2009 Year in Review

Well, we accomplished all of our travel goals this year.




Big Bear in January for some skiing, snow tubing and relaxation.



Hollywood at the end of January...visiting the Walk of Fame and seeing the Kodak Theater and having fun exploring LA and Beverly hills. Also, made a trip to Manhattan Beach to enjoy a nice morning walk on the boardwalk and bagels with friends.


In April we flew home to Michigan for 10 days to celebrate Rami's parent's 50th wedding anniversary and Easter. We hadn't flown anywhere with the kids in almost 4 years and it was actually an enjoyable flight and a wonderful trip catching up with our family and friends.

We went to the desert in June to enjoy some warmer weather. Palm Desert was beautiful!

More beach exploration in Huntington Beach for Rami and I's 15th wedding anniversary in August. Even got in some surfing lessons one morning.

In September we ventured a little further and finally accomplished that Northern California trip. Sacramento, Walnut Creek and San Fransisco were terrific places to visit and the 8 hour drive through California's Central Valley was a wonderful, timely geography lessons for the kids.

In addition to our family trips, running races took me to destinations I hadn't explored before....Playa del Rey was beautiful but a tough mental run. The wine country of Temecula was one of my favorites and one I hope to do every year. It was awesome that my cousin Julie was able to come run that one with me. Running around the rim of Lake Elsinore is beautiful and calming on a foggy May morning. The Mission Inn run in Riverside was one of the best runs and very enjoyable and the Holiday Classic in Loma Linda was well...unforgettable to say the least.

I also got a chance to go on a memorable, fun filled trip with some great girlfriends this year. Exploring Chicago was one of the best times I've ever had and I'm so glad I get the opportunity to visit with my mommy friends.

Of course, soccer brought us all around Southern California this year too. We spent some time in Irvine and visited Balboa Island, dreaming of summer vacation homes on the water front.