

I made my way to the church and ended up being early, so I took a little walk down the main street of Sierra Madre. I happened to walk past a fire station, and I thought it would be great if I could buy a shirt for my brother (a fire fighter in my hometown), so I stopped in. I was told that they sell shirts Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm...so I explained that I was visiting from Canada and was leaving town the following day, and asked if they would make an exception...but I was told NO! I was really shocked, and disappointed?!?!?

The wedding ceremony was beautiful, and the love between the bride and groom was evident throughout. Shauna walked down the aisle to 'Somewhere over the Rainbow' which was unique...it was performed by friends, including a guy on a ukelele! They also did a sand ceremony rather then a unity candle, and although I've head about that, I don't know if I've ever seen it done. Their wedding colours were navy blue and yellow, which were the colours for our wedding, so that was neat too.

The bride and groom exited the church while all the guests blew bubbles, and they took off in a big red suburban that had been nicely decorated by the groomsmen...complete with beach balls, blow up pink flamingos, granny panties, pool noodles and even a few condoms.

The wedding party had more pictures to take, so I left for the reception with some of the other girls. Everything at the reception house turned out beautiful...I couldn't believe the transformation that had happened in the 12 hours since I had left! I think I'm going to do a separate post with pictures from the ceremony and reception, I just don't think I can do it justice with words. So that will come later.

Because most of the speeches had been done the night before, at the rehearsal dinner, this portion of the night was pretty short. The Best Man, Drew, and Maid of Honour, Mallory, said their speeches...and then other friends/family were invited to say a few words if they wanted to, so a few people did that. But, it was kept short and the dancing started quickly. The bride and groom made their exit, through a tunnel of sparklers, around 10:30pm or 11pm, so the whole night was short, really.

I'm pretty sure we were 'home' in bed before midnight, which was perfect because we had to be up really early the next morning!

Day Seven: Sunday, July 25th

So, the alarm went off at about 6am, and we had to be packed up and ready to vacate Hilltop Hideaway by 6:30am, so it was a little hectic. We did it though!

After picking up Ike in Pasadena, and dropping him off at the airport, it was off to Palm Springs to play golf. Way back at the beginning of this super long post I mentioned that Curt and the groomsmen played golf at the TPC Stadium Course at PGA West, and I was jealous...so, Curt booked a tee time for the two of us, and we played it on our way to Arizona.

It was amazing to get to play there! It was really tough, even Curt found it pretty challenging. It was also really HOT...because we had to drive a few hours to get there, we didn't tee of until 10am, and it was already over 100 when we teed off, and that added to the challenge. In fact, by the time we got to the 17th hole (an island green), I was so hot and uncomfortable, that after loosing two balls in the water, I gave up...I didn't even play the hole!

After the round it was back on the road for our drive to Arizona. I think it was about 4.5 hours, and Curt and I took turns driving and napping on the trip. It wasn't the most scenic drive...just a lot of rocks, mountains and eventually, cacti.

We found our house for week, explored the area a little and then settled in for evening...it was great to have another whole week of vacation ahead of us!

California...The First Half

Technically, our vacation started last Friday afternoon; after getting off work, we went home to finish our last minute packing and then loaded the Jeep, from there, we were off to play golf. We played in the 'Vreugdenhil Classic', a 9-hole golf tournament that happens every year during the weekend of Vreugdenhil camping. The reason I have to take the time to mention this is because Curt WON! He shot a 40, which won it for the men...the winning girl shot 38 - yeah, I was not even close!

After golf, we drove to Acton and spent Friday and Saturday night with the family. I don't think there is a better way to start a vacation then with my family.

Day One: Sunday, July 18th
We were flying out of Buffalo, on a 1:05pm flight with Southwest Airlines, so we left Acton around 9:30am. We had a bit of a wait at the border, probably 30 to 40 minutes, but we made it through customs with no problems. After the wait though, we ended up cutting it pretty close...I wasn't worried until we got on the parking shuttle, and I realized that if there was a long wait at the Southwest counter, there would be a chance we could miss our flight! Luckily, we walked right up to the counter and got through security quickly too, two more reasons we always fly out of Buffalo. We made it to the gate in time to line up and board the plane, so it was close.

We had a short layover in Phoenix, just enough time to grab a bite to eat, really. And then it was on to Los Angeles (LAX), on a flight that was just over an hour. Once we landed in L.A. it was off to pick up our rental car - a PT Cruiser.

We came directly to 'Hilltop Hideaway', our accommodations for the week...and it is BEAUTIFUL! The pictures we saw on the website before booking, don't even come close to showing how great this place is. I'll post my own pictures later.

Once we were organized here, we went to see Pete and Shauna (the groom and bride) at their apartment. The 3 hour time difference was catching up with us though, so after a little visit with them it was 'home' to bed.

Day Two: Monday, July 19th
Monday was Pete's birthday, so a group of us got together to go to the beach to celebrate. After meeting at P & S's apartment, we went for breakfast (the biggest/tastiest breakfast burritos ever at a little place in Pasadena) and then picked up some snacks to take with us (first time at a Trader Joe's, neat little grocery store). Then, it was on to the L.A. Freeways - and, just to be sure we got the full driving experience, Pete's car broke down, so we ended up pulled over on the side of the highway (apparently the wrong side of the freeway, according to the police officer who stopped to check on us - no tickets were issued).

Once back on the road, we drove along the Pacific Coast Highway, and went through Malibu - so it was a really scenic route, and very enjoyable. After meeting at 9:30am, we finally made it to El Matador State Beach at about 2pm. It was a really nice beach, and the rocks and cliff side were beautiful...but, the ocean was cold and full of nasty seaweed (not just the green stringy stuff, there was also this weird carrot shaped hard plastic-like stuff), so, I didn't do any swimming :)

We left when everyone was talking about how hungry they were, and stopped at a great restaurant in Malibu called Paradise Cove. After a great meal, Pete was served the biggest slice of birthday cake EVER - he sliced it to serve the ten of us, and there was still some left. We saw the same sized slice go to a table of two, they wouldn't have even made a dent in it.

Once back in Pasadena, it was off to a little bar that P & S like to hang out at. And of course, there was more cake - this time an icecream cake that Pete's sister, Christa, brought for the group.

Day Three: Tuesday, July 20th
Tuesday we had the day to ourselves, and we took full advantage! First thing on our agenda, go see the Hollywood sign! We went to The Griffith Observatory - a popular tourist attraction with various space and science related displays. We toured the displays in about 10 minutes, but spent a good amount of time outside, taking in the views and getting pics of the Hollywood sign, which you can see perfectly from around the observatory.

From there, we went on a little driving tour - Sunset Blvd, Santa Monica Blvd. through Beverly Hills, and then down Rodeo Drive! We didn't get out of the car in any of these spots, but it was pretty cool to see all these places anyway. I definitely saw some filming taking place on Sunset Blvd - lots of camera crews and actresses dressed up like can-can girls?!?!

After a quick lunch, it was off to play golf at Lost Canyons Golf Course. This course will be memorable for many reasons - the awesome mountain landscape, the crazy amount of rabbits on the course, other random wildlife seen throughout the round (a deer running across a fairway in front of us, and wild horses roaming a nearby mountain - but, despite multiple warning signs for rattlesnakes, we didn't see any of those), AND, I started the round going par-par-par on the first three holes!

Day Four: Wednesday, July 21st
Wednesday was pretty uneventful, but great none-the-less. Curt and I had a relaxing start to the morning, and then it was off to do some shopping. Curt found a great shopping area in Glendale called 'The Americana at Brand'...it was a lot of higher end shops, so we were doing more browsing then shopping, but then we stumbled on a nearby mall, and found some stores more in our price range. Unfortunately we didn't have a lot of time, so we only saw a fraction of the mall.

After getting a quick lunch, Curt dropped me off at 'home' and then he went off to help Pete with some wedding set-up stuff. I spent the afternoon lounging by the pool, and it was a GREAT afternoon! It was nice and hot, and when it got too hot, a quick dip in the pool cured that. It was a nice relaxing afternoon - I just read, slept, read some more, swam, soaked in the hot tub, and drank lots of water.

Curt got back around 8pm, and brought Ike with him (he arrived in California earlier that day), so we went out to grab a late dinner. It's nice having Ike here, someone I know and am comfortable around, but I really wish Jeanette had of come, too!

More Camping

This past weekend, Curt and I went camping, again! That's two weekends in a row...so yeah, I'm a real camper now!

This last camping trip was 'Wielemaker Camping', so it was with Curt's moms side of the family. Every year, one of the siblings is in charge of organizing both the Christmas get-together and the camping trip. This years organizer chose a park just outside of Kingston, called Rideau Acres Campground. It was actually pretty nice - the best part was that it had a pool (it had a beach too, but I wasn't going to swim there when I could swim in a nice clean pool!).

We arrived Friday night, in the rain! It was a light rain though, so it wasn't bad -the mosquitos loved the rain, that's for sure, and then they loved us all night. Luckily, with a trailer, it's pretty easy to set up...we just have to take a few things out of the trailer and then set up the bed.


We all laughed at Curt when he put this thing on, but deep down, I think we were jealous!

The whole weekend was very relaxed - everyone just does their own thing and on their own schedule. Every year there is a little competition for the 'Wielemaker Cup' - this year it was Disc Golf (the campground has a disc golf course, and is part of the PDGA - Professional Disc Golf Association, ha!). I didn't play - we had to pay a $10 deposit on the discs, and since I can't really throw a frisbee, I was sure I would lose one! Curt played though, and he won! Figures, that guy is good at everything....he's never even played disc golf before, and he shot 30 or something like that!

After packing up on Sunday, we hit the pool for a quick cool down and then it was time to get home and get ready for the big soccer game! We ended up having mostly family over - there were a few families at camping from Toronto, so our house was a good spot to stop and catch the game. And, just as predicted in my last post, it was a sea of orange! It was fun having people over to watch with - if they hadn't been there, I probably would have fallen asleep. It was a disappointing finish for us, but, you still have to appreciate that they made it as far as they did!


We've had a Dutch flag hanging outside throughout the World Cup, this was an extra flag that one of our guests brought!

Now, I have a nice short week to get through...and, Friday at 2:30pm...I'm officially on VACATION for TWO WEEKS!!!

Random Ramblings

Thankfully, this week has gone by pretty fast. It has been really HOT all week!!! It's 31 right now, but it feels like 39 with the humidity!

Curt's at the Toronto Blue Jays game tonight! He went with our friend Maria, I had to pass on joining them because I didn't think I could handle the late night...I'm getting old!

I have had to work the morning shift all week; so I have to get up at 5:15am and be at work by 6:30am. I'm really not a morning person - probably should have considered that before deciding to work in the golf industry. There are a few good things about opening though; one positive is that I get to be at home with Curt in the evening, and another positive is that I get out of the Pro Shop when it gets really hot. The shop has air conditioning, but it can't keep up in this kind of heat...so, when I leave in the mid-afternoon it's usually over 80 inside...apparently it got over 90 in there last night! Glad I was at home in our conditioning by that point.

I've noticed that the weeds in my front garden are thriving in this heat! ha! I notice the weeds every time I go in or out of the house, and there are a lot of them and they are HUGE! I really need to do something about it, but I don't feel like being outside too long with these temperatures.

I'm not Dutch...but, going to Redeemer University College introduced me to the Dutch culture. And, of course I married into a Dutch family (both sets of Curt's grandparents came to Canada from Holland). And, as a result of all of this, I have a lot of Dutch friends and family. So, it's hard not to get caught up in all the excitement surrounding the FIFA World Cup right now. For those of you who don't know what I'm talking about...Holland made it to the finals! They play Spain in the finals on Sunday. Curt's talking about having a bunch of friends over to watch the game...we have to see if we get home from camping in time though...if we do, you can be sure it will be a sea of orange in our living room.

I made a quick trip to the mall tonight, I was only looking for one thing, shoes for the wedding in California, the rest of my shopping desires can wait until the outlet malls we'll hit up while away! But, I am happy to report that I found some shoes...and I got them for a great price. I found them at Payless, they were originally $30...on sale for $15...and then if you sent a text to given number, you received a text back that gave you a code to save another 20%...so, I got them for $12 in the end!


Here they are, just because I don't like posts without pictures.

We're going camping again this weekend so I'm hoping it cools down a little bit. I can't imagine sleeping in our trailer in this heat...it would be like a little oven!

Speaking of, I still have to pack. I guess I better get busy. A new season of Big Brother starts tonight...and although it's a little embarrassing, I have to admit that I'm kind of excited. So, I have to get the packing out of the way so that I can watch!

Call Me a Camper!

Anyone who knows me, knows that I have never been a big fan of camping. In fact, I used to say I hated it. Having only been once or twice growing up, I was pretty uncomfortable with the whole idea. But, this past weekend, Curt and I went camping, and we both agree that I have come a long way...I am even willing to admit that I enjoyed the time at the campground.

We left for Presqu'ile Provincial Park, in Brighton, on Thursday and camped until Sunday. Now, Curt was there the whole time, but I had to come home Friday afternoon to Saturday afternoon to work. So, I did get to spend a night at home, and got to enjoy all the conveniences that brings with it, most importantly...a shower!

This camping trip was a birthday party of sorts, my sister-in-law, Sarah, reserved a group site and surprised Curt's brother, Dave, for his 30th birthday. He thought it was just a regular family camping weekend, but when they got there, Sarah directed him to the group camping sites! There were 16 adults and 18 kids on the site throughout the weekend, so it was busy!

The weather was perfect for camping, warm during the day and not too cool at night. The beach at Presqu'ile isn't as nice as Sandbanks, but it was OK, and we were able to enjoy some time there. Curt borrowed a kite board from his friend, and enjoyed trying that with a few of the other guys, throughout the weekend. We managed a game of ladies only volleyball, which was fun because we were all kinda bad! And, of course there were nightly campfires...complete with s'mores and games of charades.

Between a dead battery and forgetting to pull the camera out of the trailer, we didn't get very many pictures. Here are a few of the better ones...


Our nephew Isaac, enjoying his s'more.


Curt roasting a marshmallow for his s'more...or maybe it was my s'more, since he made mine too!


Our nephew Noah, roasting marshmallows. Obviously not his first, since he already has marshmallow on his face :)


Our nephew Luke, the youngest, inspecting his s'more.

And, we get to do this all again next weekend for Wielemaker camping. The Wielemaker's are the extended family on Curt's moms side of the family...they get together every year for a weekend of camping...this year it is at a park near Kingston. We'll be praying for the weather from this past weekend to repeat itself next weekend!