san francisco - check

over the past few days stacey and i have done A LOT
AND
several are things we've never done!

we rode in an old refurbished street car ...



we rode the cable cars ...

while standing ...

A LOT!!

we went to a giants game ...
and learned that it can be VERY chilly in CA ...
AND the fog even comes into the stadium ;)



we went to lombard street ...

and saw the 'crookedest street' ever ...

we rode over the golden gate bridge ...

AND
we went to see 'the rock' ...
alcatraz



and feel what a creepy



and miserable place that it must've been!

just the wind on the island alone was UNREAL!

i'm secretly really GLAD the night tour was sold out when we booked
because i honestly cannot even imagine going home and sleeping right after ...
YIKES!



***

i don't know if i'd choose san francisco
as a top vacation destination ;)
BUT ...
i am glad that stacey had the conference that he did ...

i got to cross a few things off my list of things i want to see and do -
AND i got to explore and enjoy a very interesting urban setting

with the busy-ness of school right around the corner
it was PERFECT to get a little time to just hang out and be together!

we are re-engergized
kind of ;)
we just have sore legs
and
a lot to do in the next 5 days ;)
and we are ready for a new school year!

SO ...
goodbye san francisco!

i'm thankful for the memories ...
but excited to be back where we belong ;)

a 3 hour tour ... literally

yesterday was a day full of bumming around the city

we woke up to another beautiful day ...



started the day with starbucks
OF COURSE ;)

and hopped on a double decker bus
which, among MANY other things, showed us ...

where joe dimaggio went to school ...

people competing in the alcatraz triathalon ...
they swim from alcatraz and then run and bike in the city



the park where the full house opening was filmed ...
actually ... we figured this one out without the help of the tour guide ;)
we also figured out that the houses across the street
aren't the ones actually used in the opening.
but ... no fear.
we found where that house is too ;)

and most importantly ...
because the boys have been asking
the golden gate bridge



we even got extra lucky!
because of the triathalon ...
the normal routes that the bus takes down by the water were blocked.
SO ...
they were forced to drive OVER the bridge!!

it was a VERY windy day ...
apparently enough wind that the bridge can sway up to 27 feet!!
i can't even imagine how you build a bridge with conditions like that!!
BUT ...
it was very cool to see and to ride over
so from a selfish standpoint ...
i'm glad they did ;)

a little getaway

after an hour delay ...
getting told all planes were grounded but they didn't know why ...
and
40 minutes of circling the san francisco bay area ...

we are FINALLY here!!



stacey has a conference this coming week
and we decided to make a little getaway out of it
and
spend a few days together

we spent the afternoon today walking around ...

looking for danny tanner ...
ok not really

watching the cable car turntable ...
BUT
never getting on because we didn't want to wait AN HOUR in line!

walking up hills ...
JUST to walk back down them

and watching the sea lions just chillin on pier 39 ...
my favorite part of the trip so far

even the few that seem to have lost where they're *supposed* to be ;)

NOW ...
i'm sitting and eating s'mores goldfish while stacey watches baseball tonight -
deciding whether we REALLY want to go out some more
OR if we'd rather just sit back and enjoy the silence
hmmmm....

how perfect to even have to make that decision!!
thanks, mom ;)

summer days

we are enjoying the last few that we have ...



catching some sun ...

and loving the temperatures

OR ...
most of us are ;)

alex had a different plan ...



he laid down
wanted to be covered up
and
fell fast asleep

crazy kid.

a different kind of safari

a month or 2 ago,
a neighbor and i saw a deal on a 'nightime downtown photo safari' -
it seemed like something that would be fun to try ...
we would get the chance to learn a little bit more about our cameras
AND
a night out is always a good thing every now and then ;)

SO ... last night was the night!

we headed down to the water's edge and started on our little safari.
we spent 3 hours walking around taking pictures from different vantage points.
it was really fun to just play with the different settings
and
to view scenes that are familiar to us from different perspectives!

amongst other things,
i learned that using a tripod can be really fun,
that i will do things VERY out of character for me JUST to get a shot -
such as walk along a river's edge IN FLIP FLOPS that is filled with dead carp and ABSOLUTELY REEKS and then proceed to climb into a small cave typically inhabited by homeless men SIMPLY for a SWEET shot of the stone arch bridge ;)
AND
i also learned that night photography would never work if my children were involved ;)

NOW ...
because i know you are falling out of your chairs from curiousity
sit back and enjoy a few of my favorites ...

the jury is out ...

after watching the kids play at my friend jodi's house
i've decided that something like this ...



could be a REALLY fun addition to our backyard on hot days!!

OR ...
maybe it's better at her house
where we can visit
and
she can store it ;)

brace face

am i REALLY old enough to have a kid with braces?!



apparently so!!

he was SO excited to get them on!
we'll see if he feels the same tomorrow!