the BEACH

I'm behind on blogging, but in general life is good! We got to spend several days out in San Simeon, CA - an extremely quiet little central coast beach town. Every morning Oliver and I would go out to play in the foggy sandy mornings while Chris slept in, and I think I'll cherish those moment forever. The sounds of the waves, his squeals of delight and the laughter made a perfect combination. We drove down Hwy 1 and watched the amazing Big Sur coastline bend back and forth. We toured Hearst Castle and saw elephant seals. We avoided cell phones, enjoyed family and felt very peaceful. What a treat!

Adventurous boy, this is after he'd already decided to sit right in the tide and gotten soaking wet.

Watching a Cambria sunset


Talking to the water


Ragged Point (near Big Sur)

A year in pumpkins

As we enter the holiday season I'm very aware of "one year ago" thoughts, even more so than Oliver's birthday season. The holidays are so special for me and I feel like they are coming alive with a child around to experience the fun and magic of it all. I remember taking him to a Pumpkin themed 5K race last year and seeing the "kids races" and thinking about my tiny baby cuddled in my arms and all he had yet to experience. We went again yesterday (I ran a PR!) and he was a giraffe and he was so friendly, walking up to other kids and adults, showing off his cuteness, playing with dogs and then eventually clapping as I ran past the finish line. When I came to see him we went and played on the hill, running up and down, throwing sticks and crunching fall leaves. He's a boy now, a kid!

5 months


17 months