California with Family

Our final 10 days in North America were spent with family in California.  It was a lovely time to relax, regroup and prepare for our next big chapter.

First we spent 5 days with Leo’s brother Gabe, and his wife Monique, and their kids Sylas and Alana, in Southern California.  There were lots of laughs, silliness and yummy food.  We all helped put up Christmas lights, went for freshly made ice cream at an ice cream parlor/discotheque, devoured Vietnamese food, learned about BB guns, ate delicious homemade Mexican food (thank you Mo), went to the movies, hiked on the beach, jumped on trampolines, raced go karts, the girls immersed themselves in arts and crafts, and the boys caught up on their video game time.

Dancing after ice cream.  What could be better?

Art in the backyard under the californian sun

It was a perfect time to reconnect and relax.  
We are especially thankful that Monique and Gabe opened their lives and their home to us mere weeks after moving into their place.

From there we flew up to Northern California and spent the last 5 days with Grandma Ree and Grandpa B.  They generously gave us the space (we took over their house) and the time to explode out of our bags, regroup and prepare for leaving north America.  Leo and I ran around doing last minute chores (restock on necessities like contact lens solution and sunscreen and buying a tent for New Zealand, for example) amongst the Christmas shoppers of Santa Rosa.  

Freshly lost tooth smile.

Vios lost his first tooth while we were having a picnic in a park.  We explored the Jack London museum (Jack London made his home in this neck of the woods), hiked in the hills behind their home, went looking for wild turkeys, played pickleball and relaxed.   

We even had a mini Christmas complete with Christmas tree trimming, cookie decorating, gifts and carols.  The kids all enjoyed having a taste of the Christmas before we launched into the unknown.  It was a perfect place to end the North American leg of our trip.

On our way to the airport.
Golden Gate Bridge in the Fog. 
Glad we hadn't come for the view.
Goodbye San Francisco and USA.