Cal's First Easter

Well I'm still trying to catch up on pictures but I'm making progress slowly but surely! Easter was a lot of fun this year even though we were still in a little disarray after the move. On the Saturday before Easter we went over to Mimi's house and had a wonderful dinner with everyone and a fun egg hunt! Cal didn't quite get to hunt for eggs this year but he definitely had fun sticking them in his mouth. (He's definitely at that stage where anything and everything goes straight into the mouth!) We had such a great time seeing the family and its so nice that Cal is going to get to know his cute cousins better.

On Easter Sunday we just relaxed at home and Cal got his own little Easter basket. I had so much fun making it even though he had no idea what was going on of course! :) I just love holidays though and couldn't resist! His basket consisted mostly of eggs with candy I could hardly wait to devour, some baby food for him (since he started his first solid food other than rice cereal that weekend--yeah!), and some play blocks. He had a blast playing with all the grass and the eggs--he was in heaven!

Another exciting thing that happened on Easter weekend was we got new cars! After moving here we knew we'd have to get a second car for Dan to commute in and we've been wanting to get more of a utility type car for me to drive as the 'family car'. So we did everything all at once and we traded in the volvo and got a Pilot and a Corolla. We are so happy with them and excited to have something that will be much better for outings to the beach and the mountains as well as something with screamin' gas mileage with all these crazy gas prices!

My New Friend

I've never been much into bike riding, in fact, I never really enjoyed it at all. But I've turned over a new leaf and I've learned to love spinning! Right before we left San Francisco I started going back to physical therapy to get some help reevaluating my injuries and trying to get stronger to see if I could make some progress towards running again as well as some pain management. I was sort of frustrated when they told me the only cardio they wanted me to do for awhile was the stationary bikes until I could get stronger and we could focus on strengthening my other injury sites. I was disappointed thinking, geez, all I want to do is run and you limit me to nothing but a bike! But gradually as I've done the bike more and more I've decided I love it! It is such a good low-impact and super challenging workout! I honestly finish thinking I'm going to pass out sometimes (probably just because I'm a wimp), but I love feeling like even though I'm not quite ready to just go for a long run or do certain sporting events I can still challenge myself and find ways to feel healthy and see progress. It makes me feel so grateful for the abilities I do have and the things I am able to do. Now I just need to be more dedicated and do it more often! So if you haven't done it before or never used to like it give it a try! It really can be fun! Here's to learning to love new things!

Eastern Caribbean Cruise!

Not even a week after we moved to San Diego we left our apartment in a shamble of boxes and headed out for our cruise to the caribbean. It was kind of tough timing because Dan was given the trip as an award from his employer in San Francisco, so we had to hurry and take the trip and it ended up landing right in the middle of a crazy time. But it turned out to be a great, much needed vacation and a nice relaxing getaway from all the craziness back at home. I was so nervous to take Cal with all the time changes, long flights, and crazy sleeping situations since we'd all be staying in one small room, but honestly, he was such a trooper and did amazingly well. It was still a very different experience taking a baby on a trip like that and we couldn't go out and do and see everything but we took it for what it was and kept things simple and relaxing and just low key. My Mom and stepdad came too, so that was a ton of fun and such a great excuse to see my momma for a whole week! It also made it so nice having them there because their room was next to ours and we could put the monitor on in our room and go next door after Cal went to bed.

The cruise left from Fort Lauderdale, FL and the places we visited on the trip were San Juan, Puerto Rico; St. Thomas, Virgin Islands; Casa de Camp, Dominican Republic; and Labadee, Haiti. They were all great but my favorite was Labadee. It was so green and beautiful and we got to play in the ocean a lot there which is always the best. It was fun to have an excuse to get dressed up every night and it felt so good to get some sun, eat lots of food, relax by the pool, exercise, read, listen to live music, etc. We had a great time and I'm so glad we got to go! Thanks hun for the awesome vacation!

The slideshow has a ton of pictures from the trip but I thought I'd also add a few favorite pics here separate so that when I print this they will come out with the post.


Casa de Campo, Dominican Republic

Grandma A and Cal playing by the pool

In front of our ship in San Juan, Puerto Rico

Taking cal swimming for the very first time! It was soooo much fun! He was so adorable!

Cal listening to the reggae band at the pool

All dressed up for dinner




Swimming in the ocean at Labadee, Haiti

What a Big Kid

Cal got a highchair! Yipee! He loves it.

The City, The Country, & Leaving a Place You Love

Well, the day finally came and after endless hours of packing and cleaning the truck was loaded and we were ready to leave San Francisco, well sort of. This was such a tough one for me. Everything about our move has been good, the job is great for Dan, its very nice to be closer to family, the weather is beautiful, etc. etc., but for some reason I just find myself still missing the city. It's so crazy to me because we weren't even there that long, I mean, really just over a year. But somehow I just fell in love with it and even though I left, I think a small part of me stayed. 

Those who know me well know I have two very different, yet distinct, sides to me--the country girl and the city girl. From the time I was 2 years old til I was 18 my family lived in Phoenix, Arizona during the school year but during the summers we would move to a tiny, beautiful town in the mountains of Southern Colorado that I adored. We lived there from the day school got out, all summer long, til the day school started. I spent the whole summer playing outside in the woods, fishing, camping, exploring, building forts, getting into mischief, playing in my treehouse, hiking, roasting marshmallows and singing around bonfires, chasing bears, rafting, and so on and so on and staying as dirty as I possibly could. I loved it. I crave the mountains. I crave the fresh air, the seasons, the quiet, the solitude, the beauty, the serenity, and the feeling of freedom. Somehow, when I'm in the great outdoors way out in the country everything is just more carefree and so much more simple, and its intoxicating. Time slows down when you're in the country and the rush and demands of life can, at least for a time, lighten up a bit or even fade away. Sitting here on my couch I get giddy just thinking about it I miss it so much. There is a part of me that is the girl who could care less about hair and makeup and what the heck I'm wearing and doesn't want to be anywhere near a television or computer and just wants to be in a grubby sweatshirt and old jeans with my hair in a ponytail up the Vallecito Trail, watching my husband fish. I want to sit by a fire in our little cabin and know there isn't a real grocery store closer than 3o minutes away up a windy mountain road. I love the mountains and I always will. Unfortunately, for our career it just won't work for us to live in a place like that at this stage in our life. But I long for it and know that someday we'll be able to spend more time in the country.

But my other side is the city girl. I grew up in a bigger type city, and although not enormous compared to many, I definitely got my metropolitan upbringing and it's stuck. I love the hustle and bustle of big cities, San Francisco in particular. I love all the lights and views and the scads of people everywhere. I love window shopping at fancy stores and seeing what the latest rages are and having fun with new styles and trends. I love eating amazing foods and trying new things at unique and fabulous restaurants that can be found all over the place. I love seeing unbelievable architecture and beautiful buildings one after another. I love meeting tons of new people who are all different from me and all have different stories, interests, looks, lifestyles, even if some are a little crazier than others :). I love going to a city park and sitting in a pool of greenery with buildings all around and feeling a unique sort of escape and solitude and an appreciation for nature. I love being able to go out my door and have a million things I want to see or do or experience. I love being able to walk almost anywhere I want to go. I love seeing an amazing parking spot even when I'm not parking and getting all excited inside for the person who finds it because they are going to be so happy. I love the culture, the art, the entertainment. I love getting all dressed up and trying to look my best and going out for a night on the town. I love the way the city makes me feel like my own unique and different person in a world of so many unique and different people. The city is amazing and I will never forget my time in San Francisco. 

I think that is why I loved San Francisco so much--because living there whole-heartedly let the little city girl inside of me free and it was so much fun and made me feel so at home. (Not to mention we had our sweet little boy there and that will always be such a special memory and time in my life I can never forget it.) It's strange because in San Diego I sort of feel stuck in the middle--I'm not really in either of my elements. It, like a lot of places, is sort of an in-between. Not that San Diego isn't a great place and I really do think that in time I'll learn to love it here, but I just don't feel quite the same fit as I have in other places.  It's interesting how the more life you live and the more experiences you have the more you truly learn about yourself and who you really are. I learned so much about myself over the last year and a half and I am so grateful for the opportunities we were given. I feel grateful and fortunate though too to have such a nice home here in San Diego and I look forward to what I'll learn and how I'll grow during my time here.

But for just a minute, I want to miss the city......

A couple shots of our favorite views
Last picture in front of our little house
We stuffed that moving truck completely full!
At the top of our street with Golden Gate Park behind us (I know I look awful but try and remember we'd been packing, moving, and cleaning for 48 hours! :) )
A view up the street from our driveway
Cal being a good sport in his jammies while we loaded up the truck

Sister Fun

Just a week before we moved my sister Amy finally got to come out to visit us in the city! I had been wanting her to come out forever so I was so excited that her and Ken made it. We had so much fun with them and the entire weekend was a blast! They got to see a true San Francisco weekend as it was quite cloudy and overcast and even stormy a lot of the time, but hey, that's what we love about the city--your sunny warm days are never taken for granted. :) We showed them a lot of our favorite sites and just relaxed and had a good time. Some of the highlights were: eating at Barney's, Golden Gate Bridge lookout, playing the Wii, eating at Mama's (okay you don't have to tell us we're obsessed....haha...we already know, but just so you know we've never taken someone there that didn't LOVE it too ;) ), walking around Washington Square, taking pictures in the rain, driving around Sausalito, going to the De Young Museum tower lookout in Golden Gate Park, feeding Cal his baby food, eating at Chaya downtown and getting a babysitter for the Cal babe, hiking Land's End in the rain, the Legion of Honor Museum, Fisherman's Wharf, Ghiradelli Square, and lots and lots of chocolate! Wow, so much fun! I miss you already Ames and can't wait for you to come visit us in San Diego!!!


Cal was pretty tired & fussy on our way home from dinner one night so Amy got out her iPhone and put on an episode of Grey's Anatomy for him to watch (it was all she had)--he was silent and watched the entire way home--he thought it was great! It was too funny! Hey, I guess you do whatever works....hehe

Cal loves his auntie Amy Sue


Me and Justin Timberlake at the Goorin Brothers hat store in Washington Square :)
At the De Young Museum lookout--its free and the views are amazing!! Definitely go sometime!
My cute little sister and my big boy--I love it!
At the lookout they have a huge wall with a satellite photo of the city--it was fun to see where everything is in comparison to the others. Here I am pointing at our house in the outer richmond on the west side of the peninsula.
Dan pointing at his office downtown in the financial district
Lovin' being fed by his Auntie
Outside of Chaya, an amazing restaurant downtown. We enjoyed delicious sushi and other seafood as well as live music and unbelievable views of the Bay Bridge! So fun to have a night out!
Bay Bridge in the background

The Henry's deep in thought with the statue of The Thinker at the Legion of Honor
Land's End on a very stormy day--so beautiful!

Cal Bear strutin his stuff at Ghiradelli's.....this is what you end up in after you've blown out of your diaper twice in one day, undies and boots. What a cutie I can hardly stand it!

Eating Real Food

At the end of February we gave Cal his first taste of real food, rice cereal. Or maybe it should be called semi-real since it is pretty gross if you get a lick, however, that didn't stop our little boy from chowin down! He LOVES the stuff! Some people say their kids don't really like it when they first try it, but as you can see from Cal's cute little chub figure he pretty much just likes to eat, no matter what it is. I was honestly nervous to give him 'real' food because I was scared of changing diapers with 'real' poop, and although I do have to hold my breath during diaper changes, it is so cute watching him eat food and it can be really convenient so I suppose it is worth the stentch in the end...:)