I think I am in love.

Yosemite. The last time I was there I was a teenager and did not appreciate anything other than it being pit stop on the excruciating cross country road trip with my entire family packed in one car. So considering I don't remember actually being there, I am going to call this my first real trip to Yosemite.

We took 350 photos in 4 days. That is how beautiful this place is. Every 5 seconds we just stop because the view is so gorgeous you can't believe you are looking at it. I won't make you look at all of them, but this is going to be photo overload.
There is something very romantic about driving an old chevy truck through the winding mountain roads, the smell of pine trees, listening to Marty Robbins. It's one of those moments that is so perfect you want to store it away in your mind like a home movie.

 We had to send some Ansel Adams postcards to our sister missionary from the cute little post office.

 Because it was unusually hot for this time of year, we spent a lot of time in mountain streams. That ice cold water sure cools you down real quick.

We did a few easy hikes and one that turned out to be pretty intense. It took me way longer than it should have to get to the top, but it was worth it because Vernal Falls was the only waterfall that we arrived at that actually still had water flowing through it!

 The dreaded steps. It was like being on a stair master while watching the nature channel.

 Throughout our stay we saw a ton of deer all over the place, birds, squirrels, and all sorts of little creatures. Surprisingly Gus wasn't much of a help when it came to scaring the wildlife out of our camp. We had a raccoon walk right up to our campfire and scare the crap out of us without so much as a bark out of him. What's up with that? The biggest news was that we even saw a bear. They are crazy strict in the park about bear safety and where you store your food, etc so I was having some anxiety about the idea that a bear might come tromping through our campsite but I have to say it was really amazing to see a bear where it belonged out in the meadow. I am just glad it was a small bear, from a very comfortable distance, with plenty of rangers around. : )

 We loved that all of the bike paths were almost completely shaded so we could ride our bikes where ever we wanted to go in the valley, and Gus could get around with us.

Our last hike was on the way out of the south entrance of the park, called Meadow Loop. It was a nice change of pace since we were the only ones on the trail, we loved the quiet and the momentary feeling of being the only people on the planet. 

Birthday Celebration & Stay-cation

My husband completely spoils me any chance he gets, so you can imagine how awesome it is to be me on my birthday. He is the best! He got me way too many gifts (including a trip to Dallas to visit my bestie in October) which was more than enough to blow me away, but then we also had the best weekend get away.

So, the day started out a little shaky because I was called in for Jury Duty. Yes, I am serious! Bummer city. I got up early and headed downtown. Thank goodness after 4 hours of sitting around (I mean seriously, there has to be a more efficient system) they released me! Hallelujah!

Then the real party could get started. On our way down to Huntington Beach we stopped at Woody's Diner to get some grub. Their burgers are super delish!

Then we headed to our hotel. It was our first time at the Hyatt Resort and we loved it! 

By the look on Mason's face you would not think we were going on vacation, but I promise he was happy about it.  (PS.  I love Gus trying to sneak a taste of my strawberry shake while I am distracted).

They were so nice at the hotel and are the definition of dog friendly. I was laughing so hard because they provide a nice bed for him and all he wanted to do was roll around on our bed. Silly pup.

The rest of our trip consisted of us poolside. The weather was absolutely perfect and we were loving being waited on hand and foot.

That night we walked around Main St, got some dinner, and called it an early night (being pregnant makes me outrageously tired!). It was a perfect night. Snuggling in my pjs with my hubby & a good book.

 I have a tradition that on my actual birthday that need to blow out a candle or the birthday is not complete. Mase came through with a dreamy brownie sundae delivered to our room.

The next day we had a huge breakfast  (which the hotel comped bc it was my birthday, talk about winning us over!) and spent the rest of the morning & afternoon at the pool. After we checked out we made a pit stop down the street to grab lunch at our new favorite sandwich shop, had a picnic and then took a stroll along the dog beach.

The last stop on this weekend was for a birthday party, but funny enough it wasn't mine. This darling little girl turned 1 and me and her mama go way back. She is a dear friend and we were so happy to be able to celebrate with their family. 

 We got her some adorable touch & feel books from my mom's store and she loved them!

Little Baby Wright

I have been slacking on the blog lately, but I promise I have a really good reason. I know the title gave it away but...we are having a baby!!

Our baby boy is due in February and we could not be more excited about it! We feel incredibly blessed and grateful for this miracle. It is truly humbling. That said, I have to admit that being pregnant has totally rocked my world. I am amazed at how immediate the change is. Your body is just totally taken over. It is amazing and exhilarating and terrifying (and nauseating) all at once. Elastic pants here I come!