October 24, 2011

Disneyland

Anaheim, California

I'm sure you know, and if you don't you do now, that this girl

and this girl

are best friends.

 Or so I've been told by Grace almost everyday for the past 6 months.

 "Minnie Mouse is my best friend. I love her!"

So, when we decided to go on tour as a family and the first stop on the tour was Los Angeles, of course we wanted to take Grace to Disneyland.

And here are our the pics from our Monday Family Funday!

 When we walked into the park the Disney characters were milling about. 

We asked Grace if she wanted to go over and say hi to Mickey. 

She said, "Um, I really only came here to meet Minnie."

 Grace's favorite rides were Dumbo and King Arthur's Carousel

Her favorite attraction was Minnie's house in ToonTown.

 I think we could have left her there and she wouldn't have noticed.

While we were riding the Casey Jr. Circus Train, we taught her to put

 her hands up when the train went up a little hill. 

The ride I looked forward to most was Winnie the Pooh.

 It was the first ride Grace had ever been on when we visited Disney World last February.

Surprisingly, Grace ended up loving the Haunted Mansion. We were a little nervous at the start of the ride. She kept saying she wanted to go back outside...but once we started moving along, she loved it.

The next few pictures are for John Thomas. His best friend is Buzz Lightyear!

Gracie and David on the Go Carts. 

David said that after a few minutes of her 

driving and crashing back and forth on the track she said, "Daddy, maybe you should steer."

 My two favorite pictures of the day! 

We bought Grace the red Minnie Mouse at Disney World and she saw the pink Minnie at the Disney Store a month or so ago. Ever since then, she has been dreaming of owning a pink Minnie..and now she does!

October 23, 2011

Bring It On Day!

Los Angeles, Califoria

Universal City Walk

Today was Bring It On Day...a celebration kicking off the national tour! It was at the Universal City Walk, which is basically a gigantic outdoor mall and theatre.

Local high school cheerleading squads and dance teams performed and the cast belted out the opening number to Act 2...It's All Happening. Of course, Gracie and I were front row!

So much fun!
It was very exciting to hear them perform and have a little sneak peek of what's to come. 

October 21, 2011

Making It Work!

Los Angeles, California

Pork Dinner

A pork roast that took almost 2 hours to cook. 

Obviously, something was wrong with the oven. So, after those 2 hours came and went it was now 7pm and we needed something to cheer up the Pep girls!

Mac and Cheese for Gracie and Wine for me! 

The next day we took that dried pork, shredded it, 

smothered it with BBQ sauce and made pork sandwiches. 

We made it work.

(And of course we called the repair man!)

After an afternoon at the pool, I realized I had forgotten a change of clothes for Grace and it's a decent walk home with a cool, California breeze. I knew she'd be chilly in her swimsuit, so she wore my shirt home (backwards, of course, to cover her lady parts). 

Here she is modeling with her dream car. 

She made it work! 

Here's DP and the BIO gang. He's working long hours these days. 

Twelve to Ten...and it's only going to get worse.

 9am to Midnight starting tomorrow. 

For a week! Ugh!

He spends time with his family when he can and he works his tail off when he's at the theatre!

 He's making it work!

October 17, 2011

Mr. Bones Pumpkin Patch

West Hollywood, California

   

Monday Family Funday! 

David has Mondays off and we are hoping to do fun family activities on his days off. 

This weeks family fun was getting our pumpkins, one of my favorite traditions.

A tradition that usually involves hats, heavy sweaters, boots, and last year our rain gear. 

This year, however, we were sweating running around the pumpkin patch.

 Very odd, but nonetheless very fun!

David and I had to comment on how "LA" the pumpkin patch was. 

When you first walk in there is a sign that says,

 "No taking pictures of anyone without their permission." 

Basically, leave the famous people alone! 

Sadly, there were no celebrity sightings for the Pepins, except for this one....

This picture is one of my new favorite pictures all of time!

Now off  to carve our pumpkins.

October 15, 2011

Los Angeles, California

Oakwood Apartments
Our New Home...
For Now

Gracie's favorite place...the pool.

David's favorite place...the land o'grills. 

David invited the band guys over last night and grilled some burgers and dogs.

 It was really fun and nice getting to know the "newbies!"

There are two movie rooms within the complex. 

Grace already watched a Mickey Mouse Clubhouse 

and has plans for a Mom and Grace movie night later this week. 

Here are our dinning room and kitchen.

Contractually David is allowed a one bedroom. Someone was smiling on us and blessed us with a two bedroom. We aren't really sure how it happened and we don't really want to really to know. 

We fear someone will realize their mistake and kick us out. 

Grace now has her own room and fortunately the Oakwood has really nice cribs available.

 She loves having her own room in the "California House!"

The living room and...

my favorite...the fireplace.

 I have a feeling this picture will be the only time we ever turn on the fireplace. 

The weather is perfect...70 degrees, sunny and breezy. 

Come visit and see for yourselves!

October 14, 2011

Irvington, NY to Los Angeles, CA

A Day of Travel

Here is our new CRV getting ready for the open road.

 We decided to have our car shipped to Los Angeles.

 Between David's work schedule and the fact that NY and LA are 2,813 miles apart, 

I'd say we made the right choice. 

The Pepin's flew jet blue. One of the greatest airlines around!

On Jet Blue you get plenty of leg room, your own personal television, 

and if you're lucky you get to sit next to this peanut! 

We flew over the Rockies and the Grand Canyon!

Overall, it was an awesome travel day. Grace was such a good girl on the plane. She napped, watched cartoons, and played with her new dolly (from her bff John) Sleeping Beauty. It was exactly what you'd hope traveling across the country with a 2 year old (and Dave!) would turn out to be. 

Let the adventure begin!