A Napa Get away recap!

We are back and we had SO MUCH FUN!  I got Kit all to myself and we just had the best time being together, eating amazing food, staying in a beautiful place, and just enjoying some much needed alone time♥.

Here are a few highlights!

This was the first plane ride I have taken since 2008.  I was really excited and even though it was a short flight, that made it feel even more like a vacation!

The first place we ate was Gott's burgers:
It was so good!

Get the garlic fries, they were amazing!
Before heading to our resort, we walked around St. Helena.
This town has become a favorite of ours and we are so excited to go back!

Then we headed to Calistoga Ranch Resort and Spa, in Calistoga.
Our porch:

Complete with fireplace:
(We had so many great conversations out here!

 

Our room:
Waiting for us was a bottle of champagne and a chocolate mousse in celebration of our anniversary.

It had an outdoor shower.  
Yep.  We LOVED this place! 

We ordered room service our first night:

And talked by the fire:

The next day we started our day at the spa's steam room and pools:

 

To say that we were relaxed was a HUGE understatement...
We had brunch at French Blue in St. Helena:

French Blue's version of a bloody mary:
It was so tasty! 

We walked around the town and just had the best time relaxing and not feeling rushed!

We checked out the Culinary Institute of America:

 

Then we headed back to our place to get ready for dinner at Botega in Yountville:          
It was so fun to get dressed up!

(The resort lends cars out on a first come first serve basis FOR FREE, so we enjhoyed an evening with a Mercedes E550 CONVERTIBLE!
Sunset, In Napa Valley, in a convertible...
It was the best ride ever...

Botega was amazing!

Then we headed to the store for some in room snacks:
(Dear Lord, we were in heaven!)

 

Then, what do you do when you have just eaten dinner, and you have a bag full of tasty snacks?  You go for cocktails!
Yep, we rolled ourselves to Goose and Gander in St. Helena and sat tucked away with fun drinks in a leather tufted booth, feeling so connected and enjoying each other's company!

We ordered this scallop appetizer.
Between a chili cream sauce, fried green tomato, crisped prosciutto, avocado,  and a perfectly cooked scallop, I think that this may have been my perfect bite. 

 It was the best eating day I think we have ever had!
We had so much fun on our trip.  We had made three goals:
1. Connect
2. Eat amazing food
3. Feel rested
We were able to check them all off our list!

We were so excited to see the kids, though.  
We really missed them!

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We got back late on Monday night and can I tell you that I am having the hardest time catching up?!? Between laundry and grocery shopping and just wanting to snuggle my kiddos, it has been taking longer than I anticipated to get back into the groove!  Sheesh...

We are off!

Tomorrow we are off to Napa for three days to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary.  (Ok, we are just a few months late but better late than never, right?♥)

This is my first time leaving Eden over night and I have only been away from Ryder for one night.  I also haven't been on a plane since 2008.  Sheesh, I am so excited to get away with Kit and get to enjoy some alone time, but you can bet I am going to miss these faces:

They will be spending the weekend with my parents and their cousins and I have a feeling that we will not really be missed...

creating: kid inspired birthday cards

I have the hardest time letting Ryder help me with things like crafts because I have this idea that I want things to be perfect.  That is one of the lamest things I have ever heard myself say.  Where is he going to learn?  Where is creativity going to be nurtured if it doesn't at least start at home?  So in the spirit of releasing control and encouraging Ryder's creativity, we had a a card making party with our stamps.  Ryder had a blast!

 He got to practice:

 He got to pick the stamps:

 He got to sign the card that he made:

He was so proud of himself!

It was for his friend Micah's birthday and Ryder was so excited to show the card to Micah when he gave him his present.  I am hoping to continue to bring Ryder in on things like this.  Put my own junk aside and just ENJOY my little guy!  It is so unbelievably worth it♥...

pizza night

It's the little things that bring our family such joy.  An easy meal that the kids love, that we get to prepare as a family and is easy to clean up... so nice!

The finished product!

Thanks Trader Joe's for making this mamas life so much easier!

birthday celebrations for one of Ryder's little buddies!

Ryder's little buddy Micah turned three this last weekend and we were honored to get to celebrate him at a family party.  My very dear friend Angelina, his mom, is INCREDIBLY creative!  She put this party together after a very intense three day conference and she is due with their second baby boy at the very beginning of June.  I just had to brag on her and her creativity.  (Also, I wanted to have these ideas archived so that I could steal them later♥)

The theme was cars.  Not Disney Pixar Cars, just cars.

Check out this mama's details:

Ang and I:

Ang and I LOVED being pregnant at the same time with our boys and we Love how close Micah and Ryder are!  We are convinced it's because we are so close and our bellies were near each other all the time.  Ang, what an incredible job you did on the party!  Thanks for giving birth to my son's best little buddies.  We can't wait for Seth to get here!

Mother's Day recap!

We had a really great Mother's Day.  I woke up to this face with these flowers and the sweetest voice that said, "Happy Mother's Day Mama! I got these flowers for you!"  He said it as clear as a bell.  My day was already made.  After he brouight the flowers in he told me that Kit had made coffee and then followed that with "I love you , Mama..."  Sewriously, I was a puddle, my heart completely melted!

  He also made this card (with just a tiny bit of help from his dad...)

(Ryder and I have been in a rough patch with parenting and navigating what it is to be an independent 3 year old. ♥  I can not tell you how much these little things meant to me!)

After church we headed to hang out with our family.  Ryder was all set for the drive:

My sister had a recipe for deep fried green beans and we made a sauce of greek yogurt, cumin, and little chili powder.  So good!  My dad and my sister rocked the deep fryer in 100 degree weather.   Now that is commitment to some good grub!

The mamas:

 Two very special men in my life:

All  the kiddos:

It was such a great day to be with family!

Kit ended the day by giving me a very special gift:

A very special photo book of our babies.

 200 pages of my favorite people.

Kit, thank you for this incredible keepsake!

I can't stop looking at these precious faces...

It was a wonderful Mother's Day and I am so thankful that I was able to share it with people that I love!

weekend celebrations

On Sunday we are heading out to my parents house to celebrate mother's day.  I am so excited to get to be together.  There will be good food, lots of laughter, and TONS of talking!

I am thankful that I have these little people in my life that continue to teach me more about what motherhood is all about:

Eden and Ryder~

You two teach me on a daily basis about unselfishness, patience, and joy.

You show me  what it is to forgive, love unconditionally, and extend grace and mercy.

I can not tell you how many times I feel completely unworthy of the AMAZING babies that I have.

It is an honor to be your mommy, even on our hardest days and darkest mama moments.

I am so grateful that you are my children and I am thankful that you are MY littles.  

(Ok, your Daddy's too... ♥)

I am excited to watch you grow and develop into the people that Christ created you to be.

Thank you for making my dream of being a mom come true.

(I'll thank your Daddy too.♥)

I could not love you more!

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I am not nieve to think that Mother's Day is a happy day for everyone.  Some of you have lost your moms or do not have a very good relationship with them or they are far away and you can't physically be with them this weekend.  Maybe you are trying to get pregnant and this holiday is the HUGE painful reminder that you are not. (I have been there.)  Whatever the place is that causes you heart ache, know that you are so loved and cared about.  You are not alone.  My prayer for you is that expereince some sense of joy and peace specifically this weekend... 

Love to you my sweet friends...♥