San Francisco

We had a fun weekend! On Thursday we headed over the hill to Ukiah. We were able to leave early enough to have dinner with our friends the Jordans. We haven't been able to see as much of them as we would like, so that was a treat.
Friday morning we were on the road. Brynne and Logan were dropped off with our old Fort Bragg neighbors. Brynne and their daughter Haley are so cute together - just great pals. They have a little boy, too, that Logan enjoyed playing with (or rather, checking out all his toys!). Wendi took some great pictures that I'll be posting when she emails them to me. After dropping off Brynne and Logan the rest of us headed into the city. Of course, we had to stop for lunch at In 'N Out in Rohnert Park. YUMMY! We created a new fan in Kenna - who gobbled up whatever we placed in front of her.

Friday afternoon/evening was filled with Jones events. It was a little hairy at times - there was a water fountain in the middle of the lounge where our main family events were held...and keeping Kenna from climbing into the water was a full time job. She was pretty good about it, but I just really did not want to see her fall in face first. :-) Hannah enjoyed reuniting with several of the girls her age that she has not seen in a couple years. There's actually a pretty good crew of 10-11 year olds.

Saturday morning took Josh to meetings. Hannah and I took Kenna and Natalie on a little stroll to Pier 39 (before it really opened) and scouted out a place for lunch (Boudin's Bakery/Bistro). We stopped by a candy shop to purchase thank you gifts and treats. I got scared by some dude sitting on the sidewalk holding branches who would call out at people to give them a good fright. Josh remembered him being there when we were in SF several (at least 4) years ago. But I didn't and he got me good! I guess he gets a thrill out of that. I was looking for the candid camera people. :-) We went to the pool for the rest of the morning. I was a little hesitant about that, but it worked out great. Natalie slept the entire time we were there, and Hannah took Kenna in for a bit. Then Kenna was content to toddle around my little area and play with the leaves so Hannah could swim with her friends. Nice morning - Hannah only got a little sunburned. I didn't put sunscreen on her because she seems to get allergic reactions to it. I'm still investigating whether it's the actual sunscreen, or just the chemical reaction that happens when the sunscreen is exposed to the sun (I read that can also cause a reaction). Either way, she gets these red, itchy rashes when she wears sunscreen. Poor girl.

Saturday afternoon was...well, and adventure. Josh had a hankering to go to the Japanese Tea Garden. He's into that sort of thing. But it happened to be the day the King Tut traveling exhibit was opening at the De Young museum (if you get a chance, it will be here until March 28th and the free days at the De Young are the first Tuesday, but there is a fee for the special exhibition)...so traffic and parking were impossible in Golden Gate park. We'll go back after the newness of King Tut has maybe worn off a bit. So instead we went to the Golden Gate bridge and walked partially across that. Hannah has never been able to do that and it was fun to experience that with her. Then I took the babies back for naps, and Josh and Hannah went to Pier 39. They had a good time watching a little show, visiting shops, and buying treats and souvenirs!

Our dinner that night was yummy. We had Natalie with us. She slept our arms during dinner, and when she woke up I just took off (skipped out on the awards ceremony, but that's ok!). Hannah and Natalie had loads of fun with the babysitting service. This is a particular corporate babysitting service that Jones has used 3 of the 4 years we've been here and we've been pleased with their work. When my kids are happy, I'm happy.

Sunday morning we were up early (thanks to natty and Kenna), had breakfast, and were picking up the kids by 9:30am! Wendi told me that Brynne was a lovely guest. Brynne regularly asked Wendi if she needed any help with dinner, dishes, etc. I was so pleased that our little girl remembered to ask, especially as Wendi is 6 months pregnant and it's getting harder to move around! Brynne and Logan had a wonderful time. I don't think they missed us a bit!

I was glad to spend some time with Hannah. I couldn't have survived the weekend without her help. She really helped take care of Kenna when my arms were full of baby. :-)

All in all, a superb little trip. But it's always good to be home!


Oh, and as a side note. Josh and I celebrated 12 years of marriage on Saturday. :-)