Golden Birthday

This year I turned 27.  I've been waiting for this birthday for years.  I remember as a little girl, I would think, it's going to be so cool when I'm 27 on the 27th.  And it's true... how cool is that golden birthday. 

We decided to try out a new place outside of town.  On our different excursions the past few weeks, I'd always notice this restaurant on the left-hand side settled just before getting on the Interstate.  It always seemed to be packed.  And tonight was no different.  Of course, this time it was lit up with that Christmas sparkle. 

The Harris Ranch Inn and Hotel is an amazing steakhouse with a western theme that is decked out with cow hides and animal heads mounted on the walls for display for a true rustic theme.  It has a full menu to please whatever your palette craves.  Literally, they have everything on the menu.  From pastas and seafood to award-winning pot roast and ribs.  Another thing that's nice is this place is totally kid-friendly.  Although, we went kid-less on this occasion.  We sat near the bar in the adults only section.  I laughed at myself when I told the hostess I'd wait an extra 15 minutes just to sit in this reserved area...  It just felt like more of a hot date this way, I suppose.

Our food was... delicious.  We started with mouth-watering spinach and artichoke dip.  It was served with colorful tortilla chips and the most amazing toast wedges that Wade swears by.  Our fillets were also fabulous.  I think I got 4 bites in and was completely about to bust out of my pants.  We were set at a perfect table right across from this evening's live music.  A man and his guitar.  And he was so good.  He knew a lot of songs, as well as doing some of his original music.  So very talented.  He was taking requests and in between songs, Wade asked him if he knew a particular John Mayer song that I love, but he didn't.  Wade looked through the gentleman's book of songs, found one, and wrote it down.  A few songs later.  The guy says, "This one goes out to Megan.  ...it's her birthday tonight.  Happy birthday, Megan."  I am so easily embarrassed and could feel the pink rush to my cheeks.  Then I heard the first few chords. This is secretly one of my favorite songs, You Look Wonderful Tonight by Eric Clapton.  And Wade didn't even know how much I love this dang song.  We listened to a few more ballads, and felt guilty for camping out at our table, since we were done and already paid out.  So we left and went on our merry way.  Nights like these boost my spirit and fill my love tank.  Now that I'm overflowing and soaring high on this golden birthday, I can go back home and brush my kids' faces as they lie peacefully asleep in the cozy nooks of their beds.  I am blessed and so happy.  Thank you, Wade, for making it perfect.

 Emmy took the one above.  She's brushing up on her photography skills.  Not bad Emmy. 

On the Road Again

Our good friends, Isaac and Dynelle, recently moved to Nevada and they graciously invited our family to spend Thanksgiving with them.  I know...brave, right?  They have two little girls, Evey and Amelia.  Evey is 6 months younger than Emmy and Amelia is 3 weeks old, born on Halloween day.  Evey and Emmy were great friends while we lived in Virginia Beach.  We haven't seen them since we said our east coast farewells over the summer.  We both moved our families cross-country about the same time frame and planned to meet up eventually once we were both settled in our new small towns.

As soon as I got the phone call from Dynelle about possibly heading their way for Thanksgiving, I knew we had to make the trip.  For some reason the stress of holidays, having a new little bundle at home, and inviting a family of 4 (more like a circus carnival) to stay overnight for 2 consecutive days was not a cause for alarm.  They must be crazy.  But I am really glad for it.  Because we had a grand 'ole time.

On Wednesday afternoon, we piled in the car and drove for nearly 7 hours to their town about 45 minutes outside of Reno.  Of course that wasn't to go without a quick stop at In 'n Out.  I haven't been to this fast food joint in years.  And I was convinced that Emmy could order something "chicken" or maybe a salad off the menu.  We shuffled our way inside through the crowd of people and scanned the menu.  Hamburger. Cheeseburger.  Double Burger.  I wasn't expecting such a slim selection, especially when Emmy eats like a vegetarian most days.  Burgers it is.  ...And fries she ate.  The kids did wonderful on the drive.  Brenner slept for the first 2 1/2 hours.  Emmy even squeezed in a little nap.

 The last part of our trip was the most beautiful, but of course it was completely dark as we drove through the angelic snow covered scenery.  I was happy to know that on our return home, this would be completely to our advantage.  However I did get a peek of a ski slope in the distance all lit up for the next adventurer to carve their way down the mountain.  Another thing that's on my list.  I can't wait for Wade to take me skiing, oh the thrill!

So we arrived and Emmy and Evey quickly became partners in crime.  They wore their clothes about 5% of the 2 days we were there.  Evey had dress-ups galore.  And Emmy was in princess heaven.  Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Tiana, ballerinas, you name it.  These girls were coming and going.  They'd make a run in their click clack heels to Evey's room, rummage through the tub of dress-ups and instantly transform into an entirely new character.  And Brenner was trying his best to keep up with them.  He liked playing on the huge air mattress best.  I'm sure he imagined he was on an adventure on a huge pirate ship off to discover lost treasure.  Gotta keep up with the imaginations of those two little girls.

What little man wants...

                                                                    ...little man gets.

I couldn't help thinking how big our girls are getting as I watched them play.  They were no longer little babes playing with stacking blocks, but they were little girls pretending to be princesses as they fought over the one prince doll.  Emmy helped set the table and served wooden cupcakes to each place setting.  Evey directed Emmy as to which princess shoes go with her dress selection.  They were these little girls, little princess divas, who couldn't get enough of each other.  By the end of the day, Emmy was referring to Evey as her best friend and sister.  And it warmed my heart.

Besides all of the dressing-up, another favorite activity of the girls was making raspberry lemonade.  Evey pulled up her tall kitchen chair to the counter and Emmy would follow.  And those girls stood up tall in their ballerina skirts and bare everything else, and grabbed those wooden spoons and stirred like crazy.  And then for the most important part of this lemonade experience...  taste testing.

I couldn't wait to hold this little Amelia.  She is sweet, beautiful, and so tiny.  Brenner was a teensy bit jealous when mommy had her arms curled around someone else.  But he eventually got over it, and even gave her hand a little kiss at one point.

Dynelle took this next one.  Perfection.

 Oh, and Brenner learned a new trick.  Check this out!

Yes, he's finally walking.  He stumbles a couple steps, then crouches to the floor, and then stands up and walks 4 or 5 more steps.  And he just grins from ear to ear.

Thank you Dynelle and Isaac for a fabulous couple days.  We can't thank you enough for letting us take over 2 of your bedrooms and turning your house upside down.  Your girls are precious.  Evey has grown up so much over the last 6 months.  She's little miss independent.  And Amelia is darling and just a perfect little baby.  Thank you for preparing a wonderful turkey dinner topped with amazing pumpkin bars.  (I so need the recipe.)  Your house was warm with love and obviously a really good heater since the air was a freezing 18 degrees.  =)  Brrrr...  You are always incredible hosts and we can't wait to return the favor.  It was wonderful being surrounded by some of our best friends that we don't get to see often.  We hope to see you 4 again soon.

We started the drive home on Friday afternoon.  And we hit that perfect scenery just in time, with a little detour through Lake Tahoe.  I turned down staying there overnight so we'd make it home for my birthday, and spend the weekend at home getting ready for the week ahead.  Oh and also the traffic, I wanted to beat that crazy holiday traffic.  But, seriously, did I just say I'd like to pass up staying in Tahoe on my birthday eve?  I doggone lost my mind.

Our San Francisco Weekend

We headed out of our little nook in California and set out for our weekend destination... San Francisco.  Never been?  Well, put this one down on your list!  We left Friday afternoon, and arrived after a mere 3.5 hours.  And boy, was that short drive worth it.  I immediately thought to myself, why did we wait so long to come here?

My girlfriend, Katie, was in town with her boyfriend, Luke, and we got to meet up and get some much needed Meg and Katie quality time in.  Oh how I missed her.  She's such a dear friend to me, and I hate that we never get to see each other.  But this trip is just what the doctor ordered.  I rebooted my hard-drive and feel so rejuvenated.  There's nothing like getting out of town and refueling with good friends.  And Emmy became Luke's little buddy too.  He carried a backpack and Emmy always knew he had some kind of fruit hiding in there.  And she'd eat it all up in the blink of an eye.

 We stayed at the Marine Memorial, a really neat, historic hotel that's right in the heart of downtown.  And the complimentary breakfast on the top floor had an amazing downtown view splashed with rigid sky scrapers, trolleys heading up and down their rails, pedestrians pounding the pavement, and even a view of the Golden Gate bridge nestled in the distance.  And the breakfast buffet was magnificent.  Nothing like starting the day with all of my favorite breakfast foods at my beck and call.  And all I have to do is grab a plate. 

The sidewalks were packed with people, but somehow we managed the double BOB stroller around.  And it was actually quite the necessity.  The air was a cool 50 degrees or so during our stay.  I'm sure it was actually chillier than that.  The streets were drenched, the air was crisp, the wind was fierce, but can that kind of weather really stop something as important as... shopping?  Fortunately for us, the rain let up every now and then.  But let's be real... no it cannot.

We spent Friday and Saturday shopping and walking through downtown.  We arrived just in time to see the ginormous Christmas tree being lit from a balcony at the Cheesecake Factory.  We even got a closer look at it while next to the outdoor ice rink.  There's something so spectacular about those tall Christmas trees.

 The kids did pretty well with the hustle and bustle of shopping. The stroller took turns with Wade and I as we would hold Brenner for a bit while he was bored, and then strap him back in for some more strolling.  Emmy also took turns back and forth, riding and walking.  The busy city isn't meant for a 15 month old that doesn't walk.  Poor little guy just wanted down and wanted to explore and play.  But you just can't do that in the middle of Williams-Sonoma or in the middle of the flooded sidewalk.  So, it got a little old for him.  But Wade gets a HUGE gold star for entertaining them the best way he knew how while Katie and I slid down to the basement of DSW and rummaged through clearance shoe racks.  That fantastic pair of boots that I'm looking for... well, I haven't found them yet.  But I did find a fantastic pair of skinny jeans to wear when I do find those boots.  Skinny jeans 1  Boots 0

Saturday afternoon we piled in the car, 4 adults and 2 kids, and traveled to a faraway land called, Sonoma.  No, it was actually a really short 1 hour drive.  But, wow did the scenery change.  It was just gorgeous.  Wine country.  I've never been to a vineyard, so I can cross this one off my list too.  Those clouds held up for us as long as they possibly could.  I at least got to snap a few pictures here and there in between showers.  We went to the Cline Cellars that is settled on 350 acres.  We didn't get to venture much because of the weather, but I'm sure the huge estate would be glorious to walk through.

Once the rain hit, we hid under a tent for refuge, while Wade took Brenner to the car for some playtime and I chatted it up with some friends of Katie's.  The car... a wonderful world of exploration.  For the time being, it was his only world of exploration.  It's tough being 1.  Thanks to Cline for sneaking something kid-friendly into a vineyard wine tasting.  Birds.  And lots of them.  So we snuck a peek.

 

Brenner always finds something more interesting behind us to stare at.

Next, we headed to Viansa Winery and Vineyards.  I knew we had to hit this one as we were driving into town.  We were all deciding which one to choose, and I mentioned that I wanted one that was beautiful and Italian-inspired and would be perfect for pictures.  I looked out the window to my right, and Viansa was it.  There's a warm Tuscan feel to this vineyard.  Even with the dark clouds tucked in around us, I knew this would be a sight to be seen.  We made our way to the tasting room, snapping a few pictures along the way.  Wade and I tasted a few wines.  The reds were a little bolder than I prefer, but tasty nonetheless.  Dad, I'm sure you would have loved it.  Emmy met a new friend (Katie's friends' little one), a little 5 month old named Lydia.  And she became Lydia's best friend.  So she was very well entertained.  And Brenner was tossed back and forth between me and Wade, our game of hot potato.

 Me, Emmy, Katie, Melissa and her baby Lydia (or "Olivia" as Emmy liked to call her after one of her fave shows)

 

 

We grabbed pizza afterward and made our way back to downtown San Fran.  The 4 of us woke up Sunday, had another fulfilling breakfast and jumped in the car and headed to the Golden Gate Bridge.  We finally got some nice weather, but the wind met us with guns blazing.  We took turns snapping pictures.

I know.  Emmy looks thrilled, doesn't she?

Mine turned out fabulously well.  (read sarcastically)  The first one he snapped, my eyes were closed.  The second one... I guess Wade thought this would suffice.  Ugh.  That's why I'm the picture taker.

For the record, I did not know there was hair in my face.  I would have went for a 3rd. 

The kids weren't into taking pictures.  But we took theirs anyways.

We headed to the gift shop and Emmy got to pick a San Fran goody.  Her choice... a snow globe.  Finally... a smile.

Then we drove down Lombard Street for the 2nd time.  Wade got a kick out of going down the street.  He turned the 4 wheel drive on so he wouldn't eat up the brakes.  And he literally didn't have to brake once.  I laughed, cringed at the tight turns, and was in awe as we literally drove "down" this windy road.  It's a short residential street that is the "most crooked" road, which I would actually hate to live on.  Not only because I drive a Nissan Armada and would indeed crash and scrape my car at each cement barrier or play the game of reverse, drive, reverse, drive, and would ultimately get stuck and be unable to get out.  But the tourists line up and down the street taking pictures.  And that would just be crazy everytime you stepped out your door.  But it's a cool attraction and I'm glad we did it...twice.

 The above picture I found online.  Just to show you the crazy zig-zags. 

And that was our San F trip in a nutshell.  We had fun catching up with friends, ate well, got to cross a few things off my list, and saw amazing, breathtaking sights.  San Francisco... I hope to see you soon.  Please send a postcard to remind me of your beauty that's only 3.5 hours away.  Until next time...