What better way to wrap up Ryan's family leave and celebrate surviving his first week back at work than with Spencer's first roadtrip: a long weekend in Southern California to meet his great-grandparents on both sides of the family.
Here we are, setting out on our journey in the new Subie, at our first breast-feeding stop next to a fruit stand on Pacheco Pass.
San Diego at last! Susan put the three of us up in her bedroom, and Jim cooked us delicious meal after delicious meal.
Susan's cats weren't sure what to make of Spencer-- here's Hazel caught in the act of scoping out this new invader to their territory!
Spencer meets Great Grandma, Pinky (Ryan's mom's mom), who rightfully gives Ryan a hard time for coaching her on how to hold a newborn. "Oh Ryan," she says, "I've done this before!"
We pose for a group photo after a yummy lunch of sandwiches at Pinky's place.... We think its pretty special to be a great-grandparent, Pinky, even if they are a dime a dozen at the Remmington...
Next stop: Fran's newly renovated home in Escondido, which he has turned into an informal art gallery since our last visit. We know he has a nack for this: Fran gave us a painting for our wedding of the "Alhambra" theatre, not knowing that it would be the perfect mantlepiece for our new house on Alhambra Road five years later. Here we are in front of a huge painting on Fran's wall by a local artist who specializes in eerie paintings of birds and children.
Next door is Fran's other project: a new home for Ryan's step-sister Elizabeth, who gave birth to her second child just one week before our arrival! Here we are on their couch with Fran, Ryan's step-brother Morgan, and Elizabeth's partner Ernin. Morgan gives the entire evening a hearty "thumbs-up".
Fran and the new moms with babies 'Enzo and Spencer.
Fran with his first grandchild Bella, who never wants to let her grandpa out of her sight
Something tells me Spencer will feel the same way...
Welcome to Enzo and Spencer
On to Monterey Park in Los Angeles to introduce Spencer to Gong Gong and Po Po: these two are old hats at the great-grandparent game... this is their 5th!
Po Po showing us how it's done.
Entertaining a slightly fussy Spencer...
Gong Gong is concerned about Spencer staying warm...
...but Spencer knows staying close to someone you love is the best way to do that!
We were lucky to catch Bonnie Ayi and Uncle Daniel in LA as well... since Uncle Daniel is working in China, this is our first time seeing him since Karen's wedding!
Our final stop is our good friend Jon Stuart's new place in West Hollywood. Spencer seems at home with the whole Hollywood scene, especially when he has Jon to show him the ropes.
This was Ryan's first time meeting Jon's girlfriend Alison who was a natural with Spencer. We're already trying to get them up to the Bay Area to help with a little babysitting!
We were out so late that our plan to take Route 1 home along the coast the next day didn't really make sense, so we retraced our route up Interstate 5, which can also be a pretty drive if you catch the resevior on a clear day.
A serene finale to a Spencer's first roadtrip-- but we still have one more great-grandparent and more family to see!
