ADA 2007

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This weekend we had a full house of visitors for the ADA Convention--Gary, Patty, Rachel, Oscar, and Ashley! Although, I'd like to think they really came to see us. Well, all of them except Rachel. She came to see Lance AND us. Out of the group, Max and I are the only ones that didn't make it down to the convention. I think it must have been a success, though, from the amount of toothpaste and toothbrushes they brought home. But I KNOW the rest of their San Francisco experience was a success. Tour Guide Blake was at his prime, even adding new stops to his tour, including City Hall and Lucas Film Studios.
Of course he didn't forget the usual favorites. Starting with a newly-remodeled (well, since any of them have been here to visit) Palace of Fine Arts. Max loved the new landscaping so much that he decided to take a dip in the now easily-accessible pond. It didn't turn out as fun as he thought it would though.And all the other San Francisco CLASSICS--the Golden Gate Bridge (San Francisco and Marin sides), Alamo Square, Fisherman's Wharf, the Legion of Honor, Lombard Street, Oakland Temple, Coit Tower, Pier 39, Golden Gate Park, and Ghirardelli Square.

And you know this wouldn't be my blog if I didn't mention the food. We had Gordo's, House of Nanking, Bistro Burger, Mama's, Philly Cheesesteaks, Chili's (Again, Addi and Ashley HAD to eat there), our favorite Oakland Taco Truck, and Fenton's. Oooo, my mouth is watering. I love visitors.

But I think some of our best times were just sitting on the New Zealand mat, at the park or on the beach, just being together. Isn't that so corny? But I can't help it--we love our family! Especially Max, who couldn't get enough of his cousin, Baby Oscar. We can't wait to see you all again in November! Thanks for a fun weekend!

Ashley's Homecoming Weekend

Well, if the big show at the airport wasn't enough for Ashley's arrival, the rest of the weekend definitely made up for it. We were constantly going! Seriously. Look at this group (still missing 4 people!). What else would you expect?One of the big highlights was eating, eating, EATING. Not only did we have yummy food at home, including Patty's mouthwatering fresh peach pie which she made EVERY DAY, but we also ate at some of Arizona's best. We at at Chili's (an Ashley and Addi tradition), Mi Amigos, Rosa's, Ra (for Sushi), and Ned's. Now I just need someone to stop by Taco Time with me. If only Beth could have been there. Blake was happy to have company to eat Sushi with. Thanks Ty and Kristen! And the definite winner for the kids was Rosa's where they spent most of their time dipping their heads in and drinking from the fountain.

And, of course, the other big hit was playing with cousins and friends. Max LOVES his cousins and proves it every time we visit. This time the most obvious display was at church. After we walked in and sat down, Max noticed Caden sitting two rows in front of us and yells, "Caden! Caden! HI!" Now if they would just all move to San Francisco, everything would be perfect!

But the thing I learned most about Max during this visit is that he couldn't care less about me--he LOVES his dad. Whenever Blake even glanced at any of his cousins, Max would freak out. He did not want to share his Daddy. And who can blame him? I mean, look how handsome he is!Thanks for sharing your weekend with us Ashley. You are amazing. We can't wait to see you SOON!

Welcome Home Ashley!

Last night our little family decided we HAD to see Ashley walk off the plane rather than just for her farewell. So, we hopped on a 6:20 am flight and thought it was perfect timing to surprise not only Ashley, but the entire family, at her 9:15 arrival. Well, her flight was delayed an hour and a half, so even though we were a bit tired and had a cranky baby, it was still an excellent surprise! When Ashley finally walkied off the plane (she was the LAST one off) she was attacked by her nieces and nephews. Even Max went straight to Ashley and gave her a hug. Ashley is just the same fun girl. It's like she never left. I can't wait to see how she's changed and grown. We're so glad to have her home and to be able to call her now whenever we want! WE LOVE YOU ASHLEY!

A Simple Bean Drop-Off

When my parents asked if they could come this past weekend to drop off bottled beans and fruit from their garden, we had no idea it would turn into such an activity-filled, fun weekend. And I don't think they did either! We were constantly GOING! Even Max realized that the party was definitely not in his bed and didn't take a normal nap the entire time Grandpa and Grandma were here. Here are some of the highlights--

While Blake was finishing up some things at work, the rest of us went to the park. I was in heaven just sitting and not chasing, while Max showed Grandma all the park had to offer. Grandpa even saw a red-tailed hawk while we were there. This park has a little something for everyone!


Later we went to Golden Gate park for paddle boat rides in Stow Lake. Max loved being on the boat in the water and I felt so good that the treats from my bag attracted geese rather than pigeons, seagulls, and ducks. The geese would come up and eat the treats straight from your hand. Very well trained.


That night, after giving Max a quick snoozer and playing some TV Scene It (Blake and I won, by the way), we headed up north for some fish and chips and our favorite ice cream, and then to watch the sun set near Point Bonita Light House. It was a little cloudy, but still very pretty.


The next morning we headed south to Santa Cruz. The first stop was the Mystery Spot where "gravity defies nature right before your eyes." Grandpa, Blake, and Max were even volunteers in some of the demonstrations. We definitely left the Mystery Spot questioning the world around us.


Next on the day-of-fun was the most fun part, the Santa Cruz Boardwalk. This was Max's first trip to an amusement park and he did not disappoint us. He kept asking for more and more rides. And the ones he couldn't go on by himself, lucky Blake got to go with him. We were so surprised that his favorite turned out to be the little roller coaster that actually went quite fast. It was the only ride where he screamed when we made him get off. This kid is fearless! I see summers at Lagoon in his future!


Our last stop was at Pigeon Point Light House to watch another sun set. This one had much more color than the night before and was beautiful. We even saw some seals beached below the light house.


We are so happy Grandpa and Grandma decided to bring us some beans this weekend and are so glad they made it home safely. For dinner tonight we even had some beans to celebrate them coming. Thanks for the fun time!

Less Than A Month

Was anyone else as freaked out as I was to see that there are only 29 days left until Baby Brother is due to arrive? That's less than a month! I can't believe he will be here so soon. Are we ready? Well, I guess so. We have diapers and an outfit for him to come home from the hospital in. What else do you need? We do need to get a double stroller and do some serious laundry, but that's not a big deal, right? I still have a few more weeks to procrastinate! Plus, I'm pretty sure this belly can get bigger. Brother needs to beat Max's 8 pounds, 10 ounces.

Wells Fargo Museum

Today the San Francisco Stroller Brigade took a trip down town. After wandering amongst all the business professionals, we ended up at the Wells Fargo Museum, not quite knowing what to expect. As we walked in, a museum worker immediately approached us and told us that there was a little ride for kids upstairs. She knew exactly what these kids would love (and what wouldn't bother the other patrons)! This was just as good as Chuck E. Cheese, and the ride was FREE! I can't even count the number of times Max rode on this little ride. It looked like there were many other interesting things at the museum, although this was the only thing we experienced. I really can't believe that Blake worked in this exact building before dental school started and we never ventured to the museum. I guess we wouldn't have appreciated the ride so much pre-Max though.