Cambria Mini-Vacation Day 2

Sorry this is a bit late, but better late than never, right? :)

Here is a photo-summary of what we did on day 2:
Jackson got the king-size bed all to himself during his morning nap!We ate lunch at an English tea room called The Tea Cozy. This was probably one of the best eating experiences I have ever had! The little sandwiches were wonderful, the deserts were amazing and they had PG Tips and Scottish Blend tea...yum! We also had a chicken pasty and that was delicious. The service was wonderful. The atmosphere was calm and quaint. For any of you who are going to Cambria sometime in the future, I definitely recommend this place!The inside of The Tea Cozy.Scottish Blend with a wee bit of milk and sugar is the best! Notice the "tea cozy" on the pot? Hence, the name of the restaurant!The Sticky Toffee Pudding was a close second to the Sticky Toffee Pudding I had in Bushmills, Northern Ireland (and that is pretty good!).Troy enjoyed his spot of tea!After lunch at The Tea Cozy, we headed up the coast to The Ragged Point. The Ragged Point is just that...a really ragged point high above the ocean. It is breathtaking there! See for yourself!Jackson and I enjoy the view.
Yea! A family photo!Jackson and I feed the squirrels. There were very friendly!Jackson watches the Elephant Seals. They like to sunbathe all along the coast.After our afternoon excursion, Troy's parents offered to watch Jackson while Troy and I went into town for dinner. We ate at a restaurant called The Sow's Ear.The food was pricey, but really, really tastey! I ordered the pot roast and Troy ordered the macadamia nut-crusted halibut. Both meals were delicious. They serve what they called "flower pot bread" there. The bread is actually baked and served in a little flower pot! Very creative!
After a wonderful dinner, Troy and I drove back to Moonstone beach and took a stroll. We also took this awesome picture of us and the sunset!On day three, we got up for one last stroll on the beach. We had a great time and want to go back at least once a year! Perhaps I will paint this picture...

Cambria Mini Vacation - Day 1

I have come to the conclusion that Cambria is one of my favorite places to visit. Troy, Jackson and I joined Troy's parents in Cambria last week for a little and much needed get-away. This was Troy and I's second time visiting Cambria, which is located just below San Simeon (Hearst Castle). Cambria is a great combination of a little mountain town with pines and an old down town and an little ocean town with great little inns right on the water. We took advantage of the White Water Inn's Elmer Dill's Getaway Special, which was an AMAZING deal! We got the hotel room (w/ breakfast) for $125 a night, along with two gift certificates (one $15 and one $50) for restaurants in town. The normal hotel room price for the inn is around $200, just to give you an idea of how good of a deal this is. The inn basically does this to entice visitors to stay during the week, so the deal is only good for week nights.

Cambria has beautiful shops and restaurants with gorgeous gardens.Jackson wore a special vacation outfit!Jackson observed the Pacific Ocean's waves for the second time in his life.Ahh....it is so beautiful! The sound of the waves rhythmically crashing on the rocks is such a relaxing sound!Jackson and TroyTroy, Me, Gary, Carolyn, and Jackson enjoying the sunset on Moonstone Beach.

Cambria has some really good restaurants, but the Main Street Grill isn't one of them. When I walked in the cafeteria-style restaurant, it was somewhat musty and a bit on the dirty side (the tables were not clean). I ordered the grilled chicken sandwich, which was actually really good. Troy and Carolyn had the Tri-tip sandwich, and that wasn't bad, either. It was nothing to write home about. However, when Troy was in the bathroom, he noticed that one of the employees walked out of the a bathroom stall, right past the sinks, and out the door. When he asked for the manager, the employees claimed he wasn't there. Ewww. That is all I have to say!

For dinner, we ate at The Old Station. Troy and I ate at this restaurant on our first visit. The service was amazing then, and still is great! The food is good as well. They also have great desserts. We wanted to try their very popular cobbler, but every time we tried to get some, they were out! This is a good place to eat with the family!

That concludes Day 1 of our trip....visit tomorrow to see Day 2!

Jackson's Puppies!

Over the last week, we have discovered that Jackson loves puppies! Here are a few pictures to show you just how much!Jackson at the puppy shop.We discovered that if a dog licks Jackson, he attempts to lick them right back!Jackson and "Oliver" in Cambria.

Troy's Frist Father's Day

This Father's Day was Troy's first. Jackson and I did a photo shoot for him with Andie from A & D Photography. We gave him a mug with the black and white picture (below) on it. It has been such a blessing to see Troy as the father of our son. God has blessed me with a wonderful husband and Jackson with an amazing father! We love him so much!

Birthday Celebrations!

Last Sunday, (Father's Day) was my birthday. Due to the fact that Father's Day was on my birthday, I celebrated all throughout the weekend! On Friday, Troy and I went on another date (yes, for those of you who are counting, that is two weeks in a row...woo-hoo!). We went to The Backstreet in Riverside. This restuarant is where Troy and I went on our second date and discussed the name Jackson for a son. It is an extrememly romantic and relaxing atomosphere! They also have amazing food there, too! If you haven't been there yet, what are you waiting for? Go!(Photo courtesy of backtreet67.com)

On Saturday morning, I went with Troy's family to Simple Simon's in Riverside. They have delicious French Toast there, as well as fresh squeezed orange juice! It was a nice, relaxing, and I must say, tasty breakfast!

After breakfast, Troy, Jackson and I headed to the beach to celebrate with Michael (my twin brother who happens to have the same birthday...go figure!), and both mine Troy's siblings at Corona Del Mar beach. I really enjoyed hanging out with the family! Robyn figured out how to make the perfect s'more and Troy made one for that was the most amazing s'more I've ever had...really! The best thing about this beach trip, though, was showing Jackson the Pacific Ocean for the first time. He was amazed by it and let out a whimper when we turned away from the waves to walk back to the fire pit. He scrambled to see every wave he could! I am so glad he seemed to love it!On Sunday, my actual birthday, we did a combo Father's Day/Birthday celebration with my family. We had pizza and Jenni made scrumptious No-Pudge brownies for me! (Thanks!) Overall, I had a great birthday weekend! Thanks everyone!

Yet Another Surgery Update

I went to see the surgeon on Tuesday and there is good news! He said I could pick up Jackson, with caution, of course! Yea!!! My surgery is scheduled for August 18th. That seems a bit far away, but it doesn't seem so bad now that I can hold Jackson again!

Another Surgery Update

So, folks, the squeaky wheel DOES get fixed! I called and left a message for the surgery department (after calling Kaiser every couple hours for a few days), and I got a call back. They changed my appointment for the surgery consultation for this Tuesday. Please keep it in your prayers. I am hopping to get a date for surgery sooner than later! I thank the Lord that He provided an earlier consultation date!

Surgery Update

For those of you who know how "the system" works at Kaiser, they can be soooo slow! The first available date for the consultation with the surgeon is July 17th. They are kidding me, right? Do they now know that I can't pick up my baby?!?!? Apparently not. I've told them, but it doesn't seem to matter. I was told I can call as many times as I want to check for cancellations so I could get in earlier. I called three times today with no avail. July 17th is almost 5 weeks away...and that isn't even the surgery date. Who knows when that will be. I NEED TO PICK UP MY BABY!

Sorry...I'm sure you know that by now, but I need to vent. It is very hard to not be able to pick him up when he is upset or reaching up for me. I have to get someone to do it. Someone else has to walk him outside and show him the birds and the trees like I did every day. Someone else has to put him to bed in his crib at night. Someone else has to pick him up from naps. Someone else....

For those of you who are a "someone else," please understand that I am truly thankful. I'm just trying to deal with this emotionally by venting a little. Again, please pray that I can get in soon! I appreciate all your help and prayers!

Finger Food!!!

Jackson is now eating more finger foods. Today I cut an egg yolk (waaaay cheaper than buying and cooking chicken breasts----thanks for the tip, Kimm!) and some mango into pieces and Jackson chowed down. He is really good at putting the foods into his mouth and although he doesn't have any teeth yet, he gums it really well!It turns out that Jackson really loves eggs...I'm sure he gets that from me! :)Mangoes are a favorite too! Trader Joe's sells them cut up and frozen in a bag...very convenient!

Finally....Friends!

Cassie and Libby are finally acting like they tolerate each other. They even lay next to each other! This is a major step in their relationship! Libby still pounces on Cassie every once in a while, but at least Cassie fights back now. I think she has gained a bit of respect from Libby because of that.

I've had better days...

Here is how today went down. I woke up and nursed Jackson as usual. I still had a bit of that stomach ache that started on Saturday, but it seemed as though this stomach ache was often present lately. I ignored it for the most part. It isn't unusual to have a reoccurring stomach ache for several months, is it? By the time I carried Jackson from the nursery to the couch in the living room, the sharp pain set it. This was to be expected. This sharp pain would occur after 2-3 days of a bad stomach ache for months now. And nothing seemed unusual to me...hmmm. This time, though, the pain was extremely severe.

I decided to go to bed and put Jackson down for a nap with me. Jackson fell asleep, but I couldn't. This sharp pain hurt really, really bad and the positions that usually help just were not working. Perhaps there was something unusual about this pain. I lifted up my shirt to look at the area that was hurting. Hmmm. I could no longer see my belly button. That WAS unusual. I wondered if this golf-ball-sized lump that took the place of my navel was a hernia. I proceeded to look it up on the internet. Yup. Sure sounded like a hernia. I made a doctor's appointment. The pain was severe. I couldn't stand it anymore. I was going to vomit if it got any worse. Seriously. Me + Severe Pain = Vomit. Jackson woke up. I couldn't bare to carry him. It hurt too much. I sat him slowly on the ground and sat next to him. I started to cry. He got worried and started to try to climb on me and wanted me to hold him. It hurt too much. I got more upset and called Troy. I couldn't wait any longer to go to the Doctor. Forget the appointment! It was time for Urgent Care (which, by the way, isn't always so "urgent").

David and my mother -in-law came to watch Jackson and Troy took me to Urgent Care. It turned out that I do have a hernia. The P.A. pushed the lump back in (O-U-C-H!!!!) and continued to tell me about the hernia. This one is called an Umbilical Hernia. Lovely. Apparently, it was probably caused by pregnancy. My abdominal wall was weakened and never quite healed. The exercising, carrying Jackson and his carrier, and lugging 5 bags of groceries on each arm from the car to the apartment probably didn't help at all, either. I'm not sure if there is ever a good time for a hernia, but this certainly is not a good time! I am waiting for my surgery to get scheduled.

Most likely, the surgery will be laparoscopic. Until the surgery, I can't lift, pull, or push anything over 5 pounds. This means I can't pick up or carry Jackson at all. This is a HUGE challenge for me! I have people coming over for the first week so I won't be alone with him at all, so that is good. But, emotionally this is very hard for me. I can't pick up my boy! He doesn't understand that, either!

Please pray that I can turn to Christ in those times I feel I am going to get teary-eyed because I want to hold my boy. Please pray that I can heal quickly and that the surgery will be scheduled promptly. I may be out of commission for several weeks (that includes the time before and after the surgery). This will be hard for me. Sanctifying, but very hard. I will update you all when I get my surgery date. Oh, yeah, and I give any of you permission to force me to the doctor the next time I have chronic pain for several months!

Jackson is 7 months!

On Saturday, Jackson turned 7 months old! I know I say it every month, but I can't believe it! As mentioned in one of my previous posts, he is almost crawling and I want to say he is actually well on his way to almost walking. He takes steps with guidance and he is pulling himself to standing positions now. He has loved to stand since he was 7 weeks old, so somehow I am not surprised that this milestone is approaching so soon. I can't tell you how much I love this little boy and how sweet he is! My heart melts every time he looks at me! He has no teeth yet, but it seems like he has been teething off and on forever! He is still babbling. It seems like he has been doing that for a long time too. This week, his favorite sound is the "b" sound. I'm sure, when he starts talking, he will be a wonderful communicator because he has his dad to set an example for him! Well, without further ado, here are some 7-month-old pictures for your enjoyment!

Oh, yeah, and he is eating Cheerios now...and apparently, he enjoys wearing them as well!

Finally---A DATE!

Troy and I finally got away for a date on Friday night. It has been hard to get away mostly because Jackson went through a clingy stage and we were also trying to set him on a sleep schedule. Now that both of those issues have been taken care of, we are a bit more free to go out. On this date, we went to Disneyland. I really wanted to ride the Tower of Terror, my favorite ride in California Disney. It was great to feel myself floating off the seat as I laughed uncontrollably and held on as tight as I could to Troy's arm. For some reason, I absolutely love that feeling! We had a great time Friday night and Jackson had a good time at his Nonna and Poppy's house as well. (Yea! He didn't cry the whole time we were gone!!!) I really missed having that alone time with Troy. The circumstances were out of our control concerning the lack of alone time, but I am certainly glad that were are back in the dating groove! I love my hubby and I love spending time with him!As you can see, Troy won me by 19,000 points! I can never seem to win this game. The first time I played, I rode the ride with a two -year-old, and she won me by several thousand points!

Charles Wesley’s Radical, Fruitful Risk

Let's be honest here. It is hard to witness to folks. John Piper writes of Charles Wesley taking a huge risk in order to witness to a couple of inmates doomed for death the next day. It is a very encouraging, short read...I recommend it! Click here to read the article.

Witness My Fitness

I'm sure most of you check out my other site, Witness My Fitness every now and then. But, if you haven't checked it out in a few weeks, here is an update. Since starting Weight Watchers, I have lost 7.4 pounds, and a total of 9 inches all over. It has been about four weeks since I started, so I am very pleased with the results! I hope to loose 33 more pounds before getting pregnant again. This way, I can get a good, healthy start to my next pregnancy! I'm on my way! :)