We got in Friday in the early evening and went out with some friends of ours and their new baby - which we have been itching to see for some time.
We had been dreading the 6 hour drive with Toby, but I sat in the back seat next to him, and it wasn't nearly as bad as we had feared.
I saw my grandmother at the nursing home on Saturday, and again on Sunday before we left. Her 98th birthday is next week.
We visited with the inlaws.
We went to my sister's birthday party sleep-over at my dad's house on Saturday - and hung out with my dad, stepmother, sister, younger brother, and something like 8 of their friends.
We got to hang out with the dogs. Lots of dogs. My mom's dog Charlie, the Emma Dog, and my brother James and Laurie's Dog Gracie - and then Stella and Latte at my dad's house.
We went out to eat a lot.
Didn't sleep very much.
I was supposed to do a 10 mile run but I was so stressed out, and didn't sleep - and it takes such a long time to run that distance, and there were so many things that we wanted to do when we were there, and so many people to see, that I only got one 5 mile run in 3 days. Did I mention that my mom made fantastic vegan baked goods too? I gained 2 pounds this weekend - but I'm sure that now that we are home again, and I go back to cooking for myself, that it will come off in no time - but I'm scared about next weekend's 11 mile group run. Oh dear god. Wish me luck.
My mom babysat Toby a lot this weekend which rocked. She made Toby apple pie. Bought him new jammies, and a new potty for her house because the toilet topper one we use didn't work as well with hers. She used duct tape to make it stay on, but that meant the rest of us couldn't use it like that - so she got a training potty for her place. She gave us her bike and got a bike rack for us to bring Oliver and my new bike back to Sacramento, and hooked us up big time all weekend.
We went out to sushi on Friday, which we haven't done in years, and we went to see a movie on Saturday night. We went out to breakfast at the Cajan Kitchen on Sunday and our favorite waitress was still working there and remembered us from when we used to go there all the time.
Oliver's friend Graham came over on Sunday. He's a wine maker and he gave us a bottle of his wine. I've known Graham since junior high too, and it was so cool to see his name on a bottle of wine that he produced.
Santa Barbara was a wonderful, magical, stressful, frustrating, fattening, emotional whirlwind. I was glad we went, and, I am glad to be back home again.
Binh & John
Justina & Binh
Me and Dax, aka "Dakkon"
Super baby sweetness. Intoxicating baby charm. Dangerous. Dangerous stuff. Quick, remind me about labor pains, 'round the clock feedings, and teething!
Binh and Justina
What summer is like in Santa Barbara
Three generations of Greenes. Oliver, Toby, and Grandpa Phil, of the "Grandpa Phil birdie" fame.
Some sort of festival we stumbled upon
My favorite restaurant in Santa Barbara
Montecito
Isabella's birthday at my dad's house
My brother Patrick
One of Isabella's friends, Patrick, and Isabella
Their neighbor's have an alpaca
La Playa Stadium at Santa Barbara City College.
I love nasturtiums and have tried to grow them in both Fresno and Sacramento, but they always die when the weather gets hot. They grow like weeds in Santa Barbara.
Binh, Justina, Dax, Me, Oliver, and Toby
My mama
Toby petting/harrassing Charlie
