Fall by the Numbers

Fall was eventful and I'd be sad to see it go except: 1) we technically still have another three weeks of fall and 2) CHRISTMAS!!! Since I consider December it's own special season, I'm going to officially bid farewell to fall today with a little recap of the good, the bad, and the messy...all in numbers. Of course ;)

0 beds broken (but not for lack of effort).

Approximately 5 lbs of apples eaten weekly (mostly by Ez)

100% chance that if there is a leaf pile nearby my boys are stomping in it.

2 ponies ridden by two boys with very different opinions of said ponies.

2 official Halloween egg hunts which resulted in...

3,467 unofficial Halloween egg hunts until...

A dozen eggs disintegrated into rubbery, powdery nothingness.

Another 3,467 requests for more egg hunts.

4 foot radius covered in flour and baking powder after making muffins with my munchkins.

2 awestruck boys when they met Thomas and Percy (the trains).

1 child free Honeymoon weekend where it poured for...

2.5 out of 3 days but we still managed to see...

2 waterfalls and the most gorgeous fall foliage.

$200 - amount won during Honeymoon weekend.

$200 - amount lost during Honeymoon weekend. Sad face.

3 painting projects and only minimal amounts of paint eaten. Success.

4 trick or treating trips and only...

1 of them was a disaster. Success.

3 trips to pumpkin patches for...

8 porch pumpkins, of which...

2 were carved with exactly...

0 help from two certain boys.

1 billion: approximate number of lights at Lumination.

4 miles wandering around lost and confused in a corn maze.

50 approximate trips to the playground.

3 rainy day puddle stomping walks.

A dozen family members gathered around the Thanksgiving table.

You were good to us, fall. Wishing for an equally magical Christmas season for us, and for all of you as well!

Goodbye Summer 2016

Another amazingly eventful summer comes to an end. I'd even venture so far as to say that this was the best summer ever, because...we got married! Hard to top that. Looking back the beginning of summer feels like so long ago because we crammed so many things into the last three months. Here's the highlight reel of a few of my favorite summer moments, and my official goodbye to summer and, I hope, the heat. I've loved summer, it's birthday season for three out of four of us after all, but bring on sweaters and pumpkin patches and long, cozy nights. I'm ready for you fall!

1. Splash pad fun: I was really hoping to fit in some more visits, but, you know, life.
2. Soccer at Stanford.
3. Motocross at the fair: quite possibly Ez's favorite moment of all time. That look on his face gets me every time. Pure joy.
4. 4th of July: We capped off the day with a hike and ended with fire works at the park.
5. Monster Trucks at the fair: Ez didn't have the same look of joy as he did with motocross, but he did talk about this event longer, so maybe it's a tie for best moment of all time in his three year old life.
6. Girl's trip to Lake Tahoe: my bachelorette weekend was basically a good old fashioned sleepover with some gambling and booze thrown in. Perfection.
7. Birthday weekend in Pinecrest: This was our best birthday getaway yet. I'll probably say that every year, but I'll mean it every year too ;)
8. Declan's 1st birthday: The cake was a letdown, but thumbs up for presents and lots of adoring relatives. I think he enjoyed himself overall.
9. We got married!!! I can't write that without exclamation points. I'm sure the novelty will eventually wear off, but hopefully not anytime soon.
10. Wine tasting in Sonoma with ALL the sisters. Five of us. So. much. FUN.
11. San Francisco day trip. We actually did several of these this summer, and sometimes I still pinch myself that we're close enough to visit this amazing city for the day whenever we want.
12. Berkeley with my sis. Thankfully she enjoys wandering around random campuses just as much as we do. Don't knock it till you've tried it.

I thought a few of these were far fetched, but it turns out we did a pretty good job crossing almost all the items off our list. I deliberately held back on the caricatures because I wanted a wedding themed one instead. We had several wonderful kid-free date nights and I'm hoping to continue that trend into fall. Declan's 1st birthday was a tad bittersweet, but overall the best celebration of my littlest man. Ez did great at his first movie theater experience, and Nemo and Dory continue to be his most beloved characters, as well as Declan's. Getting married is obviously my most favorite item on this list, and part of me still can't believe that after all those weeks of anticipation it's already come and gone in a blur of jitters and excitement and pure happiness. Now we get to settle into the best part of the wedding - marriage. So far it feels a lot like our old life, except now Joe wears a ring too ;)

July by the Numbers

I know I say this every month but July was a busy one! If I had to sum July up in a few words I'd choose cake, outdoors, vehicles, and wedding planning. We concluded our three month streak of birthdays, which means no more cake till next May. Each boy had their fair share of firsts this month, and it was so fun sharing in their excitement as they experienced new things. Despite my preoccupation with wedding planning we managed to cram in a lot of summer activities and build some family memories that I know will last a lifetime for Joe and I. Ez and Declan will just have to rely on photos and this blog for their memories, although Ez's 3 year old memory is getting surprisingly sharp. Here's a little recap of what we've been up to the past 31 days, all in numbers, of course:

71 facts shared about Joe and I in honor of our...

2 birthdays where...

3 cakes were consumed and...

1 disappointed boy learned not all birthday presents are for him.

2 (super hot) trips to the fair for...

1 vehicle obsessed boy to see dirt bikes and monster trucks. 

4ish hours driving to the lake for our bday getaway where...

2 little fish spent...

3 hours in the water followed by...

3 more hours napping. 

1 little boy had his 1st movie theater experience.
1 other little boy had his 1st fireworks experience.
2 parents got to enjoy a kid free night thanks to the grandparents.

6,432 hours spent scouring Pinterest and etsy for wedding related stuff.

25 tiny buttons on my dress - eek!!

31 salads consumed (to make sure wedding dress fits on the big day, and to balance out the cake).
5 items crossed off our Summer bucket list. 

As we officially enter the dog days of summer I'm wishing you all slow, lazy mornings, afternoons spent splashing and swimming, evenings filled with the ones you love, and probably a good dose of extra baths if your kids are as in love with rolling around in the dirt as mine are. Happy August!

Goodbye Fall, Hello Christmas!

I know fall is actually still going on, but Christmas really deserves a season all its own, so I'm going to bid farewell to fall now as I'm pulling out the advent calendar and sorting through ornaments and decorations. It's crazy to think we moved just three months ago. We really hit the ground running when it comes to exploring this area and making it our home. There are just so many scenic day trip destinations beckoning us each weekend. With a short car or train ride we can be strolling the beach, or eating clam chowder in San Francisco, or on a farm picking apples, or hiking in a redwood forest. We've barely scratched the surface of exploration here, but the places I have seen make me fall more and more in love with this area. Fall is already such a gorgeous season, and then paired with all the beautiful places we've visited I'd rate this fall as my new favorite of all time. Here's a little look back at some of our best memories:

• Ez's second time on a horse. I'm pretty sure I'll remember his proud little smile forever.
• Half Moon Bay. Even though it was freezing cold I loved the rugged beauty that is completely different from the sunny Southern California beaches we're used to. 
• Ez and Declan's first real train ride. Not the kiddie kind, which Ez has done before. I had put that on our summer bucket list back when taking the train was more of a novelty than a convenient mode of transportation, but now it's a weekly occurrence for us and I love how easy the public transportation is here.
•  Stanford and Berkeley. You know how we love our college campus trips, and these two are some of the prettiest I've ever visited.
• Apple picking. This is definitely going to be a yearly tradition from now on. Especially because Ez continues to be obsessed with apples. We should really just have our own orchard, he eats that many.
• Davenport. This town is tiny, but it's so cute with it's one room jail. And you can't beat the views - rocky cliffs dropping down to crashing waves. 
• Labor Day in San Francisco. This has been my favorite city for a long time, so the fact that we actually live close enough to drop in for a visit is still surreal. I can't wait to check out the giant Christmas tree sometime this month.
• All things Halloween. Nothing motivates me to craft like the holidays, and pumpkin painting is one of Ez's favorite activities.
• Declan's first time trick or treating, and Ez's first time really trick or treating. Like actually saying the words and wanting to eat the candy. Good stuff.
• Not one, but two fall festivals. 
• A corn maze with the grandparents.
• Rainy day fun.
• Rose gardens. 
• Mickey's Halloween Party. 
• Thanksgiving.

It's been a great three months and I'm so excited to see what fun Christmas brings this year. Instead of doing a bucket list we're just gonna wing it this season. I have a mental list of things I'd like to do, but it's less pressure when it's not written down, and I have a feeling this season is going to book up fast anyway. Happy 1st day of December!

Goodbye February

I know we're already well into March, but February was a pretty eventful month over here, so I wanted to do a little recap of some of some of my favorite moments - both big and small - that I want to remember.

1. We moved again! We're all settled in now and loving the new place.

2. We did lots of Valentine's crafting and Ez participated in his first Valentine card exchange - such a fun experience for both of us!

3. Not to be left out, I also participated in a Valentine blogger gift exchange and got lots of goodies from Alexis, a total sweetie over at A Blissful Haven.

4 & 5. Joe & I had a romantic Valentine's dinner out while Ez had a date with the grandparents. Ez also went to his very 1st Valentine's party that morning, where smashing his face into a cupcake was undoubtedly the highlight of his day.

6. This baby bump grew and grew (and grew!) and I shared a few of my go-to maternity outfits.

7. We found out we're having a boy! Yay for more cars and trains and all things that go!

8. We spent lots of time outdoors, enjoying our non-winter, and I took way too many cute shots of this lil photogenic guy.

9. We got out for our first hike of the year - which is also the first hike of this pregnancy. 

10. Lots of tickle fights and giggles from my two silly boys. Can't get enough of them and their shenanigans.

11. Ez isn't officially two yet, but I'd say the terrible twos have officially entered the premises. #reasonsmysoniscrying

12 & 13. We had a fun, spontaneous weekend trip to San Diego and the zoo, where Ez put all his animal sounds to good use.

14. And speaking of our trip, I talked a little about the misadventures of traveling with a toddler.

15. Lots and lots of snuggles throughout this pregnancy. I'd say that's my #1 favorite pastime. 

16. Ez and I capped off the month with a Disneyland date. We're already looking forward to our next one - especially since I spied churro ice cream sandwiches on the way out. There is absolutely gonna be one of those in my very near future!

Here's looking forward to springtime, Easter, and hopefully warmer weather for all my non-California friends and family. Wishing warmth and sunshine your way!

Goodbye October & Fall Bucket List Update

October was full of so many fun activities, I'm a lil sad to see it go. This wasn't Ez's 1st Halloween, but there were still so many firsts now that he's walking and actually aware of what's going on. We crossed off nearly everything on our Fall Bucket List, and added a few more fun things I hadn't even thought of while making the list. Like brunch at Goofy's Kitchen, which was probably the scariest event of the whole month for Ez. A house full of giant rodents with permanent smiles...it is kinda creepy when you think about it. Lots of family time, lots of Gymboree - which Ez can't get enough of, too much candy (any candy at all is too much for Ez), AND we finally got some fall-like weather and rain. All in all a great month, and I'm looking forward to what November has in store for us. (Hint: lots more family time!)