I just got back from my quick trip to the homeland…aka Los Angeles, California. Even though I have lived most of my life in the Lone Star Sate, I was actually born in California! It is always so fun to go back to this exciting place. The culture and atmosphere is so different from Dallas. I took a bunch of pictures throughout my stay visiting family, so I thought I would post them on my blog! Enjoy!
Man do I love plane pictures. And not just because they are really cool. I mean LOOK at how amazing that is. God is so BIG.
Here’s a shot of my sister reading this book about living in your twenties. The “defining decade” they call it!
An overhead shot of Los Angeles! SO many people it is CRAZY!
Our first stop after we got out of the airport was food, of course. We stopped at this adorable restaurant my dad found online called Tin Roof. It was so cute inside and the food was just amazing. It was all healthy (my favorite!) and packed with flavor. This was probably my favorite dinning experience this trip! This one is located in Manhattan Beach.
Both of my grandparents live in California (only about 20 minutes away from each other!), so whenever we go to California we go to see them. My dad’s parents live in such a beautiful area. Whenever we visit with them, we always make sure to go on about 5 walks…haha! But seriously, there are so many hills and beautiful sights to see. You can even see the Hollywood sign! It is just breathtaking…and great exercise too!
Me with the parents!
Mom and Dad (our family nickname is “The Flannel Fam”)
There are also horses in this community!! So cute!
Views…am I right? I love California because you’ve got the beach, countryside, city life, and the mountains all in one place!
Me and my sister!
On our way back to the house, we spotted this old, vintage barn! SO cute. The first thing I thought of when I saw this was what a CUTE wedding venue that would be!!! I love all of the white and greenery.
And so cute, they decorated the outside trees for Christmas!
Walks with my dad, uncle, and grandpa!
If you look closely enough, you can see Downtown LA!
Doesn’t this look like a fairytale?
You definitely don’t get this in Texas!
This year, my grandparents had a really tiny Christmas tree…but it was just SO cute! For as long as I can remember, my grandparents have always had a real Christmas tree (which I love!) with BIG vintage looking rainbow lights. It reminds me of the 70s and I love it so much. It gives the room a much more cozy feel and it just feels like home when I see trees like this.
Later, my dad took my sister and I for a walk/drive along the coast! We parked our car and walked for a bit, even though it was around 50 degrees! California can get cold! The sunset was just beautiful and the sound of the waves was my favorite part!
Look! A lighthouse!
Again…God is SO big and wonderful.
Wouldn’t it be nice to live here? Right on the beach!
This was the view from our hotel! City views and snowcapped mountains!
We also visited with my mom’s parents! They live in Manhattan Beach, which is always a fun spot to visit. While we were there, my dad, sister and I went on a walk (surprise, surprise!). We always like to walk through the neighborhood and look at all the unique houses, but this time we turned left instead of right and went to the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf. Y’ALL!!! Texas needs this coffee shop. It is SO good. Every time we go to California, we always insist on going there because they don’t have one in Texas. I love the flavor of their coffee and….it might be better than Starbucks (shh….don’t tell anyone). It was so fun walking the streets of Manhattan Beach…even though I was wearing 3 inch heels! Sometimes you gotta sacrifice for fashion (and coffee)!
My dad is adorable! He always knows how to have a fun time!
The Coffee Bean!!
Y’all!!! I got the best latte ever. I asked the barista for some advice on what to order, so we came up with a drink just for me! We did a nonfat latte with half dark chocolate and half hazelnut. Pure perfection.
Manhattan Beach, y’all!
It was so hard to get a good picture of the city lights. This doesn’t even begin to do it justice. GORGEOUS views guys. I could sit there and stare at the lights from the hills all night. Over the summer, when we were here we were able to watch the Fourth of July fireworks. It was so amazing seeing all the different fireworks pop up throughout the cit and on the beach.
This was such a fun Christmas in California. Although nothing beats being at home, getting to visit with the family is always awesome. I hope everyone enjoyed their holiday! I can’t believe it is almost 2017!!!
