Thank you, mom and dad, for a luxurious trip to Santa Barbara! I'd been looking forward to this vacation for over 6 months!:) It was fun to be with my parents, brother and sister-in-law and of course, spend time with Rudy. We knew a long time ago that this would be our last vacation before Shmu arrives and we soaked up how easy it was to get in and out of a car, get ready, pack, go out to eat... you name it. It was nice and pretty darn relaxing!
We drove up Monday morning and had a picnic lunch at Rincon (a good surf spot), then checked in to our bed n breakfast, The Orchid Inn. Then we walked State Street and ate at a really nice fish/steak restaurant. Of course, if you know my family, the latest craze is a place called, Yogurtland. My mom had looked online specifically to see if one existed in Santa Barbara and we were all happy that there was one right on State. After dinner, we all went for yogurt. Interestingly, so did half the people of Santa Barbara!
The next day was spent reading, going to the beach and walking through a beautiful park. We went to another really nice fish/steak place for dinner right on the water near the airport and then of course, back to State for yogurt! :) I don't know how many nights my parents aren't eating that stuff. It is yummy! Fat and (some of them) sugar free, too! Of course, let's not talk about all the topping choices...
Here we are leaving the Orchid Inn, SB.
The next day we headed up to Solvang, a cute Danish town just north of Santa Barbara. I dropped the ball on taking many beautiful pictures, but here's a scene that caught my eye. It was a gorgeous day and it felt like we were back in the "old country," although none of us are Danish. Some of the family enjoyed wine tasting in both SB and Solvang, visiting a winery owned by a RHS former teacher, and then we all went just a few miles out of town to one of the most beautiful wineries I had ever seen. We could have spent the day just sitting there looking.
All too soon, it was time to pack up and head home. Being on vacation with 5 out of 6 of us being teachers (love the teaching profession!), we forgot it was a work day and traffic wasn't too kind. However, we took advantage of the time we were trapped in the car to read one of our natural birthing books and practice relaxation techniques! Rudy's a great listener and has already shown he'll be very supportive during labor.
Again, thanks mom and dad for a great trip! We really enjoyed everything and felt so spoiled! :)
You are most welcome! Rich and I loved being with our adult "kids," and realized, too, that it would be the last all-adult vacation we would have for a long time!
ReplyDeleteThank you for being perfectly happy, funny, and loving as you helped all of us have a great time. Imagine the time we could have had if you had't had constant cramping and felt so not-so-good! At least we found out that you were suffering from dehydration. You're going to have to pretend your water bottle is a giant helping of frozen yogurt!
Thanks again for helping us celebrate Daddy's 60th. We love you!
Mom
Mindy: (This is Dad) I'm so glad you had a great time, and I always appreciate your expressions of gratitude. I still can't believe you will soon be a mother and your mother and I will be grandparents. You have looked wonderful during your pregnancy, and we know you will be strong through the delivery. I don't want to see my daughter in pain, and I hope your labor will be short. We love you so much, and are confident that you will be a terrific mother to the little Shmu! Dad
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