It took a few days for Boston to warm up to Grandpa, but when he did he learned to say "bumpa" and he hasn't stopped asking for him since. It must be so confusing to kids that they have two grandmas and grandpas. For the first few days I think he was wondering why I kept calling them that - because these are not the people he is used to seeing when we say grandma and grandpa. Either way, he either eventually understood, or just stopped caring.
On our first day there we headed up to Monterey to go to the Aquarium. Boston liked it, especially the Splash Zone where he could play in the water. When I walked him up to the huge tank with giant fish and sharks, he pointed and said "wooooooow".
The coolest thing was the newest exhibit called The Secret Life of Sea Horses. It was amazing. I had no idea there were so many different kinds and so many sizes! Dwarf Sea Horses are smaller than my pinky nail and I want to get me some and put them on my kitchen counter. The picture above is a Sea Dragon - some sort of relative of the Sea Horse and it was probably one of the craziest things I have ever seen in real life.
I have always loved the Jelly Fish, and Boston liked them too.
The weather in Monterey that day was probably the best it has ever been in my 24 years of going there. Monterey and Carmel are some of my favorite places to visit when I go home, besides San Francisco, which we didn't even visit this trip.
On another day, John golfed with my dad and me and my mom spent the day shopping in Walnut Creek. Now here is a sad story... this trip made me realize that the California girl in me is dying... That whole day I was so annoyed with the UN-family friendliness you get in California. Elevators and ramps are WAY out of the way and nearly impossible to find, asking for a high chair at a restaurant makes the waitress look at you like you just spoke in a foreign language. The only other moms you see have their single Maclaren stroller, with a nanny in tow. And all the other moms leave their kid at home with the nanny. Needless to say my double stroller was the only one I saw the whole trip! I never thought the day would come where I would say that there are more things about "home" that drive me crazy than things I love. I couldn't wait to get home to my baby friendly life here in Utah...
The next day, most of my detest for California wore off when we went to the Oakland Temple for Peyton's wedding. I told John, all sentimental like, that this was the first wedding we had been to there besides our own, 4 years ago. It will always be my favorite temple. My grandparents came and watched our kids while we attended the sealing.
After the temple, we came home for the kiddos, for the absolutely necessary trip to Fentons. Crab Salad Sandwiches and Black and Tans call my name every time I'm in the bay area. There is no avoiding it. It never disappoints.
Later that evening we went to Peyton's wedding reception. The kids were looking too cute to not have a few pictures before we left.
Peyton was a gorgeous bride and her reception was beautiful. This lucky girl had Nicole Hill Gerulat for her wedding photographer. Jealous? Me too. Don't know who she is? Then you either aren't mormon, a blogger, or from Utah.
Check her out at her very popular blog, A Little Sussy.
I'm a big fan of her photography style, and felt like she was a celebrity! Here are some of her pictures she posted on her wedding site.
We had a great trip. I don't think we will be back for a while, probably February when Tanner comes home from his mission, since we are spending Christmas in Minnesota this year. I feel a little sad that I'm a full blown Utah girl - I could have sworn a few years ago this day would never come when the mountains here would feel comforting instead of scary (a weird phobia I have, don't ask) and all the nuances that used to drive me nuts about this place, now feel familiar and comfortable. I hope it has more to do with becoming a mom and less to do with becoming a weirdo. Probably no one cares but me that I have changed so much from that bay area girl, other than Holly, she is so ashamed to by my friend, but I'm mourning it a little.
Utah is officially home.
I can't believe I just wrote that in a sentence.
Can I redeem myself by saying we had a hella good time?
11 comments:
Wow, Peyton is a gorgeous bride! Jealous of your guys' cali trip. Jealous of your visit to fentons. Love your j crew shirt ;) can't wait to see you guys in another week...
I can't believe you just wrote that either! :)
Your cousin is beautiful.
Looks like a great trip home! Can't wait to see you in a couple days!
Michele, your family is seriously beautiful! I love you pictures. I was in Utah last week and I was thinking the exact same thing. People are always asking me if I work, when I say that I stay at home they always make some comment about a nanny or working from home, etc. That's the nice thing about Utah, you don't have to explain yourself
Michele, I am worried about your ability to reason.....northern Ca. offers you the following:
Fentons--The Oakland Temple--The perfect weather--The Montery Bay Aquarium--The 17 mile drive--Fishermans Wharf--San Fran--The best restaurants in the world....this is only a partial list,need I say more?
Utah: Cheapskates who love kids.
This is not a hard choice!
Maybe Michele won't care if we leave California and retire in Wells, NV. Oh yeah - I would rather kill myself. Better not go there.
I left out a couple choice Utah advantages.....like dirty factory's next to the freeways, fast food places that charge 20 cents extra for sour cream on your taco and cold, yeah, ice cold wind blown snow.
oh, so much to comment on! :) your cousins wedding, BEAUTIFUL. i saw a few pictures on nicole's blog actually over the weekend. very pretty bride! and i loved your shirt at the wedding, super cute!
and don;t even get me started on un-family friendliness! i always feel like i am causing some sort of a scene with quincy out here. lots of nannies here too. but guess what? we are flying home tomorrow!!!! can't wait! home, sweet utah.
All hail the wise words of Pres. John Hunt, aka The Most Knowledgeable Erudite this side of The Atlantic. I would like to add, if I may, where in Utah do you get to pick your choice of weather and drive 20 or 30 minutes to find said weather? Where in Utah do you spend have a day skiing and then half a day cavorting with seals and dolphins on the beach? Okay, okay, Utah has its merits. The minimum wage is roughly 6ish dollars, tho they inexplicably pay servers about $2.37. People ask where your husband and kids are and when you say you have neither they look at you like you are speaking a foreign language. They charge you $6000 a semester to go to a school with as much intellectual relevance as Los Medanos. They pull you over for being a resident of ANY OTHER STATE. But, you're right. It's a magical place.
P.S. As a born and bred Baylien I demand you post a disclaimer stating that Walnut Creek, Ca is a well known snobby town that we only endure because of the shopping it provides us. It is by no means a model on which to base the great state of California as a whole, where the produce is home grown and plentiful, the water is delicious and gives us strong teeth. I will close my argument with the following:
Lake Tahoe in the spring/summer
Lake Tahoe in the fall/winter
In n Out
Unending diversity
Holly Carter
The revered UC system
Hmmm... Does anyone think I might have taken this too far?
Oh my gosh! I totally remember you and Holly using the word "hella!" Too funny! Maybe after I become a mommy, I can say Utah is officially home....I'm still keeping my options open to move to sunny Arizona. I'll settle for Hawaii too ;) Don't think that will ever happen though. Oh well. Oh, and I love tha picture of Boston and your dad sitting on the bench. So cute!
hollys and dads comments are hilarious. and they both have my vote. i will never be a utah girl. maybe that's why I am dad's favorite... ;)
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