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weekend

Aptos, Cher Joy, weekend

About today

So, about this day .. it was perfect. Borderline heavenly (queue some Russell Dickerson). There was so much happiness flowing through our veins this day we almost couldn’t stand it. It was a Saturday and the weather was gorgeous. The beach was glowing. And the whales jumping! After all the stress of moving and putting our house up for rent, and the long nights with a newborn, and the trials with a toddler .. we needed a day just like today. To remember that life is good, and we are together as a family. That things feel slow again; not yet easy, but slow. We packed a cooler for the day with some delicious snacks and a bottle of the American Summer Chandon (thanks to our Heather!) .. we put Tom Petty on the blue tooth and just beached out all day. Jace is officially obsessed with the beach. And how on point is his beach outfit? Including his new shades from Grandma and Papa. Humpback whales are migrating to Alaska right now and are all up and down our coastline eating anchovies, so all day we stared into the waters to see whales jumping up and their fins splashing. Whale watching is so awesome when it’s free! The smell of the ocean air, the warm sun .. it really doesn’t get better than this. At times I get these rushes of guilt, like I don’t deserve this expensive California life we’re living and the relaxing beach days, but then I remember that it all happened for a reason. We wouldn’t be here if things weren’t set in motion to bring us here. I love seeing Jace run up and down the beach, and Walker’s little chubby baby feet in the sand. So for now, I’m going to keep soaking in these summer beach days as we have them and not feel too guilty that this is where we live again. It’s real, I just need to enjoy it!

Phoenix, weekend

Breakfast at the Farm

IMG_5195This past weekend we set out for a morning at the Farm at South Mountain. It was a fairly cool morning so we we were eager to get outside. Since I’ve been back I’ve been trying hard to find us new places to go to on the weekends where we can enjoy each other and play with Jace. The Farm has some of the most beautiful grounds found in Arizona. Soft grass, big trees and picnic tables. A fabulous setting for a wedding, or dinner or in our case, breakfast! The gardens were in full bloom, too. I didn’t realize that they also have a farmer’s market on the weekends (Maya’s Farm). Fresh greens and herbs, flowers and locally-made products. For breakfast we ate at the Morning Glory Cafe, with its nicely shaded patio with a great menu including smoked trout scramble, Brioche french toast and Huevos Rancheros. We definitely indulged and gave Jace bites of everything. Pretty sure he’s as obsessed with food as we are ;) It was a lovely morning. In Arizona. There, I said it. ha.

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Not sure you can see, but little boy has squirrels on his polo. So dang cute.

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 jeez I love these guys. xoxoxo

Food, Holidays, Home, Santa Cruz, weekend

Easter Joy

Our Easter was so wonderful, and very special to us. Maybe because we started a new tradition, or were so moved by the message at Vintage Faith on Sunday. I can’t stop singing “You are my joy, my joy” by Josh Fox. It’s so true.
  

I was feeling something extra delicious for Easter. . . Carrot cake is one of my favorite desserts of ALL time, yet I’ve never made one. So, since we were spending Easter just the two of us, I decided to go all out and make it from scratch. I used Joy the Baker’s Kitchen Sink Carrot Cake recipe {including her cream cheese frosting}, and  somehow followed it perfectly because it was seriously the best carrot cake I’ve ever had — and I made it! I think I just started a new Johannes tradition! We couldn’t stop laughing at the goodness that was going on in our mouths.

Thought these were very Easter-themed and Springy. We missed our families a lot this Easter, but I’m glad we had each other, along with good food, cake, prayer and snuggles to console us. A great Easter in my book.

Capitola, Santa Cruz, weekend

Our Valentine’s

For Valentine’s Day we decided to give each other the gift of wheels – new bikes! First, a romantic, greasy lunch at Betty’s Burgers, then on to the Family Cycling Center to browse bikes. I picked out the prettiest, peach-colored Schwinn {it had me at hello}, and Rob a Specialized cross-trail bike. After they tuned ’em up, we spent the rest of the afternoon riding bikes in the beach-house neighborhoods and down to Capitola. I felt like a little kid again. The weather this month has been marvelous. The air smells SO GOOD. I can’t even explain in. Actually, I know what it smells like! Childhood. And I love it. It was a great Valentine’s Day {love you Rob!}.

{can you see the heart in Rob’s arm?}
{“Meet “Nancy” ;-)}
weekend

Over the weekend

Temps were in the high 60s this past weekend, so we got out as much as we could. We also took down the Christmas tree {FINALLY}. In case I’ve never mentioned it, I really love our church, Vintage Faith. Sometimes I feel like we moved here JUST to go to this church. It feels like home. I appreciate these weekends when we don’t have any plans. It’s fun to wake up and know that the ENTIRE day is wide open for adventure.