Both Jason and Grace got 3 weeks off for Christmas Break. The first week was rather hectic, getting last minute things ready for Christmas and the second week was busy with gatherings and New Year's. So, it was great to have the third week- it really was a break! We headed to Monterey Bay for 3 days/2 nights. The first night, we arrived in time to go to dinner at
Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., first time for all of us.
We chose that place because we knew it was kid-friendly. After dinner, we headed to
Ghiradelli Ice Cream & Chocolate Shop for dessert. Their World-Famous Hot Fudge Sundaes are to die for!
The next morning, we headed off to the
Monterey Bay Aquarium. The last time we were there, Grace was only 14 months old. This time around, both kids clearly enjoyed themselves and couldn't move fast enough to see all the exhibits. It was so nice to visit without any crowds, probably because most kids have gone back to school already. Grace said she loved the whole aquarium, but her favorite part was being able to touch the starfish.
Jeremy's favorite was the tropical fish tank that had fish similar to those found on the movie, Finding Nemo (we're assuming this was his favorite, based on his excitement and the amount of time he stood completely fixated on the tank).
My favorite was watching the cute sea otters, and Jason has always loved the huge Outer Bay tank, with the tuna, sardines, sting rays, etc. After our day at the aquarium, we dropped by
Nestle Tollhouse Cafe for a snack (personally, Ghiradelli's is better, but who really says no to cookies?!).
On our next day, we went to the Monarch Butterfly Sanctuary in Pacific Grove to see if we could catch a glimpse of the monarchs.
Every year between October and March, thousands of butterflies gather at this very spot. Unfortunately, we only saw a handful of butterflies! It was disappointing... On our way back into Monterey, we stopped by Lover's Point Park.
What great ocean views! Here, we watched the waves crash against the rocks, collected shells, and observed life in the tidepools. For lunch, we took a chance and went to Monterey's Fish House. We hadn't read any reviews or heard anything about it, but every time we drove by that place, it was packed with people. Since it's not near the touristy area and not mentioned anywhere in the touristy brochures we got, we assume that the place is frequented by locals. Jason had calamari steak, I had clam pasta, and Grace had the clam chowder. The place isn't exactly kid-friendly (no kid menus- a good place for a date, or business dealings), but they went out of their way for our kids. It was soooo good and we would definitely return!
Before heading back to Fresno, we spent a few hours at the Dennis the Menace Park.
Several people had recommended that we visit this public playground. The park was designed by Hank Ketcham, the creator of Dennis the Menace and long time resident of the area. Our kids had a blast- there was so much to do: a maze, play structures, slides galore, a bridge, some tunnels, rock climbing wall, swings, and even a real train.
After this trip, we can truly say that we had a great Winter Break! School starts up again on Monday! (more pictures in the album on the right hand side)
Some of you might think it's weird what I'm about to post, but one of the reasons why I blog is because it's a great way for me to journal and archive memories about our kids. For example, I don't want to forget that from an early age, Jeremy has shown that he handles change pretty well as long as he initiates it. He initiated the transition from the bottle to a sippy cup, from a sippy cup to using a straw, etc. The latest? Pacifiers (beebees)!!! He was so attached to them, we really didn't think we'd be saying goodbye to them so soon (I don't know why, but he was attached to three- they had to be in his crib together). He has pretty much weaned himself- can you see why he no longer needs them?!
Next step will be potty training! I keep asking him whether he's a big boy (because big boys use the potty) or a baby (because only babies wear diapers). He consistently says, "Jeremy baby." I'm thinking we'll just wait until he initiates it!
We rang in the new year with our close friends, Jill and Adam, and Christa and Aaron. I don't know how long it has been, but we've been "ringing in new years" with these special friends for quite a number of years now. No gathering is complete without food, and we had plenty of it! We started with appetizers, had a chocolate fondue, and then finished off with Jill's New Year's Cookies (aka fritters). Throughout the night, the boys decided to do a "Around the World" beer tour, in which they sampled beers from different parts of the world. Jason printed off scoring sheets for each beer, and Aaron shared information he had researched on each one beforehand. He even found out how to say "cheers" in each country's language before they drank each sample. Right before midnight, we turned on the t.v. to join the countdown and watch the ball drop. Of course the night wouldn't have been complete without games- we played Perpetual Commotion until about 1:30am! 
Earlier tonight, we joined the Lee and McCreary families for dinner. It has been so long since our families have spent time together- it has been so long overdue! It was wonderful to catch up with these great friends! 
A Blessing for the New Year (taken from Dayspring)
In the morning, "Santa" left goodies for the kids in their stockings (sigh... don't get me started on the issue of Santa (Jason and I pretty much have agreed to disagree- I do feel though that we have tried to keep the focus on Christ this season). 
Jason's mom made a delicious breakfast and we hung out until Jason's sister, Jennifer, and her kids came. More presents were opened, we played Wii, and then we had another fantastic meal (can you tell that I loved the food?!). It was a nice, laid-back day and we value the time we got to spend with family. Hope everyone had a Merry Christmas! (more pictures in the album on the right) 
Last week, we headed out to Madera Ranchos to have dinner with the Lee family. The tamales we had were so tasty (no pictures, sorry)! This week, we were able to get together for dinner with the Wiens family. We've decided to start a new tradition with them- a White Elephant exchange! I can't post a picture of what we gave them, but here's what they gave us (a picture frame/wall hanging). Rules? The item has to be displayed for a year, and it has to cost under $10... The tackier, the better. Fun!
This Christmas season, we are so thankful to have such wonderful friends in our lives! 
Everyone in Grace's kindergarten class gets the chance to be the Beary Special Person for a week, and it was Grace's turn last week. The Beary Special Person is the special helper for the week, gets to help the teacher during calendar time, and sits in the coveted "Bear Chair." In addition, he/she gets to bring in a show-and-tell item every day and bring in pictures that are displayed on a bulletin board. The bulletin board also displays an All About Me questionnaire that highlights the student. 
Here's how Grace answered:
For show-and-tell throughout the week, Grace brought in a Princess Storybook collection, a Tinkerbell toy, her soccer trophy, and since she and I bake every Tuesday, we baked Double Chocolate M&M Cookies to share with the class. Regardless of the week, Grace will always be a Beary Special Person to us!
The tokens symbolize something significant about our faith and they each come with corresponding Bible verses. Each day leading up to Christmas, we open up one bag, read the verses, and see how the verses and token relate to Christ. We started our countdown on Dec. 1 and Grace has been excited to open up each little bag, to listen to the verses, and examine the tokens. 
We just put up our Christmas tree today, so the bags are now hanging on our tree. Each night, Grace will have to find the appropriately numbered bag. 
For example, today is the 5th day of Advent. After finding bag #5, inside was a slip of paper that reads: "You could make some noise with this, but it would not have bothered a certain man until he met Jesus. Read Mark 7:31-37." The token is a little bell. Isn't this such a great idea?! If you're interested in getting a kit of tokens for yourself, let me know and I'll get you in touch with Christa (or you could visit her blog, Wiens World- there's a link on my Blog List). 
It is my favorite meal in the entire year! We chat, hang out, and play games while eating appetizers. Then later in the day, it's time for the big meal. The turkey has been prepared the same way for 12 years (because it's so delicious, I can't imagine Thanksgiving without it), and we always have green bean casserole (yes, of course the can-type!), pine nut and sausage dressing, sweet potatoes (up until this year, only Jason's mom and I ate it- this year, Grace and Jeremy loved it, too), mashed potatoes, salad (with Asian pears, feta cheese, cranberries), and bread... The desserts are always amazing, too! I always stuff myself and this year was no exception.