Six week smiles and Grandad arrives!

Lucia at six weeks: she smiles with her whole being, highlighting an adorable dimple in her cheek and forcing even a stoic onlooker to return her toothless smile.  These precious moments are the perfect remedy to a tough day, allowing the challenging moments to melt away instantly.  

This week Lucia was so excited to meet her Grandad after his return from Norway and Sweden on a rail biking adventure.

Both Lucia and Harrison loved listening to "GranGran's" tales of high adventure on the Norwegian railways and getting to spend some quality time sharing their new home with him.  

We spent the rest of the week relaxing on the patio, 

goofing around,

eating crepes,

 adoring sweet baby feet,

and visiting my new favorite market that we discovered close by our house.

In the land of endless summer, it was so refreshing to find a large assortment of lovely Fall produce in fiery shades, beautifully arranged and begging to be scooped up and taken home.  

  

 Harrison loved checking out the colorful bins of vegetables,

 and I found a gorgeous Cinderella pumpkin fit for a fairy tale.   

 Harrison talked Grandad into getting him this precious little pumpkin,

and we walked out with a bag full of heirloom tomatoes, summer corn, peppers, lettuce and pumpkins.       

We also picked up these lovely succulents and spent a perfect afternoon planting.

Lucia discovered a friendship with a mermaid,

enjoyed being cuddled,

and was completely exhausted by the end of her sixth week.

Figs, Chalk & the Dark Ages

This week we gathered these lovely figs from our fig tree and served them with prosciutto, goat cheese and french bread.  Harrison loved "harvesting" these little gems and mixing them in with his morning breakfast.  Little did I know that fig trees produce what seems like hundreds of figs all within a few week window... so next year we clearly need to get more creative with our ways of consumption.  

We spent much of our week on the patio where Harrison delighted in his new found canvas.

 Our little artist loved helping draw wheels on the cars and demanding more "big trucks" to be drawn.

 We also discovered how much fun it is to trace feet, hands, and the occasional sleeping dog.

While Lucia and I participated in the Red Tent event (an incredible celebration of women and their birth stories), Harrison and Andy went on a hiking adventure in Julian.  

Afterwards we spent some quality time on the couch swapping stories of each others' adventures.

And while we have countless precious moments as a new family of four, we have some challenging moments as well.  I couldn't resist capturing this moment below on a quiet Saturday morning during breakfast.  

Lucia is struggling with reflux (GER) which makes for a rather uncomfortable little being and some crazy making moments.  We have lovingly deemed this time to be the Dark Ages, capable of rattling even the calmest of individuals.  

Thankfully, we still manage to laugh through these times and carry on...enjoying simple pleasures like a breakfast made by Andy 

and a rejuvenating walk at sunset.  

Lucia at 1 month

The days are passing by like water, and I can't believe Lucia is now 1 month old!  Here are a few photos from her one month birthday...

 Happily asleep

 An adoring older brother

 Love pats from H

 Stretching out

 Lovely smile and double chin

And the final shot of our photo shoot...two unhappy, sleepy monkeys in the bed

5 Years...

Today marks our fifth wedding anniversary.  This momentous day stirs such vivid images and emotions, almost as if this event happened yesterday... and yet as we take stock of our life together since this launching point, a much greater distance is granted to this profound memory.  

Here's to 5 years, 4 cities, 4 houses, 2 beautiful children, 1 additional dog (baby Blue), new jobs, grad school, incredible adventures, and lots of love.  Through the grace and the grit, I am so grateful to have such an amazing life partner.  

A few favorites from our big day many moons ago:

Week 3: Kunkler visit

I seem to be falling behind on my blog posts for some reason...perhaps it is the adorably demanding little ones keeping me preoccupied :).

Andy's parents flew down to San Diego for a visit during Lucia's third week in the world.  It was so wonderful having them here to play with Harrison, cuddle with Lucia, and share in the joy of our new addition (not to mention the welcomed help of deliciously home cooked meals and the opportunity to take a few much needed naps for a tired mama).

Here are a few moments from their visit....

Karen and Lucia

Harrison and Gramps racing down the hallway...I think H won!

 Smiles at a Sunday polo match

 Tailgating at polo with my two favorite little ones

Harrison and Gramps playing soccer

Soaking in a gorgeous day on the patio

Goofing around at Torrey Pines

Happily dreaming

Harrison sitting still for a much needed haircut

Quite the handsome little boy taking a moment of pause post haircut

Lucia ready to cheer on her favorite team

Two little ducks

Enjoying waffles on the patio

An attempt at a photo with this ridiculously cute hat...thanks Erin!

Taking it all in

Harrison helping us pick out an anniversary present on our "family date"

Nana, Harrison and Gramps at a Padres game

Happy boy and grandparents after the game