LA, Baby, LA

Just last weekend we made a trip to Los Angeles to spend some quality time with folks we don't get to see often enough. It's been three years since John lived in Los Angeles, and about two and a half years for Sarah. We don't miss the craziness that is LAX, but we do miss our friends. Surprisingly enough, we are not the only ones who are starting a family. Who knew?

Family number one is represented here. JP and Lauren celebrated their one-year anniversary as a married couple and are the proud owners of a rescue Weimaraner named Colby. Although they are going through the terrible twos with Colby, it certainly looks to us like all of their hard work and training is paying off. Colby is quite a wonderful dog, and, according to John, can run five miles without any obvious effort. Oh, Lauren and JP are wonderful too. They are great hosts, and Lauren even took us to In N' Out straight from the airport.


We first must note that the drink in Sarah's hand in the picture to the right is non-alcoholic. But yes, we were in a bar, living up the South Bay nightlife. It was great to have the Hermosa crew back together again, and to everyone's delight Rachel flew down from Sacramento to join the fun. Sarah's weekend was full of much needed time with her girlfriends and a significant amount of pampering. This included pedicure, manicure, waxing, and spa time.


For John, the weekend included big breakfasts every morning at favorite locations, runs on the strand, and a few Coronas with good friends. Two of those friends, Tyler and Ryan, are pictured to the left. Unfortunately, Stephanie Leshney eluded the cameras. And yes, let it be clear, the breakfasts are important to mention. Anyone who visits the South Bay must go to the Local Yolk in Manhattan Beach. John recommends Al's El Porto, or if you are really hungry, the Raider's Revenge.


One of the last events of the weekend was an outdoor concert at Pollywog Park in Manhattan Beach. It's a big park that John didn't know existed in the three years he lived there. In the picture here we have an appearance from little Josh, who made Sarah's weekend. He had a few questions for Sarah about the baby. "What does she eat? Well, Josh everything I eat. Oh, when I was in my Mommy's tummy she ate candy, that's why I really like candy. Is she wearing any clothes? Does she have any toys in there to play with?" His cuteness was almost too much for Sarah to take. And for anyone interested, if Josh has his way, Nutterbutter will be named Coco.


And there is another family to take into consideration. On our last day in LA, we were lucky enough to have breakfast(yes, at the Local Yolk) with our friends, Thomas, Amy, and little Santiago. It was great catching up and seeing how natural they are as parents. It certainly gives us hope. And Santiago was so tiny and fun to hold. It's too bad we didn't get more time with them, but now we will get to see them whenever we go to visit Suzy in Denver.


Now, just in case you are worried that Sarah is always running around, here is evidence that she finds the time to relax and have a grape or two. Nutterbutter is already helping out the cause by providing a good surface on which to balance the bowl. Fiona, if this isn't a good enough belly picture for you, you'll have to wait until next month. Besides, you'll be back in Lexington soon enough. Frankly, we can't wait.



There is definitely more to come. When we were in LA the Hermosa girls threw Sarah a fabulous baby shower. Nutterbutter was definitely spoiled by her California aunties. And Sarah's Mom, soon to be Grandma Gayle for the second time, flew down for the day to join the party. Pictures and stories coming soon to a blog near you.

Is it July already?

Apparently the first June update was the only one. Sorry about that. We'll be better this month. Really we will. And we can make that promise because a lot has already happened and there is more fun to come. But let's start by talking about the wonderful visitors we had right after the 4th of July.

We were lucky enough to have Sarah's Uncle Ronnie, Aunt Teri, and Bride-to-be Haley Rae stop by Lexington at the tail end of their whirlwind trip throughout North America. Seriously, we were the stop after Cancun and Utica. They don't kid around. Oh wait, they do.

Exhibit number one is the picture below. They don't always travel this way, but were kind enough to bring a baby shower with them. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, and so we will keep the description to a minimum. But we cannot thank them enough for the fun they brought to Lexington. And we must admit that because of them little Nutterbutter is on her way to being the most fashionable girl on the block.




We don't have pictures of everything we did that weekend. That means, no pictures of Sarah, Haley, and Teri visiting quilting stores, visiting baby boutiques, and picking out colors for the baby's room. And no pictures of Ron and John watching golf and Apocalypto. But there is a picture of the five of us taken right before we had one of the best meals of the visit. Wow, was it good. If you are ever in Lexington, we will definitely take you to Murray's on Harrodsburg Road. Sarah wants to make sure you know that it is a big farmhouse turned into a restaurant. John wants to make sure you understand just how tasty the mussels are. So tasty. And if you ever go to Murray's with Haley, make sure you order two pieces of carrot cake or else she will just eat yours. Apparently it is just that good.




And yet the food was not as good as the company. The visit was short, but full of good times. And it goes without saying that Haley and Teri did a lot of belly rubbing while they were in town. They felt Nutterbutter kick and move all around.




So thanks again to the three of them for taking the time to visit us here in the Bluegrass. We had a great time and cannot wait to see them again in late October for Haley and Ryan's wedding. It is going to be a blast.

We were so inspired by all the baby talk and room decor selections that we decided to open the box that had been sitting in the baby's room for a couple of weeks. We prepared ourselves mentally and physically for the arduous task ahead. That's right, we decided to put together the crib.

Exhibits one and two below show John at the early stages of crib construction. Those who know John know that he has a low threshold for tasks such as this. He figured it was only a matter of time before he would be cussing like a sailor and wondering why Nutterbutter couldn't just sleep in a drawer.


First we have the opening of the box. Nothing too rough here. Just a few pieces of tape and a couple of styrofoam pads. So far so good. At this point, John simply hopes that nothing is damaged so that we don't have to take the darn thing back.



Part two. Construction is well underway and things are going almost too well. Could it be that companies are finally making these things relatively easy to put together? Are the four steps outlined in the directions really enough to make this thing work?



Well, as you can see, it turns out that this crib wasn't so tough after all. It was put together in under an hour, there were no extra pieces, and it is positioned in the room in such a way that John is in no danger of bumping his head on the angled wall. Isn't life swell? By the way, it is also important to note that Sarah also put together the crib. However, she apparently was a bit camera shy during this particular portion of the day. Go figure.



Now we have two and a half months to prepare the rest of the room. That is something that future visitors should keep in mind. That's right, we're talking about you - Gayle, Zac, and Keith. You could be building the next piece of furniture, painting, or constructing a tree house. You just never know. Seriously, we can't wait to get you guys out here next month. The patio at Murray's awaits!!!