Dallas Vacation - June 2015

The first week of Summer vacation usually takes Chad out of town for a full 6 or 7 days, as he chaperones qualifying students to the annual National Forensic League (NFL) tournament.  While the destinations aren't always exotic, this year we got lucky -- "Nationals" was in Dallas!  It was a perfect opportunity to visit our dear friends The Sullivans for an extended vacation (well, for me and the girls, anyway!).  The four of us flew out to DFW together, along with the students Chad had qualified.  While he spent a week up to his neck in the tournament, the girls and I hung out with Randy, Lindsey, Brynlee and Degan at their new home in Prosper.  Chad joined us at the conclusion of the tournament and we spent another week there together, this time with our favorite foursome (US) in tact.  

Highlights of the trip: seeing all of Randy and Lindsey's family, Chad and Randy playing at "Top Golf," the Dallas "indoor" zoo, whiskey tasting, experiencing major Summer storms/flooding, and watching our four kids play together.

We continue to be SO BLESSED by our 11-year friendship with The Sullivans.  There is never a dull moment together, and it always feels like our hearts are home.

Dallas & PAC

Last month I had the opportunity to visit Dallas, Texas for the PrideStaff Annual Conference.  It was also a great opportunity to spend an extra day in "The Big D" and visit our Texas family, the Sullivans.  I feel so fortunate that much of my work travel (as rare as it is) takes me through the American Airlines hub in Dallas -- I've been blessed with lots of extra time with Lindsey as a result!  

We had a great time.  Lindsey picked me up when I arrived in town on Wednesday and we had a few hours to spend lunching and shopping.  We also decided to visit "Reunion Tower" downtown and get a view of Dallas from the air.  On Sunday when my conference was over, we enjoyed a leisurely brunch at one of their favorite places, then they took me to see their brand new house that is almost move-in ready.  We spent the afternoon out at Lindsey's parents' house, hanging out with her whole family.  It was a rainy and lovely day with some of my most favorite people.  I didn't have to fly home until 8:00pm so I really felt like I got the entire day with them -- just wonderful!

Tea With Queen Elsa

Little girls and tea parties and dressup...and Queen Elsa -- what more could you ask for?  A coworker told me about a special "High Tea with Queen Elsa" taking place in Old Town Clovis this past weekend, I thought it would be so much fun to take Tess and a few of her little girlfriends!  

The girls got dressed up in their Frozen finest, complete with hair glitter and makeup.  The party was hosted at the old Victoria Rose tea place, now called "Old Town Bistro & Heart's Delight."  It was their first tea party of this kind, and was a pretty good time despite some kinks that need to be worked out if they are going to do it again.  The girls seemed to enjoy themselves, and each got special one-on-one time talking with Elsa.  Of course, we all sang "Let It Go," and were treated to a few other songs and stories by Elsa, too.  I think most of all it was a fun dressup and photo opp, and a sweet memory they will have in their little hearts for at least a while.  

Phoenix Weekend

Last weekend we took our first plane trip as a family of four.  The girls did great!  It's hard work, traveling with two small ones, but rewarding on the other side, and the memories are priceless.

Our destination was Phoenix, to visit our dear friends the Coyles.  Stacy and I, along with our friend Kim who also joined us for the trip, have been best friends since freshman year of college.  The three of us rarely get time together, or with each others' kiddos and spouses, so our long weekend was such a treat.  Stacy's parents (who are like surrogate parents to Kim and me) were also in town, so there was much catching up to do.

We trick-or-treated. We crafted. We cook and ate.  We talked.  We shopped.  We ate.  We played games.  We watched the kids play.  We laughed and reminisced and made new memories.

This was Tess's first flight where she was old enough to engage in the adventure and understand what it meant to fly.  At one point she looked out the plane window, across the clouds and mountain tops, and said, "Daddy, is that where God lives?"  It was precious.  Both girls were so well-behaved and had fun visiting our friends who are like family.  Truly, we are blessed beyond description, to have the time and capability and resources to take such a trip and make more family memories, and to have such wonderful friends to spend time with.

Tess's Dirndl

Shortly after Tess "arrived," our dear friends in Germany, the Klaibers, sent her an authentic "Dirndl." What is a dirndl, you ask?  Good question... I wanted a better explanation for my daughter's beautiful dress than "What German girls wear to Oktoberfest."  Wikipedia rarely lets me down...

A dirndl [ˈdɪʁndl̩] is a type of traditional dress worn in Germany – especially Bavaria – Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Austria and South Tyrol, based on the historical costume of Alpine peasants. Dresses that are loosely based on the dirndl are known as Landhausmode("country-inspired fashion").

More details about the Dirndl can be found here.  Three years later, it finally fits!  Tess thinks it's a "pirate princess dress" and doesn't quite get the explanation of what it really is, but she was willing to wear it the other day and so I raced to take some pictures.  How cute is she?!  I was hoping she would want to wear it for Halloween, but the Belle dress won out.  But hopefully we have many dressup days ahead of us with the beautiful Dirndl, which can then be passed down to little sister Kate.

Thank you so much, Klaibers!

Riverpark Ladies' Tea - "Bountiful Blessings"

No real reason for this post other than to share these pics of my ADORABLE little "Baby Kate" in a beautiful dress and hat that her Aunt Kristi bought for her when she was born.  We attended the "Ladies Tea" at Riverpark Bible Church with my mother-in-law, and it was the perfect occasion for this outfit.  I am glad I stumbled across it in her closet, or we might have missed the chance to wear it altogether!  

As a side note, the tea itself was lovely, with the theme of "God's Bountiful Blessings"....my mom, aunt, and friend attended with us, I made a new friend, and the guest speaker was an old friend from high school.  Kate's appearance was short; she started to get fussy as we began to eat, so Grandpa came to the rescue and babysat while we finished at the party.  (It takes a village!)

Visit From Lindsey

For the second summer in a row, I got so lucky that my best friend Lindsey decided to extend her trip west with a visit to California.  She attended the Origami Owl convention in Phoenix a couple of weeks ago, and then hopped on a plane to see me (and meet baby Kate)! 

 

Linds flew into Burbank, and I drove down to pick her up so that we could have a day or two together "just us" in beautiful SoCal.  She arrived around 10am and we spent the entire day in Santa Monica, shopping, lunching on 3rd Street Promenade, watching the ocean, and riding the ferris wheel at Pacific Park.  It was so relaxing to just be together, doing what we do best -- talking/eating/shopping -- with no agenda.  As evening approached we headed down to "The OC" to visit my mom (Meg) at her new place (that's another story for another blog post).  We enjoyed a "girls' night" with her and a leisurely breakfast in the morning, before hitting the road for Fresno.  We took our time and stopped for more shopping (shocker!) at The Citadel in L.A. 

 

Linds was able to spend about a day and a half here in Fresno with me, Chad, and the girls.  We made a visit to the local zoo and had breakfast with my inlaws (Paul and Barbara), who coincidentally adore her. 

 

We are getting really good at goodbyes, after 16 years of long-distance friendship.  But we always know that it's more of a "see you later"... we already have our next visit in the works!  I'm so grateful for Lindsey and the wonderful, special story of us.  I couldn't love that girl any more!

Big House Projects

We've got LOTS to do to get ready for baby #2!  Tess is moving next door into a new "big girl room" so that we can keep her room as a nursery for the little one.  This means moving our hundreds of books out of the guest room closet and into....where?  We had intended to make a built-in bookshelf and office center in our loft area, and since our garage is short on extra storage space, we decided to take the plunge.  We were able to make it happen because we have a GREAT cabinetry guy who charges very reasonable prices!  Below are pics of the bookshelves in progress, as well as the transformation of the guest room into Tess's big girl room, and the return of Tess's room to an official baby nursery. 

We owe HUGE thank yous to our dear friends Troy and Carrie for motivating us to do the painting ourselves by making it a fun get-together, and to my mom (Meg) for coming up to help us get both girls' rooms situated (there was TONS of baby stuff to unpack and put away!).  We're almost there!

Another Year Older...& An Overnight Getaway

Well, it happened....I turned 36.  I'm really not a huge fan of this number, or the changes I am feeling (and seeing!) that go along with aging, but I would be lying if I said I have ANY legitimate complaints about my life!  I am so beyond blessed.  I find I want much less "fanfare" for my birthday as the years go by, and I do not want or expect extravagant gifts, so it allows me to truly delight in the small pleasures.  I had the day off work, and got to spend it with my precious girl at our monthly play date with our cousins.  Later in the week we enjoyed a simple family dinner in Reedley, and the gift giving continued with the gals from my Bible Study, various girlfriends, and the other side of the family over Thanksgiving weekend.  Like I said, nothing extravagant was opened, as least not as far as monetary value....but each gift given was something a dear friend or family member picked out with me in mind, and was something I would not have bought for myself. I guess I can't think of a better way to get older, than surrounded by people who love and cherish me and delight to give me thoughtful treats! 

 

On a more vain note....a new skin care regimen starts on January 1st.  I have every intention of returning the "gifts" of age spots and fine lines (and crows feet, it seems)!  And thank God for hair color.  I'm just sayin'.

 

The weekend after my birthday, Chad and I ventured up to San Francisco for an absolutely fabulous day/evening in the city with our dear friends the McDonalds.  Theresa's birthday is also in November, and the guys planned a fantastic getaway for us!  We couldn't have picked a more beautiful day in the city.  We spent the afternoon shopping at the Ferry Building and Union Square, had a delicious picnic on the wharf next to the Bay Bridge, and had an amazing Italian dinner in North Beach at Trattoria Contadina.  It felt SO GOOD to do something completely grown up!  I felt spoiled...but was ready to get home to my sweet girl after breakfast on Sunday morning.  Another HUGE thank you to our parents (this time Paul & Barbara) for keeping Tess overnight, and our super trustworthy (and Tess's favorite) babysitter Emma for making the little getaway possible for us!

Boy Or Girl? Find Out Here!

Last weekend I flew to Phoenix for a quick overnight trip to see my best friend from college, Stacy (and her husband and kiddos).  We had the opportunity to make another wonderful memory together, as the purpose of the trip was to have her do my second trimester ultrasound and tell us whether baby is a boy or a girl.  I got to do this with Tess, and it was such a fun experience -- to have your best friend share that kind of special news with you, and give you a detailed tour of the baby growing inside you, is the ultimate of fun and memorable.  Stace took more than 100 pictures of our little bundle and I thoroughly enjoyed seeing and learning about all the different developing systems: heart, brain, kidneys, etc. and tiny but perfect hands and feet.

 

The BEST news of all, like the first time, is that baby is perfectly healthy.  This is a huge weight lifted off my shoulders, as I am sure any mom can relate to.  People were asking me if I wanted a boy or a girl, but in my heart I just wanted to know that we had a healthy baby on the way.  Even though I was somewhat intimidated by the thought of a boy....completely new territory, and LOTS of new (blue) stuff to be purchased.....I figured it ultimately would not matter to me!  But practical me was just itching to use all the pink baby stuff I've got stored away in the garage, and the bins and bins of adorable girl clothes.

 

So, practical me was thrilled to learn we are having another girl!  Chad was right -- he said he definitely felt like baby was a girl, and he has always pictured us with two girls.  It kinda makes sense, too, because his twin brother also has two girls. We quickly and joyfully settled into this news, as it helps give the little one a bit more identity than anonymity, and we have a clearer picture of what's ahead of us.  Now we are working on what we should name her, and hoping for divine inspiration like last time! 

Trick Or Treat!

Tess was a little more into Halloween this year than last year, since she could grasp the concept of walking up to someone's door, knocking on it, and getting candy put in her bucket.  She was EVERY bit as adorable this year as a ladybug!  We spent Halloween night trick-or-treating with some dear friends of ours and their girls.  The littlest ones were pulled around the neighborhood in a wagon, and it was so cute to watch them waddle up to people's homes together in their outfits.  I was glad Tess's costume provided tights and long sleeves, since it was a little chilly.  It was a fun evening with friends and made for a great family memory.  Interestingly, she's not at all interested in what went home inside her bucket....the giant orange plastic pumpkin has been sitting on our kitchen counter relatively untouched!  So, we have lots of candy left over for the holiday season, or for those late-night pregnancy chocolate cravings that I am sure are on the horizon. 

 

On a side note, last weekend Tess's "school" (New Harvest Childcare) also put on a fun little Halloween Carnival for all the kids, which we attended briefly.  They had a super fun little "Toddler Land" set up with a pirate theme, with a series of games the kids could go through (pin the patch on the pirate, walk the plank, dig for treasure, etc.).  One of the booths was for dressing up like a pirate, and our little love looked so cute in her pirate scarf and eye patch! 

Duck Dynasty?

For a while now I've been meaning to take Tess to feed the ducks at Woodward Park.  I wanted to wait for a day where we had the right weather and enough time, and when I had the $5 bucks for the ridiculously high entry fee.  We got a great opportunity earlier this week when Tess's friend Lucy came over for a play date.  After visiting the donut shop for a totally unhealthy breakfast, we went to Dollar Tree for three loaves of bread and then headed over to the park.

I had heard rumors, but was not prepared for what awaited us.  My first clue was when I parked the car and the ducks and geese began their approach.  It could have been a scene from a Stephen King movie called "The Ducks"! Forget about enjoying the outdoors, or heading down to the waterfront to entertain our feathered friends.  I quickly determined that if these ducks/geese were truly aggressive (as they appeared to be), we would not have time to leisurely tear off pieces of bread to toss to them.  So the girls and I huddled into the backseat of the car and set about tearing up all three loaves into small pieces, and loaded the bread pieces into our grocery bag.  Both of them were scared to get out of the car at this point, which was surrounded by quacking and honking geese.  So we simply opened the back of the car and fed the ducks/geese from the safety of the trunk.  I was a little surprised that we didn't have water fowl trying to climb into the back of my car, and relieved that the girls got to enjoy feeding them this way even though it wasn't what I had originally envisioned.

Innovative duck feeding.  Most of the geese
were as tall as Tess!

The girls' "safe place" - and the back of my car is now (still)
covered in bread crumbs...

At least he appears to be waiting politely...

Beating The Heat!

It's been a HOT summer!  Here's a few fun things we've been doing to beat the heat....



Spending time at the "splash park" near our house.

Chuck E. Cheese!  Tess's new favorite hangout.

Tess loves exploring the games with Daddy.

Swimming with friends!  She loved climbing up
the rock but of course didn't jump off.....instead she
got onto her belly, scooted off the edge, and
dropped herself into Daddy's waiting arms. 

Much braver with the inner tube!

Tahoe Vacation 2013

We spent the first week in August up in Tahoe with friends.  It was a great vacation!  Highlights include:

 

-A FULL WEEK with our dearest friends, the Sullivans, and their adorable kiddos.

-A long weekend with our local close friends, the McDonalds, and their four precious daughters.

-Having 2 of our favorite families together with us!

-7 beautiful kids under one roof.

-Beautiful walks around the Northstar neighborhoods and golf course.

-2 full days of relaxing on the beach.

-Riding a ski lift up to gorgeous views of the Tahoe mountains.

-A fun day trip to Heavenly Village at South Shore.

-A full day of outlet shopping.

-Finishing a couple books.

-Wave runners, paddle boats, and PARASAILING on the gorgeous blue water of Lake Tahoe.

-A much-needed adults night out (triple date FUN!).

-A quick trip to the casino with some unexpected wins at the slot machines.

 

We are so blessed to have the family we do (with a beautiful home to vacation in) and the friends we do.  Grateful for such an easy and relaxing getaway! 

The Bestie Visits

After attending the big Origami Owl convention in Phoenix, Lindsey was able to hop on a plane for a quick trip to Fresno.  We had a glorious 3 days together doing what we do best: eating, shopping, and talking!  While Lindsey was here, we also hosted a housewarming party for our new place -- which meant that local family and friends got to have a quick visit with her, as well.  And on her last day here, we took a day trip to Gilroy Gardens with Tess and our little friends Emma and Sarah.  We are so grateful for ANY time we get to spend together!  We're looking forward to a week-long family vacation with the Sullivans in August!

Girls' Night With A Twist

Sometimes you just need a girls' night...

 

I didn't know how badly I needed one until my little friend Sarah (pictured right) made me keep my promise of having her stay night at our house "sometime in the month of June."  So on the 27th, we made it happen!  We went all-out: homemade pizzas, two girly movies (Marley & Me, Aquamarine), sleeping downstairs in front of the TV (her sleeping, me getting kicked -- oh well, there were some snuggles, too!), lazy breakfast, painting, lunch out at Applebees, and making sugar cookies. 

 

I realized when she left that we had done all the things I only wish I could do, but don't have a good excuse to (on my own, at least)...because grownup responsibilities keep getting in the way.  But I had a BLAST, and this is one outstanding, sweet, smart, and FUN kid to spend time with.  I couldn't help but wonder how Tess will be at 8 years old, and it made me excited about the quality time we'll spend together and the memories we'll make.  And maybe, just maybe, she will think I'm as fun and cool as Sarah does. 

 

PS....Thank you to Sarah for the inspiration and creative outlet.  My little 4x5 masterpiece hangs proudly in our guest bathroom!

Yosemite & Friends

This blog post is about some really GOOD STUFF that only happens every couple of years....getting together with 2 of my best friends AND having our beautiful families with us, too!



The Besties! Me, Kim, Stacy.

Last weekend my dear friend Stacy and her family came to visit us for a quick overnight stay, since they had to be in Fresno for a family wedding.  On Saturday night, our friend Kim came over and it was just like old times!  Well, minus youthful college exuberance, three husbands, five children, and a handful of mortgages.  Still, it was wonderful to be together. 

 

On Sunday, the Haydens and the Coyles ventured up to Yosemite National Park for the day, along with Stacy's parents -- our dear family friends, Rod and Carolyn.  What an exhausting day adventure!  It was the first Yosemite trip for Tess, Jason, Ethan, and Dominic.  I learned a couple things.... 1) don't take a toddler to Yosemite; 2) if you must, don't do it on a 97-degree day; 3) if you must do 1 and 2, take a swimsuit so she can cool off; 4) take plenty of changes of clothing for the water and dirt she will get into; 5) take a first aid kit for the inevitable tumbles off rocks and downhill pathways; 6) don't assume that if she's tired, she'll nap -- not when there is so much nature to explore!  

 

All in all, we made fantastic family and friend memories.  We're so grateful to have the grandeur of Yosemite so close, and to have the treasure of lifelong friends who are like family.  

 

Here are some pictures from our trip, and a silly video I took of Tess to show off her talking skills at 22+ months.

Family photo!

Our Mommy hearts melted, watching the
two babies play with each other and take
care of each other.  =)

Paso/SLO Getaway & The Best Souvenir EVER

Last weekend, despite the busy-ness of moving, we were able to take a quick overnight trip to Paso Robles & San Luis Obispo with some friends. Our mission: wine tasting, great food, coastal air, and relaxation. We managed to hit up 4 wineries in Paso (before we just couldn't. take. any. more): Daou, Justin, Opolo and Jada. From there we drove to San Luis and checked into our favorite B&B, The Sanitarium. We all took a snooze before dinner, which was at Ciopinot (delicious!). After dinner we relaxed at The Sanitarium in front of a fire while sipping port and nibbling on Hershey's Kisses. It was pretty much the perfect day, followed by an amazing night's sleep! On Sunday we slept in, enjoyed a late breakfast, and headed over to SLO for some shopping before we headed home. 

 

The highlight of the trip for me (besides ALL of it) happened during our stay at The Sanitarium. Chad and I have been staying there for years, and one of their rooms had this beautiful painting that I just loved -- in fact, we always tried to get that room because I loved it so much. Upon making our reservation, I was sad to hear that our favorite room wasn't available AND that my painting was gone.... Until Sunday morning, when I discovered it sitting all alone outside in the back of the property! I quickly inquired of the owner about purchasing it, and she agreed.....WOW! So we came home with the best souvenir EVER -- a 4'x5' painting from my favorite room at my favorite B&B. You'll see it at the end of the slideshow below -- there's a picture of it when it used to hang in the room we love, and a picture of it by itself. It's the PERFECT size to hang above our stairs in the new home. It needs some TLC from having been outside too long, but even if it's not in perfect condition, I am just THRILLED to have it!

Adventures In Babysitting!

I didn’t have much babysitting experience as a kid/teenager, but boy have I made up for lost time!  Last week we had the honor and pleasure of house/baby sitting for some friends of ours….while they were off on a trip to Maui!   Yes, it was me and Chad, with FIVE girls (if you count Tess), 2 dogs, a cat, and a guinea pig, keeping everyone alive for the week!  This included school drop-offs, dinners, bath times, play dates, and the like….all while rocking the Honda Odyssey minivan.  It was hard work, but it was FUN.  I truly believe that anything is doable for the short term, and these girls are each so beautiful and sweet that it was a JOY to play house with them.  I rose to the challenge, I must say!  There was only one brief time where I had to say, “Nobody say my name or talk to me for 2 minutes!” which was, of course, met with small voices saying, “Why can’t we say your name, Miss Sarah?”  Definite highlights of the week were snuggling with the girls watching kid movies, answering difficult questions (like, “Why do babies come out all bloody?”), and hearing all sorts of random, inside facts about Mommy and Daddy while they were gone (like, “I’ve seen my dad naked, like, a thousand times!).   I’d truly do it again in a heartbeat….but I will never, EVER have four children.  Their mom is absolutely my mommy heroine – I have no idea how she does it all and is still so sweet and lovely herself.  That woman deserves a week in Maui!  Below are some pics from our week of FUN....you can see that it really wore Tess out, too!

Happy St. Pat's!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! We celebrated the weekend of my most favorite holiday with an Irish-themed dinner party with friends, complete with a Guinness roast, corned beef and cabbage, roasted potatoes and carrots, and lots of Irish liquir (car bombs included!. On Sunday, we had a family gathering in honor of Grandma Vida's 92nd birthday. Chris and Kristi came down with their girls for the day and Grandma was able to really enjoy her celebration. It was a fun-filled weekend and a great start to an adventurous week!