getting away (California sun trip)

Aven loved playing on the huge King Sized Bed!

Last day with Grandma Geneva

View from our room, interesting!

Family photo @ Torrey Pines State Park

Torrey Pines State Park hike

The essentials, sun, kid and coffee!

Balboa Park

Zia's Bistro Little Italy San Diego

Ava & Aven

Balboa Theater in Gaslap District, SD

SeaPort Village Carousel

Birch Aquarium at Scripps

Aven and the Jump Jump (Mommy, help me)

Extraordinary Desserts (SD)

Aven entertaining herself on the plane with stickers, sure, put them anywhere!

Fun (or sort of) in the sun/vacation:
A few days after I got back from my quick out of town trip, we went on our first "real vacation" with Aven.  Last year we went to Winthrop but it was only for a few days.  This was a full fledged vacation with plane rides and rental cars and motels and family and tourist activities and nights out on the town!  It was busy and fun but exhausting with a toddler.

Short run down of the trip:

• Left Easter Sunday (had to wake up Aven @ 5:45 am) she did great on the plane although she was tired and a bit restless after having to stay in one place for so long.  Schlepped bags and car seat through the Seattle airport and ate breakfast before schlepping to another terminal with hot coffee spilling all over ourselves!
• Arrived at LAX and rented a car- drove to Huntington Beach to visit Grandma Geneva (Abe's grandma).  Aven had seen her when she was about 7 months old so it would be a lot different this time.  Aven took a 20 min nap the whole day in the car ride from the airport to Geneva's so she was a bit tired that night!  Went to a fun Japanese place with a literal gondola of food!  The servers were so friendly and accommodating of Aven though.  Put Aven to bed and Grandma came over to the guesthouse where we were staying to chat for awhile.
• Took a beautiful warm morning walk to Starbucks for some snacks and caffeine.  Met a nice gentleman from Hungary.  Drove to Laguna Beach for brunch at "The Beach House" a seaside cottage of Slim Summerville in the early 1900's (Hollywood actor) turned restaurant overlooking the water.  Had a wonderful lunch with amazing Lemon basil martini and looked out over the water.
• Drove back to Huntington beach and relaxed for the afternoon with grandma.  Had a dinner of leftovers and relaxed before turning in for the evening.  Put Aven to bed and then swam and relaxed in the Jacuzzi under the night stars and crisp evening air.
• Had some breakfast with Grandma and headed out to San Diego~arrived mid afternoon and checked into our motel.  Out of our room was an interesting logo "Jesus Christ is Lord not a Swear Word"- found out the owner has a trucking business with this name!  Interesting.  After getting settled in and after Aven's nap we headed out to downtown San Diego's Gaslamp district.    Had dinner at The Beer Co.  Cheap eats and good bear.  More of a sports bar and nothing to brag about but we had a great time listening to the early-mid 90's music and sharing a meal together (no baby drama).  We walked around Gaslamp a bit and found some awesome Gelato at Cremolosa restaurant with some very entertaining waiters!
• The next day after breakfast we headed out to Torrey Pines State Park.  We loaded up Aven in the backpack and wandered around most of the trails along the ridge even going down to the beach.  There were some super interesting formations from the sandstone where the water has worn away parts of the minerals.  The whole time we were in beautiful weather and overlooking the beach.  We must have been near a military base because we saw what looked to be bombers and helicopters and all sorts of air crafts.  Aven loved it.  We saw some wild bunnies, all kinds of birds and new flowers and some lizards too.
• That evening we headed down to Seaport Village a little outdoor group of shops right on the water.  It was a bit touristy and some of the shops were cheesy but it was a beautiful evening and the ambiance was great.  Aven even got to ride on her first ever Carousel.  I love the music, makes me feel nostalgic of years past.  After this we headed to San Diego's Little Italy neighborhood.  It is filled with mostly Italian Restaurants and shops.  It has a really neat feel.  We chose Fillippi's a place boasting great atmosphere and a little Italian grocer up front.  The pizza wasn't anything to write about but the place was fun.
• Our last day "on our own" before meeting up with my cousin Gina and her family, we started our day with a breakfast in Pacific Beach at a little cafe.  We sat outside and ate delicious fresh fruit and relaxed in the morning sun.  We ended up befriending another couple sitting beside us with their two kids.  They were down doing some touristy things for Spring Break.  We hopped across the street afterwards to the beach and walked around for a few minutes, taking in the sun.  After this (and I won't go into laborious details about what to do with getting a kid a nap when you have no place to go) we drove about an hour east to Mt. Laguna.  We saw a bobcat there and enjoyed the cool afternoon and then ate our lunch in the car while driving back to SD.  Wandered around driving for (too long) trying to find Balboa Park (found it at last, horrible signs if you are coming from the back side, even with GPS).  Wandered the gardens and buildings, very very beautiful and does truly remind me of Spain.  Ate dinner again in Little Italy at Zia's bistro.  There were linen napkins, live classical guitar and glass water glasses and then then Aven really started to go crazy.  It was about the straw that broke the Daddy's back.  While we had had several nice moments and times there were a lot of frustrations traveling with a toddler and they seemed to come to a head that evening!  On we went though.
• We headed to my cousin Gina's (and husband Matt's) house to stay for a few days. They have a daughter, Ava, who is 1 month older than Aven.  We had seen them when the girls were 7/8 months old but it was fun to watch them again and we had a bit more time to hang out this time.
• Gina and I took the girls to a little play place for the morning so they could do a kid-centered activity and we gave Abe a break.  It was fun to watch the girls play and the place was packed!  Had dinner all together that night and gave the girls a bath together.  The next day we had breakfast all together (with Matt) and then headed out to the La Jolla Aquarium (Birch Aquarium at Scripps).  It is right up on the cliff overlooking the water and there were plenty of new things to see there.  Afterwards we had lunch together and headed home to put the girls to bed!  After getting the girls some dinner and giving them some play time on the Jump Jump the Daddy's put the kiddos to bed and the Mommy's went out for a night on the town.
• Gina and I went to Extraordinary Desserts.  It was a super fun atmosphere and had the most beautiful desserts I have ever seen.  We sat at the bar and talked about motherhood, life, family, husbands, work and just about anything.  It was a really nice evening of just relaxing out together.  After turning in about midnight that night, we set our alarm for 4am (had to wake up Aven @ 4:45) to go to the airport.  She did excellent on the airplane again (the longer trip was first this time) and didn't even get grumpy or cry but she did fall asleep on our final descent down into Bellingham- the girl was tired!
• We arrived home a bit tired and a bit "done" but we all survived and had plenty of good memories to jot down for the record.  It was such a treat to see our family and the sun!

first day at the beach

In August we attended our annual family camping trip.  This was the 5th year (I think) that we all got together for a long weekend of walks, hiking, s'mores, campfires and hanging out.  Abe's parents and my Mom and her husband, my Dad, my brother and his wife, Abe and I and the assorted family dogs have gathered in a few different locations to relax and enjoy the outdoors.  The first 3 years we camped in Silver Falls Oregon, about 45 minutes East of Salem.  It is a beautiful area with plenty of walks and hikes and fun areas for dogs to play and walk and of course their humans too!  Last year we went (I honestly cannot remember where, I had a 4 month old!) somewhere in Washington.  It was extremely hot and I had a very cranky 4 month old baby but we enjoyed ourselves nevertheless.  This year we met at Fort Stevens State Park right outside of Astoria, Oregon.  It is right on the coast with walking or biking trails close to the beach.  It was quite fun as Aven had been walking for about 2 months and she got to see all of her family in one shot.  It was a bit exhausting chasing after a 16 month old and trying to watch out for cars and kids on bikes, etc.  The weather was much more temperate and we enjoyed reading lots of books and passing the baby around as well as many campfires, s'mores at noon while the baby slept and a new game called ring toss (?).  One of the highlights for me was taking Aven to the beach for the first time.

I have to admit, as a parent, I often have several images of what I think something will look like in the "firsts" department.  For Aven's first steps, I didn't imagine it would be mostly with my Mom while on a camping trip.  I didn't get any movie or great pics, just memories.  Aven's first bath was a screeching adventure when she was a little over a week old and many other things often turn out to be the antithesis of what you think they will be.  That said, the first time at the beach started out much the same way.  Aven started to almost cry when I set her down in the sand to play around.  In retrospect, I understand why it might have felt a bit scary, the ground I set her down on moved around and felt completely different from "normal" ground....but her face tells this story as well.  By the end of the time though, her mood and feelings had completely changed; she found another little girl with beach toys and buckets and Aven could barely be torn away.

It was a great to spend time with family and I can't wait to start taking Aven each year.  This posting is very overdue but I didn't want to forget to talk about it and the funny times we had at the beach.

family vacation & a few things learned along the way

Well, we took our first real family vacation a few weeks ago.  We went to beautiful Winthrop Washington and spent as much time relaxing in the sunshine and eating to our hearts content as we did playing outside and working hard.

The original plan had included a trip to Moab, UT where we went three years ago and really enjoyed the biking, hiking and change of scenery and weather.  We even had a great place booked but as the date loomed ever closer we realized how potentially miserable a 1,000 mile road trip could be with a 13 month old.  Then came the search to find a suitable place that wouldn't require 2 days of driving.  We wanted a place that could offer us great things to do outside (biking & hiking), sunshine and a place that we could stay with the dogs.  I considered and researched many places (Hood River, OR; Bend, OR; Boise, ID, etc.).  Finally a friend suggested Winthrop.  It was much closer (only about a 3 hour drive-150 miles or so) and typically good weather for this time of year and many options for biking & hiking.  Once we nailed down a place to stay with the dogs, we just waited for Highway 20 to open for the season.  It got down to the wire but everything was a go.

Day 1:

When we headed out on a Wednesday morning, things didn't look promising.  There was a lot of rain on the drive and looming storm clouds above.  Then as we wound up the highway towards the pass the snow was piled up on either side.  I began to wonder if I had made a mistake.  But then after beginning to wind back down the other side, I saw that all was not lost and the greater part of a sunny day lay ahead.

We arrived in early afternoon after leisurely driving Highway 20 from Bellingham, stopping at Que Car BBQ (delicious homemade honey BBQ sauce, and barbecued pork sandwiches).  We checked into our cabin on the north side of town and decided to head into "downtown" Winthrop to get the lay of the land.  Winthrop is an "old West" styled downtown with wooden sidewalks and mid to late 1800's styled architecture (most of it really is that old).  The downtown has several restaurants, gift shops and even a gas station (reminds me of Jacksonville, Or near where I grew up).  We headed over to the Old Schoolhouse Brewery for an afternoon pint and a snack.

ESB & IPA- some of our favorites!

Aven, playing the drums on the table.

After sufficiently christening their floor with food castoffs of all kinds ( and the first of many throughout the next few days), we headed out for our first hike of the trip.  Went up to the Sun Mountain Trails and took the doggies out for a much needed 4 mile hike while Aven caught some snoozes and Abe and I enjoyed the beautiful view and completely deserted trail.

There were so many unique and beautiful wildflowers growing along this hillside we were hiking along.  It was nice to get to see some new flowers & plants.

After all of this we headed to local favorite and staple since 1982, the Duck Brand restaurant.  We had a great dinner and got 2 slices of pie to go and headed back to the cabin for our first night.

Day 2:

Well, traveling with a child had many learning moments and our breakfast on day 2 was no exception.  It started with a hungry baby, a hungry mommy and an un-caffeinated Dad.  If you are not able to do the math, this can equal a real disaster in a restaurant.  Needless to say, we all survived and got going with an exciting day of adventures.  We headed up to the Sun Mountain trails again.  This time Abe and I split up.  Abe and Eleanor went mountain biking and I took Aven in my pack and headed out on the trails.  Save for a few mosquitoes and one or two bike riders, we again had the trails to ourselves.  There was a lovely breeze and I enjoyed the relatively smooth and easy trails.  We met back at the car and changed our plans from snacks at the cabin to Abe's revised plan: "take me straight to the brewery!"

We drove down the road about 7 miles to nearby Twisp and sat outside at the Methow Valley Brewing Company.  It was the perfect afternoon.  After a good hike and bike ride, we enjoyed sitting on the patio right next to the river soaking up the sun, enjoying a few pints and a delicious meal and taking in the relaxing and quiet weekday afternoon.  Abe kept saying: "this is the life; I could get used to this!"

Day 3:

The next day started out a lot more promising including a much more satisfying breakfast to kick off the day.  We went to nearby Sunflower Cafe and had some delicious Mushroom, Feta Quiche and an amazing Strawberry Scone with whole strawberries in it.  None of that spot-o-jelly type thing you typically find.  After our leisurely breakfast outside (I loved that just about every place there had outdoor seating available), we headed back to the cabin for Aven's nap and some rest and relaxation for the parents.  We sat on our cabin porch, read for hours and relaxed.  It was awesome.

One of my favorite pics from the trip, Aven playing with some
pinecones in the grassy area outside our cabin.  It was so cute.

In the later afternoon, we headed out for some more adventures outside.  Abe went to Buck Lake trail and met up with an outdoor rep who he ended up riding with.  I took the girls (Aven, Eleanor & Ethel) and we headed out to Falls Creek Falls.  After we hiked the initial 1/2 mile of relatively flat and paved trail we arrived at a misty and beautiful waterfall.  I noticed that there was a trail wrapping around off to the right so we headed on for more adventure.  We didn't make our way all the way to the end of the trail because Ethel pooped out and we had to leave her halfway on the trail but we did wind our way back closer to the start of the waterfall.  It was beautiful and again so nice to be in the warm outdoors.

After meeting up with Abe we hit up the brewery again for another delicious meal.  This time it was Friday night and the Methow Valley Brewery was hopping.  We voted again to dine outside and enjoy the river going by.  Aven caught the attention of many other diners and wait staff when after devouring most of her beans and rice she smeared it across her forehead in battle like fashion.  We could have been uptight and wiped it off immediately;  but this isn't our style- instead we let her enjoy it, grabbed the camera and shot some pics.  What a little cutie.

Day 5:

The last day had us planning for yet another kid-friendly strategy.  I voted for a family hike after breakfast, back to the cabin for Aven's nap and lunch and then splitting up for the late afternoon; Abe would bike and I would hike.  Well, to go along with the title, the best laid plans especially when it comes to kids, often fail.  It started out with a slow start in the morning....followed by a longer drive up a dirt road and then.....

A tree across the road made us stop in our tracks, literally!  We climbed out and loaded up Aven in the backpack just to see how much farther the trailhead would be.  It was really just around the corner so we started the trek up the hill.  I should mention here that I didn't do any research about how long this hike would be, the elevation, elevation gain or difficulty.  It just sounded nice: Copper Glance Lake.  Well, had we made it there it probably would have been.  We hiked a ways and then came across a wide creek with a collapsed bridge.  Abe offered to ford the freezing creek, carry the dogs and Aven across to continue on.  I didn't know how much farther we had to go or if there would be additional creek crossings so I chickened out.  I was a bit sad but the trek had already taken much longer than I thought and we hadn't brought any snacks with us.  So, we turned around and headed back.

After a late afternoon nap for Aven and Mommy back at the cabin, we headed out on our last outdoor adventure.  While it was scenic and beautiful it was a rather boring walk along a meadow and out to a river.  The mosquitoes were out in full force along with their other insect friends and the monotony of the flat land got to us at the end of a long day.  We wrapped up the evening with a truly delicious gourmet pizza at East 20 Pizza and of course, the water of vacation life: beer.  Luckily this place was across the parking lot from our cabin so when Aven started getting cranky at the end of the meal (it was after her bedtime) I just walked her over and got her ready for bed.

Day 5:

Would be a great Subaru commercial!

On the last day, we woke up when the baby did and got ourselves packed up for the journey home.  The sun was out, the pass was beautiful and we felt unhurried as we made our way back home.  It was a lovely day and we even had a chance to relax at home and get a hike in at home before the end of the day.

The Highlights & Lessons Learned:

• Going on a trip with a baby can force you to relax- there are lots of naps involved in their day, they tend to like to go to bed early and they will always make you late (it can make you anxious or you can let things go). 
• If you want to have a nightlife with a one year old on vacation, you'll be sorely disappointed.
• Trying to plan your day around the moods and naps of a kiddo can be really challenging.
• Spending time with your family is some of the best time you can have
• Be flexible, always!
• Never pass up a good cup of coffee, fresh homemade pastries or a great microbrew
• Be adventurous, often it will pay off.
• Take lots of pictures, even the ones that will embarass your kids later (Aven discovered how much fun it is to play naked after your bath or shower- we have some super cute pics of her being silly in the buff)
• Trader Joes is awesome - be sure to load up on snacks for the car ride
• If man can live on bread alone, then why can't babies live on beans & rice, honey wheat pretzels and dried cherries?