Vacation Post Part I: Palm Springs

We just enjoyed a great family vacation to sunny (SUNNY and warm) California. This photo-heavy post covers our first four days in Palm Desert.

This is our third annual sun-seeking vacation to the Palm Springs area. This year, we followed our PS tour with a trip to Disneyland. After editing down our photos from the trip, I decided it was probably best to split the trip into two separate blog posts. 

Who's excited to be on their way to
California?

This year, we stayed at the Marriott Shadow Ridge resort.

Guess who loved their first day: swimming, visiting with Grandma Lulu, and the 90 degree weather?

Spontaneous Celebration:

She's singing and dancing in her underwear.

Breakfast, Morning, day two:

swimming,

swimming, 

swimming.

My Little Mermaid

 Followed by: 

Sunshine,

blue skies,

poolside cocktails,

lunch.

 Afternoon Activities:

Counting wild jackrabbits...

Did you know that rabbits breed-- a LOT? 

... Heading to Grandma's house,

enjoying wine and appetizers...

... Visiting through the kitchen window.

Closing the night with:

Dinner out.

Fun. Fun. Fun.

Day Three:

Breakfast of champions,

cartoons,

coffee...

Oh yeah... those are Honey Nut.

 ... More swimming, 

swimming,

water slides,

swimming.

WooHoo!

Yea!

(Insert: Cocktails, lunch, book-reading in the sun) 

Next up:

Cool bath,

afternoon naps,

a few games on the Kindle Fire.

 Then dinner with Grandma!

Day Four:

Lounging on the patio in the morning sun in our pajamas,

coffee,

Cheerios...

... making sketches of nature.

Geneva found a really cool sketch book.

Followed by a GIANT chess game between Geneva and Greg.

Directing Piper where to move her
pieces.

Can you guess what we did next?

Yes!

Swimming,

swimming...

... flips and tricks.

Backward!

Foreword!

 (Insert: Cocktails, lunch, baths, naps, dinner with Lulu and a late bedtime.)

Day Five: Departure (sad),

heading to Disneyland next (happy).

Morning visit and a breakfast date with Lulu.

Nature sketching while we waited for our breakfast order.

"Look out, Mickey! Here we come!"

"Thanks, Palm Springs! It's been fabulous!"