A quick trip to San Fran

If you've seen or talked to us anytime over the last 2.5 years, you'd know that Ryan has been traveling for work (alot) - since basically the fall of 2019.  Fox River Millwork has been around long enough that I know that the really good jobs only come around every once in awhile, and while even though they are good, they can be exhausting...and, they don't stick around for forever.  Back in the fall of 2019 Ryan had the opportunity to go in on a job with another local company doing the finish trim work on a Restoration Hardware storefront in Columbus, Ohio.  That job led to more jobs (which during the early days of COVID was a blessing) and these RH stores have taken Ryan and a crew of 7 other guys all across the country and back, traveling nearly every week for the past two years.  It meant a LOT of solo parenting here on the home-front for me, but about a month ago I had the special opportunity to fly out and see one of the job sites in San Francisco, where the home office of RH is located.  

Being the flagship store means the crew put a LOT of love, sweat and maybe even tears into this specific jobsite.  Ryan once told me it is the most technically complex work he's ever done and he wanted to be sure to see this one through to the end.  The company was set to have a big pre-grand opening party on Thursday evening and Bobby (Ryan's boss) offered to fly me out for the weekend.  There was quite a bit of back and forth on if we'd be going to the party or not, but the morning of my flight I talked to Ryan and he told me it looked like we'd just be hanging out with the group that evening either at the hotel or getting dinner somewhere (a side-celebration of sorts).    

Then, just as I was about to board the plane I got another call saying "Scratch that!  We're going to the party tonight."  I'd already repacked my suitcase and had exactly zero clothes with me that I could wear to a formal party but Elise from RH (one of the top people at RH that the crew became very close friends with) was on a clothing run for not just me, but the 8 guys in the group.  It was seriously like a scene out of pretty woman.  She showed up with full outfits for each of the guys.  I'm talking shirts, shoes, belts, pants, the whole nine yards...plus 2 dress options for me, shoes, a blazer...everything I'd need to feel pretty at the event.  

The party started at 7 but the guys worked right up until about 6:45.  They came back to the hotel, showered quickly, we all got dressed and we went right back to the store.  It was so so fancy guys.  There were 1500 people all crammed into the 4 story building.  There was a Bellini bar and a mojito bar, there was champaign on tiered ice trays, tiny tiny appetizers, a DJ, people dressed to the nines and, while we were waiting in the line to get in, I kid you not, we stood 5 feet away from Ellen Degeneres and Portia (apparently Portia has a hardware line at RH and they flew one of the private jets to LA to pick them and a few other celebrities up for the evening).  What even is this life!?!  

We stayed for an hour and a half or so, I got to see all of the hard work the guys did, including this staircase that Ryan worked many many months on - other than the metal banisters the entire staircase is made of curved wood.  We sat on the $15K cloud couch, had coctails on the rooftop, walked through the designers floor (where the boys installed a lot of cabinets and hardware displays to show off the options available).  By the end of the night I had blisters on my feet from all the walking (I can't tell you the last time I wore heels because of COVID) but I'm so so glad I made the trip out.

Ryan and I are terrible about planning time for just the two of us.  Don't get me wrong, we have tons and tons of adventures, but if the kids aren't with us, then we're dragging other friends along on our trips.  It was really quite nice to be just the two of us for a few days.

Our trip didn't end on Thursday night though!  I worked for a few hours on Friday morning and then we headed out to explore!  It was really really fun to see all of the places that Ryan has been telling me about for the past few years.  And, I think it was fun for Ryan to play host and take me around - especially since the city was much more open that it had been in the past two years.  Chicago was pretty strict when it came to COVID protocols but Ryan says that San Fran was even more so - lots of people were still masking, even outside when I was there in late March. 

You guys know we're dorks and we love our National Park stamp book, right?  Well, guess what!  We got FIVE stamps over the 2 days we had to explore.  We visited:

• Golden Gate Bridge
• Fort Point
• Muir Woods
• The Maritime Museum 
• Rosie the Riveter National Park (my second favorite place after Muir Woods)

Of everything we did (including the fancy party) I was most excited to go to the Redwoods.  I've been to a lot of places, but I've never traveled west of Colorado so making it all the way to the Pacific coast was very cool.  Someday I want to see the sequoias, but the redwoods are pretty darn amazing!

We trapsed all over San Fran in the two days we were there.  We had lunch in Sausalito (so yummy...though I regret not going to the crab restaurant next door to where we ate), we hiked 4 miles (which I swear was straight up!) around Muir woods, we ate dinner at a fancy sushi restaurant where I drank Saki for the first time, we had cocktails at an amazing cocktail bar (I asked the bartender about 4,000 questions and learned a lot), we journeyed to Sanoma, went to 2 breweries, had a (strange) wine tasting at a little place right on the square, we rode electric scooters, and visited the 5 national park locations I listed above.  

Ryan says it best!  "We're the McGrath's and we do all the things".

 

It really truly was an amazing, once in a lifetime trip and I'm so very thankful I had the opportunity to have this experience.  I'm thankful for a job that is flexible enough to let me travel in this way, a family support structure that can help with the kids while we were gone (thanks Erin and Dan! - I'll write about the kids adventures a little further down), and for Trim Tech for flying me out to experience it all.

(Can you tell that the woods was my favorite part just by the number of photos?!) 

 Oh!  I forgot to tell you!  We also got upgraded to first class on the way home.  It was very very fancy - and I could get used to traveling like this!  Between the extra space and Ryan's 1K status on United right now I just might change my tune on my utter dislike for flying.

You might be wondering what exactly we did with the kids during all this - ha!  Well, I owe Dan a ton because he stepped up and took care of the kids for us for 4 full days.  I was able to get the kids on the bus Thursday morning before my flight, but he played parent for us Thursday night through Sunday when we got home.  He got them on and off the bus, dealt with lunches and homework and probably a squabble or two (though he didn't mention those).  

Then, on Saturday he hauled them downtown to hang out with Erin and play tourist in the city on a cold windy, rainy weekend in March.  The went to the Bean, went to the top of the Sears Tower (I haven't even done this myself!)...and ate Chicago style pizza with Auntie and Grandpa.  I think they tired the kids out - I heard Hazel fell asleep at the table at dinner.  

Oh!  And their first ever train ride.  The kids have been wanting to ride the train for years and this weekend Auntie finally made it happen.  I wonder if if still smelled like pee like how I remember it - lol!  

Easter Cookies

 

This past weekend Ryan was in San Fran for yet another work trip so I did what I do best, and called in reinforcements to come hang out with the girls and I for the weekend.  Let me tell ya, an impromptu girls weekend was just what we needed.  The girls had finally returned to school earlier in the week (after a LONG quarantine for post Disney COVID) and I couldn't wait to catch up with Erin, share a few cocktails (turns out it was one too many cocktails!) and do what we do best - make sugar cookies!

Turns out, somehow over our nearly 2 year bender with sugar cookies, we never managed to buy St. Patrick's Day cutters so we decided to just skip right over that holiday and do Easter instead.  After so many batches, we do have a pretty good routine down and the kids are pros at their parts of the process.  But, each and every time we make these, we find something else new to try or tweak.  This batch's project was operation frosting consistency.  We made two very specific consistencies and made sure to really pay attention to how the frosting reacted so that we can replicate it going forward.  We made a much thicker frosting to use for piping on top (you can see it below on the carrots) and a thinner one that spreads more easily for all over frosting sections (like the peep bunnies above).

The cookies turned out as cute as ever.  The kids love being able to take them to school to share with their teachers and I sure love having one in the morning with coffee.  The thinker cookies and larger cutters mean that one batch of dough goes just far enough for us to share the cookies and leaves just enough left over that they are gone within a few days.  

Now it's got us thinking about our next cookie weekend - and what we'll make.  I'm guessing our next batch will be for the lake Memorial Day weekend...Erin and I have a cute idea already in the works for those.  Last year we did red/white/blue patriotic theme...but I'm going to keep our plan for this year a secret for now!

Disney - Island of Adventure

 

Our second park day was at Island of Adventure - an offshoot of Universal.  Since the parks are great at one thing - making money - they figured out that if you split something across two parks it'll make people buy park hopper passes so that they can experience the full "world".  So, for example, Harry Potter is split across both Universal and Island of Adventure.  You can see Diagon Alley and ride a few rides at Universal, and then you have to get on the Hogwarts Express to journey to Island of Adventure where you can visit Hogwarts and Hogsmeade.  Smart...gotta give it to them!  But, I knew it would be unlikely that we'd want to spend enough time doing rides ands standing in line to make a park hopper pass worth it.  After a little research we decided on Island of Adventure and all in all, I am really happy with the choice.  It was clear that the parks had put a lot of time and energy (and money) into making this area of the park amazing - and it was definitely the most crowded area of the entire park.  

We upgraded our tickets to allow us to use the express lanes (worth it, though, if I had it to do over again, we didn't ALL need the upgraded tickets).  I think in the end, Dad went on only one ride for the entire day.  Dan went out a few more than that, and I was only on 5 rides myself.  So, paying for all of us to have the upgraded tickets probably wasn't worth it - I'd say "next time" but honestly, I'm not sure if we'll be back again for quite some time.  We're hoping we can check "Disney" off the kids bucket lists.  We'll see!

Since I knew the rides would likely make me sick, the three things I personally wanted to experience were:

1. Get the kids wands and help them do magic (this was really really cool and worth the cost!)
2. Have a Butterbeer (the kids didn't like it at all....surprisingly because they are basically a cup full of sugar)
3. Walk around and be able to see all the decorations/recreations etc.

While Erin, Mom and Ryan went on one of the bigger rides (Jurassic Park - Ryan said it was his top 2 lifetime favorite ride...and only because he wanted to give room in his scale for a FUTURE ride)...Dan, Dad and I took the kids to Oleanders where we watched a wand picking ceremony (did you know that the wand actually picks you?).  Unfortunately the kids weren't picked for the show, but they did promptly funnel you into the giftshop where each person could pick their own wand (or rather...the wand could pick you - LOL!).  It was really quite cool.  Abby ended up selecting a wand that is carved with vines (turns out it's the same wand Hermoione uses in the books) and Hazel picked one that had a pink jeweled handle.  The wands themselves are cool, but the true genius lies in the tips.  Each of the wands has a special sensor built in that interacts with areas of Hogsmede.  So, as you walk around the town there are window displays (marked by gold medallions in the ground) where you can use your wand to cast spells and make the windows move/change/interact with you.  Even as an adult, I gotta say, it was cool!

Abby did amazing at this park.  There were quite a few big rides that she was big enough to go on (unfortunately Hazel was a few inches too short for many of the rides even WITH the cute hairstyle I gave her for the day trying to make her seem taller).  But Abby was so brave that she went right alongside Ryan, Erin and Mom on nearly every ride.  I think last year's few trips to Great America were good for her and she's slowing getting more and more brave and more excited to try out the big rides and roller coasters.  She's not quite ready to do the upside down rides, but I bet it won't take her long to be willing to try.

Man I love these stinkers so much!  

Our final ride of the day was a water ride.  The grandparents decided to sit this one out and while I knew we'd end up soaking wet and cold, I figured I'd live with whimsy and join them on the ride.  Turns out I was right....wet (really wet) and cold, are exactly how to describe it.  It probably wasn't QUITE warm enough for this ride (low 70's) but we were headed home so I figured what the heck.

Disney - Magic Kingdom

 

We did it!  A FULL day at Disney from the moment the gates opened through the final firework that night, we officially traipsed around a theme park for a full 13 hours.  Miraculously there wasn't a single tear or a "will you carry me" (that I can remember).  At 9 and 6, I think we found the magic ages where they were old enough (and tall enough) to go on all the rides, their "Disney Legs" were strong enough to carry them without needing strollers and us adults somehow had the stamina to make it through a full day without needing naps.  LOL!

On Monday, which also happened to be Valentines Day, the group of 10 had a blast at Disney.  It was Joey's family's first time (including Andy) so it was very fun to show them around the park.  Having been to Disney 4 years ago, we felt more informed and comfortable getting around and it was fun to see it all through their eyes too.  Hazel was only 2 when we last went, so she remembered very little from the last time we were there.  Back then her favorite ride was the Winnie the Pooh ride, which, we didn't manage to squeeze in this year.  

Honestly - I don't know if we could have asked for a more perfect day.  The weather was cool, mid 40's at it's coldest and 60's in the afternoon, but that made standing in line bearable (much better than the high 80's when we went in 2018).  The crowds seemed much less too.  I'm not sure if that had to do with the time of year (we specifically picked mid Feb to try and avoid the crowds) or because of COVID, but either way, it made our experience more enjoyable for sure. 

Disney just released a new line management program called Genie+ less than 6 months ago, so we were some of the first to start using it.  Our experience was really quite good - but I will say that to get the most out of it, one person from the group should take point on running the app and whomever takes that job will spend a good part of their day on the phone.  My battery was totally dead by 5 pm...so bring a backup charger!

But, honestly, we rode every single ride we wanted to ride (with the exception of Peter Pan) and 90% of those rides were using the Lightening Lanes.  We waited less than 20 minutes for any ride we used the LL on...and, for the rides where we did wait in the normal line, I'd say we waited 45 minutes max.  It really was a much more enjoyable experience than when we went in 2018.

We rode all the rides, saw some parades and met Mickey.  We did some 3D/4D movies, ate unlimited popcorn, we rode the Seven Dwarfs (our last ride of the night), we ate dinner in Tomorrow Land....and we went on the Carousel of Progress - which, as an adult, can I just say, is a lovely ride!  In 2018, this was a welcome opportunity to sit down and be in the AC.  Us adults loved it just as much in 2022 as we did back then...though, I know the kids had no idea what it was talking about and found it boring.  Ryan even snuck in a nap (I'm jealous).

It's too bad that they no longer do the big light-up parade at the end of the night.  I remember that being pretty magical from when I was a kid.  But, the fireworks did not disappoint...and in a true sign of our age, I do have to say we picked a pretty good viewing location for the fireworks.  We stationed ourselves right inside the exit so we were out of the park and on the tram to parking before most people had even packed up their stuff.  By that point we were all pooped - the kids included!  Hazel feel asleep in the car on the way home (bless her heart).  

I'm kicking myself for not actually buying this picture.  Dad and I both get sick on the rides but we did this one together and it's a moment I'll remember forever.  It was fun to be a kid again right alongside him.  A memory I won't soon forget.

Disney - Traveling, Our House and Random Fun Vacation Stuff!

 

(Hazel told me she was all packed and ready to go to the airport.  This is what I found when I opened her suitcase to check for myself.  LOLOLOL!)

Two weeks ago we were in Florida soaking up the sun, the warm, the pool, Disney, family time, and a chance to get away from the daily life (and cold of Feb in Illinois!).  We'd planned this trip back in the summer of 2021 and surprised the kids with it for Christmas.  Spoiler alert - we got COVID while we were there...but we're doing just fine...and I don't regret a thing!

I'll share about our time in the parks in a few other posts but today's post is really just a roundup of all of the fun non-park pictures and activities.  We had a great time and I wish we could go back in time to when we were just starting out on our adventure.  Joey and Andy flew out of Peoria, closer to their house.  We flew out of O'hare.  Mom and Dad and Dan all drove (leaving on different days) and even Erin joined us for part of the week!  Mom and Dad rented a perfect 6 bedroom house for us in Kissimmee that was just minutes away from the parks.  The house had it's own pool (which we got a LOT of use out of) and a bigger clubhouse near the main gate that included bit water slides, a splash pad, a game room and all sort of amenities the kids loved.

I have to say, it sure was nice traveling with Ryan and his fancy flight status!  After nearly 2 years of traveling almost every week, he's reached priority status on United meaning we get to fly extra bags for free, get free snacks on the plane, get to board early and get seats closer to the front of the plane.  I can't wait for Jamaica!  We're flying first class and it'll be the first (and maybe only?) time I get to experience that!

The pool at the house was a huge hit.  Mom and Dad gave the kids all sorts of blowup toys for the kids for Christmas and I almost wonder if the kids would call THOSE the best part of the trip.  My personal favorite was the rainbow hamster wheel....it was fun seeing all the creative ways the kids used that one.

The weather in FL was a little bit of a roller coaster - though we had exactly zero rain so I will not complain one ounce!  We had a wide range of temperatures though, from around 45 in the am on Monday when we were headed into Disney to around 85 on Friday afternoon when we sat poolside watching the kids run through the water slides.  In stark contrast to the heat when we last went to Disney - these temperatures were perfect for walking around the parks.  We were in the Magic Kingdom on Valentines Day and that day we all dressed in pants and sweatshirts. There were a few times in the afternoon, when we were sitting in the sun, that it felt warm enough to take off a layer or two but, for the most part, I stayed bundled up the entire day.  Even Ryan mentioned that he'd wished he brought his hoodie along that day - so you know it must have been chilly!

Our trip was a mix of parks and unplanned days.  Both our family and Joey's wanted to go to Magic Kingdom but in addition to that park we both wanted to do one other park day.  McGrath's wanted to go see Harry Potter (at Universal) and Bergthold's wanted to do Animal Kingdom.  And, my parents, bless their hearts, just wanted to do everything with everyone so we really ran them into the ground with activities.  It played out like this:

• Saturday: Travel day
• Sunday: Hang out and chill day
• Monday: Magic Kingdom (everyone)
• Tuesday: Animal Kingdom (not McGraths)
• Wednesday: Island of Adventure (Dan, Erin and our group, minus Bergtholds)
• Thursday: Clearwater Beach
• Friday: Hang out and chill day
• Saturday: Travel home

And, sadly, just like that - a full week of vacation is done and in the books.  Why do vacations go so fast and work weeks take so long!?

So - on our "free day" while a part of the group was at Animal Kingdom, we took the girls to their first ever mini-golf course.  It was right down the street from our house, and while the course itself left something to be desired (it was pretty run down once you got inside), the kids had fun...we all got a hole-in-one and it was a nice way to spend a few hours hanging out.

Abby and Dan were neck and neck for about half of the game, matching each other stroke for stroke, until Abby had a bad hole, got frustrated, and it was all down hill for her from there.  Ryan kicked all our butts though - not surprised.

Somehow I only got this ONE picture from our day at Clearwater beach.  The group decided to make the longer drive to the gulf in search of warmer waters and hopefully the opportunity to actually swim in the ocean.  But, in hindsight I wished we'd have done a tiny little bit more research.  The water was cold no matter which side we'd have gone to (58 in the Gulf, 61 in the Atlantic) and the extra drive time to Clearwater sort of didn't seem worth it in the end, but I think we were all glad to each lunch oceanside and at least dip our toes in the ocean.  It really was too cold to get in...though I think Ryan, Erin and Andy all got in waist deep.  I could barely get in up to my ankles before I felt like I was getting an ice cream headache from the cold - I'm a wuss though!

1 Family x 12 (Feb)

 

Some months it's just too hard to pick ONE family photo - and this was just one of those months!  Lots of stories to share coming up soon!