post-mortem

We are back from California.
I'd have to say that all in all it was a fun trip.
We went to Palm Springs for Big daddy's brother's second wedding.



It was a bit of a long haul.
A 4-5 hour flight then 3 hour drive-but it was worth it in the end.
So glad they decided to have the wedding in Palm Springs.


Lulu was a champ and didn't fuss in the least.
We stayed here and were fairly impressed.
Very funky decor and lots of inspiring little details.


Very pretty grounds with nice views and 2 different outdoor swimming pools.







That being said- in my experience with Boutique hotels- it's often style over substance.
and for the prices we paid there were plenty of details that were over looked.
Mostly the fact that it was so child un-friendly.
I know I know, not every hotel wants kids- but business is business.
Anyhow we tried to make the most of it.
But after spending $18 on a hotdog by the pool for Lulu the first day we wised up and decided to leave the hotel for the rest of our meals.
Especially breakfast.
I mean $23 for oatmeal!! for a 4 year old!
and it wasn't even very good.
so needless to say Starbucks was our best friend all week.

does that look like it is worth $18. U.S.?
I think not. oh and the the fries were cold.
Shoulda gone to Jack in the Box.
But fortunately I found this place.



Aside from the crazy portion sizes it was the perfect breakfast and lunch spot.
I think I scored a few points with my inlaws since they had things like chopped liver, kishka and matzo ball soup on the menu.
Speaking of my in-laws..
One of the highlights of the trip was the fact that we got there a few days before the rest of the family and wedding party arrived so that we could spend some quality time with Big daddy's parents whom we don't see very often.
It was so nice to spend time alone with them.



It's taken me almost 13 years, but I must say that I really hit it off with my M.I.L.
I think sometimes certain relationships take a while, and now I can totally relate to the need to protect your "baby".
Big daddy being the youngest of 4 boys and her "baby".
So now I get it.
And funny enough I discovered that she & I are more similar that I had originally thought.
Who knew?
But most importantly, Lulu got a chance to really bond with them and that alone was worth the almost 12 hour journey.

The wedding itself....well what can I say?
Big daddy's brother "p-diddy" seems really happy, and that's what really matters.
we are really happy for him, and it's nice to finally have a sister-in-law that I have a few things in common with.



Lulu was absolutley adorable as a flower girl.
Such a shame that I have no photos of her in focus.



We managed to sneak away from all the wedding hoopla for a drive to Joshua Tree.
So glad that we did.
Very breathtaking.



Bonus that our rental car had satellite radio and we were chilling out to some sort of restorative yoga trance music.
Just what our souls needed.



Mind you we could have done without the constant chatter in the back seat wondering "how much fuuuuuurrrther????"
That was a tad annoying.
Okay very annoying.
But I have to cut the kid a bit of slack seeing as the week was so packed with stuff.
She was pretty great considering..
oh and the 4:30 a.m. wake-ups kind of sucked too- damn three hour time difference.
Just when we got used to it, it was time to come home.
Ah well it was all worth it.
One of the best parts of the trip for me was that for the first time ever-I really felt like a part of Big daddy's family.
Like I mentioned, sometimes relationships take time to develop.
I'm also very happy that Lulu has so many loving people in her life and family.
She's one lucky girl.
But most of all, lucky to be home.
Because as nice as it is to go away, it's always good to be back.