Gilroy Gardens!

We had to make sure we took at least one Summer trip to our favorite family amusement park, Gilroy Gardens.  Thanks to a great deal on season passes and a very engaged and helpful Grandma, we had a fantastic day away from the Valley heat while we enjoyed all the park has to offer.  Baby Kate had her first experience at GG too, and got to ride both the carousel and the train. 

 

While I personally think the day ticket price is way too high, GG makes it very easy to enjoy a season pass. I was able to get our season passes for the price of a regular ticket, which means we can go as often as we want in 2014.  Season pass holders also get free parking and 20% off food and merchandise.

 

GG is special to our family because we have a connection with the gentleman who designed and built it, Mr. Bonfante (the park was originally called "Bonfante Gardens" when it opened, and then later was purchased by Great America.  Anyway, he owns the chain of Nob Hill grocery stores, and is friends with Chad's grandpa.  Chad's grandparents were the owners of Sugar Plum Farm in Hollister, and Grandpa still makes their signature apricot syrup and preserves.  Mr. Bonfante struck a deal with Grandpa to sell the famous "Apricot Freeze" in the snack shop called "Sugar Plum Café" inside the park.  It's so fun to be there and see a piece of the Dryden family history on display. 

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!

Fall Weekend Getaway

This past weekend we enjoyed a wonderful getaway.  The excuse was for our annual holiday get-together with Chad's extended family, the Drydens, which was hosted in Hollister on Saturday by his Uncle Dave and Auntie Kim.  We decided to extend the trip, with the help of "Grandma" (Chad's mom), who volunteered to watch Tess for us.  So on Friday, Chad and I were able to get away to the Monterey Plaza Hotel & Spa for a relaxing night and morning to ourselves.  We had a fun time sleeping in, having a leisurely breakfast, and walking Cannery Row.  I bought a copy of Steinbeck's book Cannery Row from the souvenir shop that was the original "Lee Chong's Market" in the book and have been enjoying reading it.  From there we traveled to Hollister for our family celebration, which included pumpkin carving, trick-or-treating for the kiddos, and a delicious meal.  On Sunday we (Chad, his mom, and myself) took Tess to Gilroy Gardens (her second trip there!) so that we could see what all their Halloween decorations and festivities were about. 

 

We came home late Sunday night, tired from a busy weekend but feeling mentally refreshed from our short trip!  Click on the photo below to link to our album of pictures. 

Visit From "Auntie" Lindsey

August has been such a special month for us, what with Tess turning ONE and all!  Along with all that entailed, we had a wonderful visit from my best friend Lindsey.  She stayed for almost a week, and it's pretty amazing what we accomplished during that time!

First, there was our visit to Gilroy Gardens on Thursday with my mother-in-law, Barbara.  This was Tess's first time to any kind of amusement park, and my first time to Gilroy Gardens.  Our family has a special connection to GG, and one of the park's cafes is named after the famous "Sugar Plum Farm" restaurant that Chad's grandparents owned and operated for many, many years in Hollister.  GG is SUCH a beautiful park, and so much fun for kids!  I was able to get a fantastic deal on season passes for 2012 and 2013, so we look forward to visiting many more times as a family. 

Dani, Tiff, Me, Linds

Then, there was getting ready for the big birthday bash!  We spent Friday afternoon decoating my aunt and uncle's backyard for the party.  We rewarded ourselves with a very fun "Girls' Night" with dear friends Tiffany and Danielle at Danielle's new home in Kingsburg.  The girls helped me make party favors while we enjoyed tacos and margaritas and watched a chick flick.

Saturday was "The Party," and Sunday was spent shopping.....hey, it's how we relax and recover!  On Monday, which was Tess's actual birthday, Chad had his first day of school and so Lindsey and I took Tess for a special treat to Superior Dairy in Hanford.  I had never been there before, and we were shocked at how BIG a scoop of ice cream is!  We got 4 scoops to share so that we could try different flavors: banana, strawberry, cookies & cream, and rocky road.  Tess enjoyed the special sweet treat!

We were sad to see Lindsey leave on Tuesday, but in a special twist of fate, I was able to see her TWICE the following week, thanks to PrideStaff!