Indepence Day in the City...

Happy Fourth of July! So far this Independence day has been hands down the best to date....granted my idea of what a fourth of July should consist of has changed considerably over the years. When I was little it was all about watermelons, sparklers and going to see the fireworks after a minor league baseball game in my grandparents home town. As a teenager it was probably a pool party and bbq, in my early twenties, definitely the beach, fireworks, a new bathing suit and a big party, but this year what I really, really, wanted to do was pack a gourmet picnic and soak in the sun while listening to the SF Opera and Orchestra perform American Classics in the beautiful Stern Grove outdoor Amphitheater! (All signs of getting older haha) Luckily Mr. Jones didn't protest and we spent most of Saturday afternoon preparing for the big day! We pre-made our food, bought new lounge chairs and packed up all of our picnic essentials.

The concert didn't start until 2pm but I had heard that it fills up very quickly (it was a FREE concert..) so we headed out at about 10:30 with bagels and coffee in hand and just planned on making a day out of it!. It turned out to be absolutely perfect... hot and sunny, amazing music, packed crowd and a perfect spot right up front. Not to mention the absolute beauty of the place itself...but I'll let the pictures speak for themselves..

The amazing orchestra!

It was a packed house


Our Spot!


A stroll through the grove..


Adorable club house..

The fog had rolled in at the very end...so here we are bundled and on our way out after an impressive show!

It was a perfect day, I loved the patriotic music, the great crowd, wonderful picnic lunch and spending the day in the sun with the one I love. Even after living here for 3 years and practically growing up right outside of the city it always amazes me that there is still so much more to discover, like the beautiful grove and the FREE summer concerts that they hold..it's nice to stay in the city but feel like you are somewhere far away from the hustle and bustle. I will definitely be attending other events such as the ballet in a few weeks! On another note this weekend marked the ONE year anniversary of Mr. Jones and I moving in together...it's funny to think that a year ago we were running all over town and up until the wee hours moving and unpacking...this year was much more relaxing and we were able to enjoy the fireworks show from our balcony again... love our home and that man. Hope everyone else had a happy and safe fourth! Can't wait to read all about em!

A Day at the Fair....

Yesterday we took the kiddos to the county fair! It was a beautiful day outside perfect for strolling the fairgrounds nestled between gorgeous hills and spread along a sparkling lake. Even though our bus broke down on the way to pick us up and we were almost an hour late getting back to school no one's mood could be dampened surrounded by the bright colors, smells and sounds of the fair!

There were games galore...

Exhilarating coasters that only the bravest of little passengers would dare ride..
A Ferris Wheel... to reach the highest of heights revealing a breathtaking view of the fun below..

And most importantly... there were these smiling faces that were shining brighter than the sun that day.

I have to laugh at the last picture because trying to get a group picture with a bunch of four and five year olds all smiling and looking in the same direction at once is impossible.... but my camera died literally one second after taking this picture so it's the best I've got! It was a great day the kids were exhausted by the end of it and so was I. It was fun to go with a group of little ones..I think the last time I went was in high school when what you wore to the fair and who you saw there was more thrilling than the actual rides themselves. It's more fun for me to experience these "thrills" through kids now that I'm older and I feel pretty lucky that I got to do just that with my first class.

Wedding Season

Wedding Season...

Well it has officially kicked off here in Northern California! One of my oldest and sweetest friends Melissa had her bridal shower this weekend! I am so happy for her and her fiance and cannot wait for the wedding in September. I am honored to be a bridesmaid and cannot wait to stand up there with her on the big day! Her sister /MOH hosted the shower at Melissa's parents house, it was a beautiful summer day and was a wonderful way to spend my Saturday afternoon!

There were games

And Presents

There was a delicious spread to gather around

And of course...lots of love...

And the cutest bride to be you ever saw...

The groom, father of the bride and a few other men spent the day out on the boat, but we let them join us at the end of the party. It was a very special day for my friends, we've all known each other for about 13 years and are all still very close. I love them dearly and am happy to welcome her fiance Mike into our circle!

Family..

So..since I'm new to blogging I thought I would share a little bit about myself and my family. I had a really great and semi bittersweet conversation with my mom today on the phone about their upcoming move and I just keep going through every possible emotion, so I thought why not let it out and share at the same time. Well a little background first.. I was born in North Carolina, almost all of my family (grandparents, aunts uncles etc) all still live there..when I was eight my family moved to New Jersey for a brief but wonderful 4 years, and at the age of 12 we moved to Northern California, which is where I have been (minus my time in San Diego for College) for the last 15 or so years. To say the least I am a "California" girl...however...I still strongly feel like I have a connection to my New Jersey and North Carolina sides, especially since we go back to North Carolina every year for a summer visit. Anyhow...15 years later my Dad's job is yet again being transferred, not anything we ever imagined would happen, but with the bad economy and a great opportunity in NYC my parents decided why not! Their kids are "grown" and they have always wanted to experience city life so they decided to go for it...well so did all of my siblings..all four of them! I am the oldest of five and have always felt like a mother hen to my siblings..through the good times and bad. I guess growing up so far away from grandparents, aunts & uncles and cousins, I could not wait until my family could build that kind of family here and I could give my children the extended family that I did not have on a regular basis. I know lots of families live far from each other and really we are all "just a plane ride" away .. but I can't help but get a little sad thinking about not being around my family during the holiday season, or stopping by on the weekends...I think about when I get engaged and my mom won't be close by to go wedding shopping with me, or that my parents will never be the kind of grandparents that get the kids for the weekend and my time with them will be for long weekends and summer vacations not weekly dinners or a quick lunch. I'm excited to visit them in NYC I absolutely love that city and I think it's pretty "cool" of them too..I love Mr. Jones' family and they are really like another set of parents to me..but it's still not the same...anyhow back to my phone conversation with my mom...they are in NYC this week and they found an Apartment. it's official... I'm already planning my first trip and am very excited to see the new home...just a little sad that it won't be "our" home anymore... I'll leave you with a few shots of the fam bam.

Mom & Dad with the "baby" on HS Graduation

Brother Nick & Sister Steff

Mom & Julian

My adorable Sister Steff and her AH-mazing shoe closet!

Weekend in Review...

Another great weekend full of friends and family. We were happily surprised by the visit of our friends the Christopherson's who were in town celebrating their one year wedding anniversary! We knew they would be busy spending time together celebrating so we weren't sure if we would have the opportunity to hang out. Luckily for us they took a cooking class as part of their romantic weekend and surprised us with homemade dessert on Friday night! We shared dessert and some wine at our place before heading out for a celebratory drink!

The handsome Mr. Jones (The BF) & Mr. Christopherson

The Mrs. and myself...not sure what the "innocent" pose was all about?

On Saturday we spent the morning relaxing around the house and headed to the neighborhood Street fair in the afternoon. It was definitely geared towards the kids and families that live in our neighborhood but it was still nice to get out and spend some time in the sun and watch all the kids enjoy the festivities. There was a petting zoo, live music a wagon ride and a few other kid friendly hands on activites..pretty cute! We took advantage of the sun even though it was windy and had a coffee and strolled around.

Sunday was absolutely beautiful. I love walking to church when the weather is nice, it's a nice way to begin the morning and it really makes me realize how blessed I am to live in such a beautiful place. I thought I would share some of the things I see on my walk that make Sunday mornings so special to me.

This is not my church but I think it is just so beautiful and simple and I love walking past on Sunday Mornings.
Love the trees on this street.

Victorians and Palm Trees, ah San Francisco...



Cute coffee shop where my friend Cori and I meet up to chat beforehand!

Love my Sunday mornings! Mr. Jones (bf) had a soccer game in the am which they won 5-0, always good news. I met with him and the team after the game for a bit and then we headed to his parents house for Fathers Day festivities. My parents were out of town, so we just had one stop to make. We went to the Joneses' for dinner, Mr. Jones (bf), his brother and I cooked dinner for Mum and Dad Jones and enjoyed a nice family dinner on the patio, which was a perfect way to end the weekend!

Up this week, well week three of teaching summer school is in full swing...scrapes, bumps, and spit wads (oh yeaaa it was a total "Monday" at school) hahah... Pretty busy with teaching but hope to post again before the weekend comes again! Hope everyone had a great weekend and a wonderful Monday!

Just Breathe....

Finally, on my couch with my cup of tea about to start dinner...basically where I've wanted to be for the last 2 1/2 hours which felt like an eternity! Let's just say it's been "one of those" days... It started out great...actually on time ...feeling confident...beautiful day..etc. then, on my way to work I start tripping over people along the way knocking into very irritated "business" people on their way to work with my extra large "teacher bag" just feeling like a general nuisance... I mean really really clumsy, falling all over myself etc..ha..I feel like my Kinders sometimes...still learning the way my body is positioned compared to other objects...basically I have spatial issues...and I tend to walk into oncoming people and objects like an oblivious toddler..hahaha. Wow..run-on sentence..anywhoo..school was great the kids had a great day until 2pm when an unexpected fire alarm went off...quickly had the kiddos in line and outdoors in no time so we were all safe and it turns out it was a "faulty" alarm but they couldn't figure out how to re-set it..I mean even the fire dept. couldn't figure it out?? So... we played games, sang songs, had snack and played a school wide version of freeze dance! It turned out fine but it just threw me off all over again...which led me to walking all the way to the "office" after school, which is not on-site to make ALL of my copies for next week to only realize that I had left them in the classroom in the madness that was the faulty fire drill...ughhh... oh well..moving on. Nonetheless I'm happy that tomorrow is Friday which means Fieldtrip day! We're taking the kids to see Shrek the Final Chapter cannot wait! This weekend should be another beautiful weekend and there happens to be a local neighborhood Street Fair on the Main St. so the bf and I will be enjoying the sun and our neighborhood! Can't wait and will post pictures on Sunday! Hope everyone has a fabulous Friday!

Weekend Re-Cap...(Slightly Late)

I wanted to start the post with a few pictures! My wonderful bf surprised me with flowers, a card, and a FULLY stocked fridge to celebrate my first week of teaching, love the flowers and card, but groceries...! Melts my heart! Also a picture of my beautiful mom and I from the garden tour on Sat.

Where to begin? What a perfect weekend! I almost hate saying that because the bf was out of town... but..it was a very relaxing weekend full of sunshine, family and getting organized! On Friday I was supposed to meet up with some teacher friends, but since it was the end of my first week of teaching summer school I was just completely drained and still needed to work on lesson plans for the following week. I decided to stay in and spent the entire evening prepping! Which may not sound like fun but I went to bed feeling confident that I could relax on Sat & Sun which was a great feeling. Saturday I got up pretty early and my lovely mom came to visit me for the day for a girls day out! There was a great garden tour happening in my neighborhood, the weather was warm and the afternoon was spent peeking into beautiful gardens and enjoying a delicious meal at a french cafe on our main st. Sat. evening I rented Leap Year, because well that's what I do when the bf is out of town, treat myself to a good chick flick and I loooveed it! Has anyone else seen it? Sunday morning I went to church with a friend and spent the rest of the day taking care of errands, getting ready for Monday and welcoming the bf back from his trip! I hope everyone else had a wonderful weekend!