CA

California!!

We've only been home for a week, which is crazy talk.

This world we live in is really something.

 A world where we can be like, "Oh yeah, last Monday we were in Santa Barbara in the mountains and on the sunny coast of the Pacific, and this Monday we're in Chicago wearing puffy coats."

No big deal I guess?

Ok, world.

The story of my life with Augy so far is that the more I do, the more I do.

Meaning I was so afraid to take him, afraid we'd all be exhausted and miserable trying to haul a newborn across the country and back through four different flights.

But it was so fantastic and we're already all, "What's gonna be our next trip?"

Before he crawls and walks and all that.

So here's the deal with this CA post.  It's a ton of pictures.

The back story is that the best man in our wedding lives in Santa Barbara with his wife Linzi and one-year-old daughter Hazel.

Such, such great people and friends.

Neal and Pete have a such a long-standing and meaningful friendship that means a lot to our little family.

We spent our entire trip with Pete, Linz, and Hazel and just had an amazing time.

We're hoping they're coming to Chicago this Christmastime where the tables can turn and we can host them and cook for them and be the ones to hire the babysitter.

^^^ Traveling ^^^

The big surprise was I loved traveling through airports and planes with Augy.  He slept through the near entirety of every flight and I completely melted into getting to hold his sleepy little body again like when he was brand new.

Also, this story.  When we were walking through the Denver airport Augy dropped his pacifier without us noticing.  

That is until we heard about six strangers around us gasp and practically dive for the paci.

Pretty adorable, people.

^^^ Welcome to Santa Barbara, baby. ^^^

^^^ Neal & Pete ^^^

^^^ Pete, Linzi, & little Hazel ^^^

Spending the weekend together all as first time parents was a new dynamic and pretty funny at times.

There might have been this one moment when all four of us adults were trying to put one of the babies in the baby Bjorn, and the other baby went rolling down the hill in the stroller.

One of us went running down the hill after the baby stroller and caught it before any harm was done.

It might have happened.

We might have laughed pretty hard at ourselves.

^^^Love that blue sky and water.  And baby leg warmers.  ^^^

^^^ Mountains and sunshine ^^^

^^^ San Ysidro Ranch^^^

This was my favorite night of the trip.  We visited the ranch where Jackie O and JFK came on their honeymoon, and it was the most romantic place I have been, ever.

When we walked through one of the restaurants, my eyes literally filled up with tears it was just so beautiful and other-wordly.

^^^ Touring the Four Seasons in Santa Barbara. ^^^

Neal & Pete both used to work at various Four Seasons properties, so we just had to go have a look at Santa Barbara's take.

^^^ The Pacific at Butterfly Beach ^^^
I have a few pictures for another post of Augy's toes touching the chill of the Pacific Ocean for the first time.
I'll post those soon!

We're thankful for such a beautiful trip and friends.
Augy, let's go flying again soon.