The morning started nice with everyone sleeping until 7:30 and even a full night of no kids needing one of the parents to sleep with them. After the kids had milk we all got dressed and got into the van to go to a restaurant called Ernies, which was at the public clubhouse of the PGA West country club. This place had special memories of 20 years of Susie and George owning a house and being members, including many family trips when Steve and his brothers were younger. Some of the best times were when Steve was in college and would get to leave the snow of New England to 80 degrees and golfing weather for a week during Thanksgiving and Christmas break. Views from the patio at Ernies included a huge PGA West sign made of flowers across the water and the 9th and 18th hole greens from the Nicklaus Tournament into the clubhouse. Steve was able to ask and get permission from a cart attendant to borrow a golf cart to drive Tory and the kids around the practice range and greens of the Stadium course, this was a blast for everyone! Even Vivian and
Rosie hit some of their pink golf balls in the holes before Rosie got bored and went joyriding around the golf cart with Tory. At first Vivian was picking up balls and putting them in the holes, then she started throwing them, then tried to kick them, and eventually Steve showed her how to use her plastic Minnie Mouse golf club to hit them in the holes. Nathan is getting better using a real putter and liked the challenge of making the ball in the hole in less than 4 or 3 shots. Finally the kids all rode around the cart and giggled like crazy as Mommy let Nathan drive and he the cart everywhere. The biggest laughs came as Daddy drove in wild circles and slammed on the brakes. On the way out we passed by the 18th green of the Palmer course where Steve proposed to Tory almost exactly 8 years ago so the kids got to hear a long version of that story and they all thought it was very romantic the way the mountains and the water fountains looked.
the kiddie slide like yesterday and went down as many times as we could before we need to get into the sun because the area was all shaded. At the main pool, we found a spot to settle and Nathan and Rosie played great together while Vivian got some sun with Tory and snacked. Steve and Vivi went back to the room for lunch and could be alone to get good quiet, dark long naps. Tory was able to have a few hours of pool time with Nathan and Rosie doing all kinds of fun things: throwing divers and the ball, Nathan doing jumps and spins on video, dipping in the hot tub, and playing other fun pool games. Steve took Rosie back to the room when Vivian woke up and Tory and Nathan were able to do 4 or 5 turns going down the big slides together. Vivian and Rosie wanted to go to the pool and Rosie was so excited that she decided to leave the room and start going over on her own. Steve and Vivian found her and headed over for some more fun swim time. Rosie was able to break her fear of floating
with her life jacket on with the help of Vivian just by watching Vivian jump into the water from the steps and float and kick all on her own and not be scared.
We all got cleaned up to try to dress up for pictures before dinner at the hotel restaurant, Agave. There were multiple attempts at pictures to use for our Christmas card, but the light outside was not good and the only time we tried to go inside for a picture we were not allowed unless Tory and Steve wore face masks. Dinner was ok, except Rosie breaking down crying several times out of hunger and tiredness. However, after we left she and the other kids were all in an energetic and playful mood as we walked a little around the hotel. Nathan was having fun shooting a light up rocket, Rosie was dancing and jumping around several big rocks, and Vivian was growling like a lion and getting plenty of how cute she was by the hotel guests.
