Four Years and The Big Two-Five

July was a fun month for us. 

The 18th is our anniversary and the 22nd is my birthday.

Plus, Abram turned 18 months old on the 16th!

This year Ben and I celebrated 4 years of marriage!

Ben brought home some yummy take-out on the way home from work (every place we've eaten here has been so yummy--even Chinese food is fresh and health(ier) than most),

Cream cheese wontons and cashew chicken with brown rice...so yummy! 

and we made a fire in our fireplace and had s'mores

while we watched our wedding video and exchanged lovey-dovey cards.

I feel so so blessed to have such a wonderful man for my companion.

Here's to a billion kajillion more years!

My birthday was on a Sunday, so on Saturday we drove 35 minutes to Bodega Bay

and went to three different beaches.

We had crab sandwiches and award-winning clam chowder for lunch.

(And Abram had his first hot-dog. :)

This was our favorite beach.  It's a popular spot for whale-watching in the winter.

Examining the sand...

Tasting the sand...

Loving the sand...

Hoarding the sand...

Oh, that face!  How I love it...

On Sunday, my Grandma totally spoiled me.

I think the last time I had my birthday at my Grandparent's house was when I turned 8 and was baptized, so this was a total treat to celebrate with them!

After church, we drove down to Napa

and celebrated with my Grandparents, Uncle Brett, and Aunt Jessica.

We had DELICIOUS chimichangas and spanish rice for dinner

and Skor cake for dessert.
It was a wonderful day spent with wonderful people.
25 seems pretty old to me (I still think I'm 22 or something), but I try to use it to my advantage; like when I feel intimidated or when I'm going through something difficult, "Heck, I'm 25!  I can do this!"

Abram gave us a lovely recital on his Grandma Lorna's (my mom) childhood piano.

Grandpa imitating the monkeys on Abram's jammies.

What fun great-grandparents Abram has!

We didn't get pictures of presents, but my mother-in-law sent me some lovely-smelling perfume and my mother made me a beautiful birthday quilt.  I felt so loved!  What a wonderful family I have.
Thanks, everyone, for a great birthday!

Catching Up: Summer Tidbits

I always dreamed of living close to my grandparents.  Never in my life did I think I would, but those dreams came true when we moved to CA!  We're only an hour (or less) drive away from Napa, CA where my mom's parents live (and it's one of the THE most beautiful drives ever among all the vineyards and wineries).  Abram is their only great-grandchild so far, and he is so lucky to be able to get to know them.
They're such good sports to play with him when we visit!  It didn't take him long to warm up to them, of course, and now he gives them kisses when we say goodbye.  :)

In June, Abram and I got to drive down to Napa to celebrate my Grandma's birthday!

We went to eat at a fun Mexican Restaurant.  Abram was so well behaved.
My aunt Lesley, cousin Weston, uncle Brett, and aunt Jessica were there too (my Grandpa had to be at a scout meeting).

She opened presents and we had yummy ice cream cake afterwards.
Abram gets to follow in his mother and uncle's footsteps and play in the rocks in Grandma & Grandpa's backyard (and we do our best to keep the rocks out of the bird bath so Grandpa doesn't have to fish them out later, haha.  :)

Happy birthday, dear Grandma!
What a wonderful life full of love and service she has led and continues to lead.  I admire her so much and am so grateful I get to live close by right now!  My Grandma & Grandpa's house still feels, looks, and smells magical to me.  I have so many wonderful memories there.

Abram has also loved getting to know his great uncle Brett.  :)

At the beginning of July, we went camping...for 24 hours.

My mom's family has gone camping at Grover Hot Springs in the Sierra Nevada Mountains (just South of Tahoe) for decades.  

My first time there was over my 2nd birthday.

My family went as often as we could while I was growing up, and Ben and I have now gone a few times since we've been married...and Abram even went this year too.

...although afterward, I called it first AND last camping trip, haha.

The first night, he woke up around 10pm and would NOT go back to sleep until 4am, despite everything we tried...  Easily the worst night since the night we brought him home from the hospital!  It was crazy.
Ben had to leave camping early anyway to be back for work, so Abram and I ended up leaving early too.
We'll try the camping thing again next year...maybe. :)

We did have fun during our short time there though.  I wish I would've gotten more pictures, but my mind was a little blurry...

The typical hackey-sacking...

Abram trying to get in on the fun.

Relaxing in Uncle Brett's ginormous camping chair.

Abram was so tired, poor thing, but luckily he had uncles to keep him happy.

My brothers loved playing hackey-sack with Ben.

On the actual day of July 4th, we drove down to Livermore, CA where Ben's Uncle Mike, Aunt Vicki, and cousin Jamie & her husband Jason live.  We had a delicious BBQ in their lovely backyard.  Abram loved playing in the kiddie pool (again, I forgot to take pictures!).  We're loving being close to our extended families!

Abram's Latest

-Sometimes he says his own prayers (he'll all of a sudden fold his arms and start talking quietly).  Or he'll talk along with us when we pray.

-He likes to "fake sleep" where he lays down with his blanket and rhythmically blows air out of his mouth like he's snoring (but keeps his eyes open), and when I notice I say, "Oh, my baby's sleeping!  I'll tuck him in so he's cozy.  Should I give him a kiss and wake him up?"  to which Abram replies, "Yeah!"  So I give him a good wake-up kiss (I wonder how long he'll let me do that) and say, "He's awake!" And before I know it, he's sleeping again....and repeat...and repeat....  :)

-I frequently find him "reading" to himself in his room with lots of cute expression.

-Never, ever, ever gets sick of watching out the window for cars.  It doesn't matter what we're doing; if he hears a noisy car or truck outside, he rushes to the window to see it.  When he can't see it anymore, he waves and says, "Bye-bye, car!"

-Which reminds me of yesterday, when he threw peas on the floor during dinner, and I said, "Abram, it's not nice to throw food on the floor.  It makes a mess."  He sat still for a second and looked at me like he really understood it, but then quickly waved his little hand and said, "Bye-bye, pea!"

-His newest words are plane and sky.  "Mane!!  Guy!!"

My little beach boy

Happy as can be in the sand.

Sometimes he puts my shoes on.

He loved having Uncle Josef here for a week--couldn't wait to show him the cars going our apartment...

This was a no-shower day for me (haha), but this was at a BBQ our apartment complex put on.  Abram loved the potato salad and was the center of attention.