Merry Christmas!!

San Francisco & San Luis Obispo

At the end of September, Whitley and I went on a very fun trip with my Mom & sister, Karli to California. Specifically, San Francisco (East Bay Area) & San Luis Obispo!

I forgot my camera {boo!} so I took photos using my iPhone. As some of you may know.. that iPhone got STOLEN. Thank goodness for instagram & posting them to FB or else some of these pics I would not have any longer. And thanks to Karli for giving me a copy of her photos from the trip.

Here is Whitley and I on her first plane ride ever! She did so well, no tears at all.

We stayed in San Fran in the city at my Uncle's apartment which was so nice - and he even had a car there for us to cruise around in. (He lives in Vegas so this is just one of his many houses)

Our goal for this trip was to meet our new niece, Maisy. My brother Tim's family moved here to the Bay area back in July after he got a promotion at work & got transferred. We miss them so much!

We spent a whole day in the city exploring Fisherman's Wharf, Ghirardelli Square, Lombard Street, Golden Gate Bridge, Pink Ladies, etc.

{Whitley was so good, she took the longest nap in the stroller. It was pretty cold that day so she is bundled up nice and warm}

{Emerie, Tim & Ava with Alcatraz in the background - Meg  & Maisy were at home}

 {We ate a yummy lunch on the Fisherman's Wharf - sourdough grilled cheese and tomato soup}

 {This is made of sourdough bread!}

{Ava & Em}

{We didn't want to wait in line to ride the trolley so we walked up an insanely steep hill to get up here to Lombard Street!}

{The Bay Bridge that we traveled on a lot to get to Tim's house from San Fran}

{The Golden Gate Bridge}

{Whitley & I}

{We walked to this cafe one morning in the city & ate these delicious pastries}

{Tim & Megan were sure to take us to some delicious places to eat}

{Our last day with Tim's family we took a drive to Santa Cruz to the Boardwalk. We went bowling & hung out before continuing our drive south to San Luis Obispo}

{Whitley was such a good girl in the car - we spent a lot of time in it & I couldn't resist snapping this pic of her sleeping like an angel cuddling her minky}

My mom's brother Randy lives in San Luis Obispo, along with 2 of his children's families. One of them, Ryan, has a ranch with a ton of land. Randy built this chicken coop on his land. That's right folks, that is a CHICKEN COOP.

{I'd live in there.. just sayin'}

{Adorable farmers market}

{We wanted to leave our mark in SLO - so we put some gum on the wall at "Bubble Gum Alley"}

After leaving SLO, we were headed back up to San Fran for one night to catch our flight home out of Oakland the next day. We decided to take the scenic drive up Highway 1 & I'm glad we did!

{We stopped to see the Elephant seals}

{...and of course to see Big Sur}

We were sad to leave CA & especially Tim's family but had a fun time & we are excited to see them at Christmas!

We flew into Vegas, then drove to St.George to meet Tyler, Chase, my Dad (we'll call him Grandpa Randy from now on), Devanee, and Aaron's family at my Grandma's.

That weekend, Aaron ran the St.George marathon & then immediately after we drove back to Vegas for the Harris family reunion!

It was great to see relatives that we hadn't been able to see in a long time. I am also very grateful that we were able to take this picture with my grandparents.

Whitley: 5 Months

Wow, where did my tiny newborn go? I cannot believe I am making this post. We are almost to the half year mark, what the?!

So many new things this girl is doing:
-started rolling from her back to her tummy
-perfected her rolling skills and now I can't keep her in one spot
-came up with a slew of new sounds & loves to talk
-still stubborn to laugh.. I guess Mommy & Daddy just aren't very funny
-smiles so big instead of laughing (at least that's what I'm telling myself)
-sleeps like a champ - most nights 10+ hours without waking
-started eating solids! She is such a good eater - loves carrots, sweet potatoes, squash & bananas
-lost 90% of her hair leaving only a mohawk - but I can't get the courage to cut it off to make it even..
-has started riding better in the car, and most the time falls asleep
-entertains herself so well

Whitley,

I can't believe how fast you are growing. I know it's cliche to say but time has flown by since you made your entrance into our lives. Life is so wonderful with you in it. You brighten our home with your special spirit and just seeing your smiling face makes everything perfect. I look forward to each morning when you wake so I can see your smiling face looking up at me. I cherish every moment I get to spend with you and I will never forget how you've changed my life already. I cannot wait to see what you will become in the years to come. I am so proud of you already and your Daddy and I love you deeply.

Love,
Mommy