Anniversary Getaway!

This past weekend Sarah and I drove down to and spent the weekend on Coronado Island to celebrate our 3 year anniversary. Silas and Emma watched Phoebe over night while we went down. Coronado Island is a lovely little island off the coast of San Diego, connected by the Coronado Bay Bridge (as seen below). If you have seen the movie Anchorman, this is the bridge on which Will Farrel threw out a burrito that hit the motorcyclist, who ended kicking Baxter the dog off the bridge.

Sarah has a friend who lives on the island in apartment right in front of the marina. If you look at the picture below you can see all the boats, and their apartment is right behind that. Anyway, Sarah's friend is out of town, so we were invited to use it. It worked out great!

The heart and soul of the island is the Hotel Del Coronado, affectionately known among the locals as the Hotel Del. It is a magnificent hotel that was built in 1888 and has hosted guests such as Thomas Edison, Henry Ford, Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, and numerous presidents.

The Hotel Del was just a couple hundred yards away from the apartment, so we spent time wondering through the hotel. And since the hotel is right on the beach, we had a great time talking and walking along the beach. And let me tell you, the sand on the beach was so fine and soft, it was like walking through flour.

We also enjoyed a fantastic dinner at the Coronado Brewing Company. I had the Baja Burger with guacamole and peppers, and Sarah had the Coconut Encrusted Mahi Mahi. Truly delicious!

Sarah and I really enjoyed our time away together. I think both of us forgot what life was like with just the two of us, so it was great to spent time together to reconnect and talk. It was great, and we hope to do it again as soon as the next opportunity presents itself. Even though we enjoyed the weekend together, both of us were more than eager to get home and be with Phoebe. :)

Phoebe's Chicken Dance

Sarah taught Phoebe what a chicken says and how it acts. Very cute!

A Visit to VA

Phoebe and I went back to Virginia for a three week visit and we had a great time! Although three weeks was a long time to be away from Levi and I missed him a lot. It is wonderful to be back with him here in LA. Here is a glimpse of the two weddings and a little in between. Janna, Margot and me! Such a fun reunion with these precious friends!

Mr. and Mrs. Ian and Martha Robinson!

Shiloh '05. We missed you, Kristin and Marie!

Their first dance was super cute

The reception was beautiful!

Phoebe: "Ahhh, i'm back with my friends and it's GREAT!"

Phoebe and Liam (with Auntie Ambie)

At Nana and Papa's house!

Uncle John got this Pooh Bear from a game of Bigger and Better. Phoebe woke up every morning and gave him kisses.

"Mmmm, this apple juice is delicious"

Sistas minus one sista! (Where were you, Rachel??)

Seth and Jess's wedding was gorgeous. The wedding was in Falls Church and the reception was downtown Washington DC at the City Club. Here we are - the Kewley/Blanchard clan. Oops, Eric (Anna's husband) was cut out of the picture for some reason. He was standing right next to Rachel. Oh well.

Recently...

Everyday I marvel at how preciously unique Phoebe is. It's fascinating to see what excites Phoebe, what scares her, what calms her, what causes her anxiety, what she likes and dislikes, and so forth. She is at such a point in her development that I can actually have conversations with her, in a way. She knows what I am saying, so as long as I pose simple questions to her, she can give me yes or no answers by shaking her head yes or no. She can point at things she wants. Just this morning I walked into Phoebe's room to get her and I asked her where her sippy cup was, and she pointed across the room to where it was sitting on top of a night stand. Yesterday she pointed at her diaper to tell Sarah that she had a poopy diaper. I enjoy hearing all the new words she is learning to say. I am Dada. Sarah is Baba, except when Phoebe is sad or when she REALLY wants something, in which case she will say Mama. She can sort of say her own name - Beebe. She learned to say "bible" the other day. She also signs on a regular basis, saying "please" and "more" whenever she would like something or would like more of something. Ahh, I could go on and on about my sweet daughter. :)

Something to Consider Before Voting

I really want our blog to be a place where we solely update you on personal matters, and to keep other matters out of it. However, I believe this video is an important one to watch in light of the upcoming election. I promise I won't post one for another 4 years...at least.