Pebble Beach

*Disclaimer:  This is the LONGEST post ever!!!!!!

We had such a wonderful vacation this year.  We went Carmel with our dear friends, The Pardues to beat the heat in Texas and Arkansas.  It is crazy to think that 60 degrees is cold, but it is when you come from 100 degree temps!  Flint and his mom both grew up going to Carmel so there are lots of memories there.  Flint also knows lots of the local places that you can't miss while there.

We stayed right off the coast and couldn't miss a family photo op!  Too bad, Miss Cilla Pants was not in a very good mood! 

The Pardues

Our trip got off to a rocky start after spending over three hours in the Northwest Arkansas airport and nearly missing our flight in Dallas (thanks for that American Airlines!)  But, Cilla was a champ and appartently the Queen of the castle!

Our first day was spent in a little area called the Barnyard.  It is a cute, quaint little shopping area.  We ate Mexican food for lunch and Cilla made the biggest mess I have ever seen her make with her black beans.  Luckily, the weather was so nice and we were on a relaxing vacation so this momma could care less!

She loved the fountain

...and loved getting to walk around like a big girl!

When our friends finally arrived in town we took them to the Dennis the Menace Park.

Fun was had by all!  I think the smile on Flint's face is bigger than the one on Cilla's!

Two little cutie pies!

We ventured out to the beach and as you can tell it was not as popular as we had hoped it would be!  This can't be my daughter if she doesn't like the beach and the sand.  Hopefully, that love will develop with time.

Fortunately, that was an easy fix.

This is Bird Rock.  It kind of reminded us of home.  Not because of the waves crashing, but the seals barking always make us think of our Katie girl!

Harper made friends with this fat little guy!

Out to dinner and not Cilla's best performance.  That seems to be a reoccurring trend these days!

We took one day to visit the Monterey Bay Aquarium

Cilla love loved loved this little play area for the little bits.  There was a little water bed that she thought was the coolest thing ever!  That's our girl...she loves jumping on the bed.  Where do they learn these things?

Our two little peas in a pod.

Apparently, Seahorse daddies have the babies.  This was the Seahorse exhibit and of course Cilla and Harper's daddies thought it was funny!

The cutest little Otters.  They are so fun to watch

Both Flint and I and the Pardues got a night out while the other couple kept the girls and put them to bed.  Since Flint and I celebrated our 8th Anniversary while we were there, we went out that night.  Of course, I forgot to get pictures of our night away.  We went to Carmel By the Sea (as the locals call it) and ate at a yummy little Restaurant called Flaherty's and then we walked around the town.  We ended our evening at Little Napoli's, a little Italian bakery, with macaroons, gingerbread men, and cannolis.  We came to a quiet house and our baby was sound asleep.  Now, that is the perfect ending!

Lauren and Corby also had a night out.  Here they are before heading out.

Flint and I ventured out with Harper and Cilla.  We took them to dinner and headed down to Cannery Row to the Ghirardelli sweet shop!  YUM! YUM! YUM!

Harper admiring her cookie bottom sundae.  Don't worry Lauren and Corby, we didn't let her eat the who;e thing by herself!  

I love this picture with those big brown eyes peeking over that ice cream sundae!  She has NO other cares in the world!

All smiles

this is what she is laughing at.  This little guy, so graciously, cleaned up our mess for us.

Then, the boys got a day away and so did us girlies.

Flint and Corby paid a visit to Stanford's campus in Palo Alto.  They said it is one of the most beautiful campuses and is so rich in history.

Their football stadium, which a Standford alum forked over money to get rid of all advertising inside.

Flint scouted out the Tri Delt house for me.  You definitely aren't in the south anymore!  No offense, west coast sisters, but I prefer the plantation style sorority houses in the south.

Lauren had a connection at a nearby winery, so we got a private wine tasting at Ridge. 

It was sent up in the hills just out of San Jose and it was beautiful.

Grape Experts!

One thing you can't miss while in the Pebble area is the Bag Piper at Spanish Bay.  He is famous.  Every evening he walks the the paths of the course playing and ends by the clubhouse.  It really it neat to watch.  Despite a very chilly evening, we all enjoyed ourselves.

 We had such a fun trip.  We loved having time together as a family and making memories with our friends.

Holy Turf

I just wanted to share a little of what has been consuming my hubby's time these days! 

For those of you who don't already know, Flint has started a website that is all about college football.  It is awesome, and I am not just saying that because he is the face behind it.  I would love it even if he weren't!!! 

Check it out at http://www.holyturf.com/

There are lots of good reads about the spirt of college football, different schools' traditions, football terminology, and one my favs...the tailgating recipe section!  Be sure to look at the "For Women" section.  One of our very favorite recipes is featured today as the first of many Tasty Tuesdays!

I know most gals think of football as being for the boys in our lives, but Flint has done a superb job of making sure all of us ladies keep coming back to visit again and again!!!

If you like it you can follow it on Facebook for all the latest stories!

Three-O

So, I celebrated my thirtieth birthday a couple of weeks ago.  Thanks to Blogger, I have had some trouble posting the pics.  Some are still missing so I guess that gives me another reason to have another post, right?!?!

It was far less painful that I anticipated, thanks to my wonderful family and friends!  In fact, I could not tell any difference in any other birthday!  Besides maybe a little less sleep and the dark circles under my eyes, thanks to my Sweet Baby Cilla!

My parents came up to Fayetteville to kick off the celebrating.  We went to Doe's on Dickson street for dinner and we had Bliss cupcakes.  For all of my NWA friends, the Marshmallow Brownie is a MUST have!  Only one word describes them- AMAZING!!!!! 

Thanks mom and dad for everything.  I love you bunches and I am so thankful for all of your love and support.

Then we were off to Kansas City for a fun-filled weekend with some of our dear friends, the Moore's.

              

We had lots of fun.  We went to Kaleidoscope, a children's museum in downtown.  Cilla loved it.  Especially pushing all the buttons!  I love the picture of her standing on her tip toes to reach the button.

We shopped at The Plaza and ate lots of yummy food!

Everything was going great until Cilla woke up in the middle of the night having thrown up and with high fever.  My actual birthday was really kind of sad.  I ate all three meals in our hotel room hanging out with our very sick baby.  It broke my heart.  Not for myself, but for sweet girl.  We still do not know what hit her about it took her almost a week to get back to her old self.   

Breaks.  My.  Heart.

 Isn't this pitiful?!?!  She sure is trying to smile.

We did get dressed and go out to the lobby for a little while.  Only to end up back in bed.  She was fascinated by the glass elevator that you could watch from the lobby!

Our traveling toddler.

  She was a very good sport about being in three different hotels over the course of about 6 days.  After we left Kansas City, we went on to visit two college towns: Lawrence and Manhattan.  Flint wanted to see Kansas and Kansas State campuses since they were so close to KC.  Even after being at Baylor for two years, he had never made it to either of those Big 12 college towns.

Flint was so thoughtful and went the extra mile to make my 30th special.  He found a delicious bakery and had my favorites {chocolate and red velvet} delivered to our hotel!  Thanks, Love, for thinking of all the little details. 

Despite Cilla being so sick, I still had a great birthday.  I am so thankful for everyone who helped me celebrate.  Thank you for all of the fun gifts, the message, texts, and phone calls.  I really appreciated it all and it made my day!

Happy 8th

Today Flint and I are celebrating our 8th wedding anniversary.  WOW!  Time really does fly!  I am so thankful that God blessed me with Flint.  I couldn't ask for a better husband or father.  God really is the ultimate matchmaker {and I have my bestie Laura to thank, too ;)}  We have had a wonderful eight years.  I am so proud of Flint.  Life has handed him a lot the last few years and he has handled it with such grace and through it all he continues to point our family toward Christ.  We have been through lots together, but it has only made our marriage stronger.

It is so funny how the Lord works. He brought Flint into my life when I least expected it, but in His perfect timing! I was not looking for love or even a relationship at the time…I was just having “fun”. It did take me a little while to take interest, but Flint waited for me, the Lord worked on my heart, and the rest is history. I am so thankful for Flint’s discernment and his persistency in seeking his Heavenly Father and then me! After a bumpy spring semester and summer of 2001, It took only one of our first dates of sitting out in a thunderstorm in Razorback Stadium waiting for the Hogs to take on Tennessee for Flint to know that I was the one for him!

Now, over eight years later, I know that things couldn’t be more right. I see more and more everyday how God so fearfully and wonderfully made Flint and when He made him, He had me in mind to be his wife!   God definitely answered all of my prayers when he blessed me him.  Being married to Flint is so much fun and yes, babe, I still think you are funny!

I love you so much, Flintastic!  Happy Anniversary!