Santa Cruz Mini Vacay

Randy was fortunate enough to get a week off between his first and second years of residency so we took the opportunity to get out of town! We rented a condo in Aptos, a small town in Santa Cruz County. Our good friends, Josh and Christine Kroll joined us with their kids Kyler and Gavin, and Christine's cousin Cassandra. Josie came along for the ride too since she is on summer vacation.

Our first full day was a chilly, overcast day so we headed to the Monterey Bay Aquarium for some indoor fun. The gang posed for a quick pick as we walked down Cannery Row to the aquarium.

Cruz and the other kids had a great time, and loved seeing the sharks, the huge tuna fishes and the sea turtles. He told me the turtle was "Tuck", one of the characters on one of his favorite cartoons the Wonder Pets. Here he is coming nose to nose with one of the sea turtles.

The sun emerged in the late afternoon so we snapped a few quick picks of the beautiful Monterey Bay (and each other)

The next day we took advantage of the sunnier skies and warmer temps and spent the day at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. I haven't been there in over 10 years so it was a lot of fun to indulge in the games, rides and of course, boardwalk food! This was also Cruz's first time riding a kiddie ride all by himself - I was the proud, yet anxious mommy =)

Gavin and Cruz hopped in the "S.S. Cotton Candy" for another ride - how adorable are they?

To our dismay, the Krolls headed out one day early - we were sad to see them go! We spent our last full day relaxing at SeaCliff Beach in Aptos. It's an expansive stretch of beach, with pristine waters and lots and lots of beachgoers.

Cruz marvels at some seaweed that he finds

Cruz and Randy get busy building a sand castle, digging holes and making shapes in the sand

On our last day, we visited the nearby town of Capitola before heading back home. It was a quiet, foggy day but we still enjoyed the seaside town's charm.

It's amazing what even a "mini vacation" can do for our bodies and minds. Being away from the ever present "to do" lists, work, errands and even our computers - forces us to rest, sleep in, enjoy each other's company and slow life down a little. It was a great break for our family!

Memorial Day Weekend

We stuck close to home base this Memorial Day weekend since Randy was working all but one day. I actually made it a 4-day weekend and kicked things off with a trip to the Little Animal Farm at Tilden Park in Berkeley, along with Marinel and her two kids Samantha and Doren.

Cruz had a great time seeing the farm animals up close and even fed celery to a few of them.

The next day Randy, Cruz and I spent the morning at Kid Fest in Concord. It was a great little event with rides, a small petting zoo, carnival games, bouncy houses and free arts and crafts for the kiddies.

Despite all that fun stuff, the highlight for Cruz was seeing a real fire truck!

He even got to hop in the driver's seat and "give it a spin". We had to pry him out of the seat so other kids could get a turn, and boy was he unhappy about it!

After Kid Fest we headed over to Walnut Creek for lunch and some shopping. We ate a new Japanese restaurant - Sasa - it was absolutely delicious! First of all, the space is beautiful, with lots of natural wood and a cool water feature. We ordered classic menu items but Sasa puts their own twist on them. I had grilled chicken miso ceasar salad and a spicy tuna roll:

Randy had chicken teriyaki, shrimp & vegetable tempura and sashimi:

On Sunday I had a "girl's day out" with my girlfriends Diana, Ariela and April. We had lunch at Straits in downtown San Francisco, shopped and watched Sex and The City 2. It's always so nice to spend time with good friends, and for that I'm thankful.

Overall it was a low-key holiday weekend, and as I posted on my Facebook status, "Mentally thanking those who fight on faraway shores away from their families so I may sit here safely with my own family, and remembering those who made the ultimate sacrifice".