Merry Busy Christmas

Our Christmas vacation went by in the blink of an eye!  Mike had three weeks off, but when it was over, it felt like it had just been a long weekend.  We had a lot of fun with family in town, decorating the house, eating lots of yummy food, and of course all the awesome Christmas presents.  This was the first year that Max could really start getting into Christmas and Santa.  The first time Max met Santa was after the Children’s Holiday Parade in Dallas, when we had brunch.  Amelia ran right up to Santa and was first to sit in his lap; when we tried to put Max on Santa’s other knee – well, a picture’s worth a thousand words.

Max’s second visit with Santa went much better; in fact, it was pretty much every parent’s dream.  For the last three years we’ve gone to the Gaylord Texan to have the official “picture with Santa” taken.  Since this wasn’t our first time, I knew to arrive early to get one of the first spots in line.  That way, by the time it’s our turn, the kids would still look good in their nice clothes and have a matching attitude.  The difference this time was amazing!  Max ran right up to Santa and wanted to climb onto his lap, then turned toward the camera and started making his “CHEESE!” face.  Of course, being the Santa “pros” that they are, Amelia and Noah knew exactly what to do.  I have to say I feel like we got the best Santa pictures of all time.  Mike was so impressed that he sprung for the biggest package, since we couldn’t decide which picture we liked the best!

 

Ray and Nancy came out for a week just before Christmas.  Between all of Nancy and Mike’s great cooking, Ray being a huge help around the house (even installing much-needed shelves in our garage), and all the love and attention showered on their grandkids, we had a pretty good time!

Noah has wanted an Xbox since they first came out.  Partly because of his good grades and  partly because I think Mike also really wanted one, we decided to get one for Christmas.  Noah’s reaction made it completely worth it!  When he tore off the wrapping paper and realized what it was, he just starting screaming and after about 20 seconds he stops, puts his hands on his head and said "I have a horrible headache!".  He was so excited; he gave himself a head ache. This was a particularly fun year to watch the kids get their presents; they all gave such great reactions

Mike’s sister Shelley was able to visit us for four days over New Year’s.  Something that made it extra special was that we didn’t tell Amelia she was coming, which made it was a big surprise for Amelia when she came down to breakfast and saw her Aunt Shelley.  For those of you who aren’t aware, not only does Amelia look just like her Aunt Shelley, but she also absolutely adores her!  We booked a hotel room in Dallas for New Year’s Eve, as I’m not a big fan of being road on big holiday nights.  It worked out well because my brother Jason and his wife Emilie and their two boys happened to be coming into town for a dirt bike race and were going to sleep at our house that night, so they stayed with the kids.  Mike, Shelley and I got to enjoy a nice dinner and then drop in at a few friends’ parties.  Unfortunately, Mike had a bad reaction to something he ate, so it was a pretty earlier night for us.

Jason and his family stayed for a few more days after Shelley left, and the cousins were able to enjoy some fun play time!  They even managed to sit still long enough to snuggle on the floor and watch “Hook” – one of my favorite movies!

Mike started traveling back to Florida again when his vacation was over, and it was a shock for the little ones for the first week since they were used to having Daddy around all the time.  Of course, I always miss him when he travels, and I also really miss his cooking.  I’m sure the kids do, too, because that means I will be the one cooking.  (“Mom, casserole AGAIN?!”)

Girls' Trip

My mom and I took our first girls’ trip ever for just the two of us, and it was so much fun!  I didn’t realize how much more we could enjoy each others company when we didn’t have the responsibilities of children or husbands.  I am certain this will become an annual thing for us!

We flew into San Francisco and spent the first day and a half in Menlo Park, where Mike and I lived when we first got married and he was getting his Ph.D. from Stanford.  It was almost emotional for me to be back there, especially since it was the first time since moving to Texas in 2011.  We shared our first apartment there, I had my first job after graduating from college, started my personal training business, Amelia was born, we bought our pug Lucy, and Noah started preschool.  So many wonderful memories!  For the most part not much has changed, it was still as magical as I remembered.  It was fun to go there with my mom – because my dad was deployed during our first year there, she would visit us about one weekend a month, so she knew just how neat of a town it is.

 

Our old apartment, we had the second floor, all 700 sq feet.

Our dear friends, the Begovic family, were gracious enough to let us stay with them and feed us some amazing food and drink (Bakir even served us some 150-year old port)!  I wish I could have stayed longer since I didn’t get to see everyone I was hoping to, but that gives me reason to go back soon.

Cutest bunny ever.

Noah was so sad that I got to see his girlfriend, Azra and he didn't!

Laying by the pool at the Rosewood Hotel, a little slice of heaven.

 

1861!

First time my mom tried port.

The next morning, we headed up to Napa to see my friend Megan and her mom, Cindy.  Megan and I have been friends since 2^nd grade, and my Mom and Cindy meet the first month we moved to Utah in 1992.  They are the type of friends where you can pick up a conversation from where you last left off, no matter how long it’s been since you’ve last seen them.  Megan gave us a tour of Continuum, the winery of her father-in-law, Tim Mondavi.  There aren’t words to describe how beautiful it all was, which is why I’ve included so many photos.

The next morning, after a much-needed great night’s sleep, we woke up early and headed to Berkeley.  We went to one of our favorite restaurants, Rick & Ann’s; it’s in a beautiful part of Berkeley, right across from the Claremont Hotel.  Breakfast is, hands down, my mom’s and my favorite meal, so we indulged and ordered three entrees between the two of us.  After breakfast, we drove across the Bay Bridge into San Francisco.  I absolutely LOVE San Francisco!  Mike and I hope one day to move back there when the kids are older.  

I had a list of all my favorite shops and bakeries I needed to see during our one day there.  With all the walking we did, it was a good thing we had such a large breakfast.  By 11:30am, we were standing in line outside Tartine, the best bakery EVER!  I couldn’t wait to have the bread pudding that I had been dreaming of for the last four years.  After checking into our hotel, we headed to the Ferry Building to do some shopping.  Since I always pack way too many shoes when I go on trips, I had limited room on what I could bring back, but I still managed to find gifts for Mike and the kids.

Banana Cream Pie and Bread Pudding with seasonal fruit.

Golden Boys Pizza, Noah and my favorite!

Ferry building

View of the bay bridge from our hotel room.

On that last night, we met Megan and Cindy for dinner at a neat restaurant called State Bird Provisions.  I highly recommend trying it if you are in the area, but make sure to make a reservation well in advance.  The dishes are shared plate style, so we were able to try a lot of different dishes.  I even got my mom to try pork belly and steak tartare.

My mom and I were able to squeeze in one last breakfast in the airport before our flights left.  It seemed appropriate to end the trip with one last yummy meal together.  It was such a fun-filled weekend that I actually was able to fall asleep on the plane ride home . . . something that never happens.  I can’t wait until next time!