oh happy day

I love 3 day weekends :) 

My school district took today off to recognize President Lincolns' birth.  

Thank you president Lincoln for being born and all the glorious things you did with your life, like establish the 14th amendment and put an end to slavery. 

The last day of a 3 day weekend is ALWAYS the best, in my opinion. 

I appreciate monday in a whole new way when I dont have to work and 

can do whatever my desire with whoever I please. 

Today was very eventful and oh so fun. 

It started with a sunrise hike to Bishops Peak at 5:45 am. 

Even though we do this hike fairly often, this time was different. 

It was so incredibly cold I almost decided to turn around and drive home a few minutes 

after we started the hike.... yup I was being a wuss. BIG time!

After making it to the top 10 minutes before the sun rose I was tremendously 

thankful I didn't turn back at the beginning. It was so worth the brain freeze and throbbing 

knees from the chilly air. I had to keep reminding myself that some people in the country

 just made it through Neemo, where feet of snow were dumped over night! I really dont

 have room to complain in California, on the central coast of all places, about poor weather. 

I finished the girls' Valentines for my Preschoolers. They will LOVE their flower hair clips

I painted my nails red with hot pink and violet sparkles ;) 

I baked dozens of coconut-chocolate chip cookies! heaven help my hips.

Got to work on Bentleys Valentine

We went to the Monarch Butterfly Grove in Pismo and saw the tail end of the Butterflies migrating through. 

Just in case you didn't know Monarchs travel here from 

Nov. - Feb. by the THOUSANDS and clump together in the 

eucalyptus trees. They look like halloween pinecones, its truly

magical to see so many at once.

We found a new beach spot we absolutely love, beween Avila and Shell beach. Well actually I found it. While the boys were being boys hopping fences and running off I went around the 'boring' way ;) and stumbled on a path leading to a beach entrance. It seems somewhat secret since it is a rope that hangs over a cliff to repel down on to this sandy, and slightly rocky spot. It's awesome. 

Bentley cooked a wonderful chicken Alfredo pasta for dinner and he dyed the noodles bright green haha. 

I have a bucket list for things I want to do in San Luis Obispo this year and we checked two of them off this weekend!

1. Solvang

2. Monarch Butterfly Grove

I have lived here almost 4 years now and there are STILL 

things I have not done or seen. 

So I am going to enjoy them all this year :)

where does earth end and heaven begin?

 Hmmm Nate, what happened to yours?

Hope your Monday was delightful, 

have an even better week!

there really is no better way to start the day

I am all snuggled up on the couch with some hot apple cider vinegar, honey and lemon enjoying this beautiful Labor day monday morning. My husband and I hiked Bishops peak again, this time for sunrise. We prefer the sunrise hike more than the sunset hike. It is just a little more rewarding :) 

AND I don't feel half as lazy for sitting on the couch in jamies at 10 

(which is rather late for me) 

I feel more like I earned it :)

Is this seriously where I live?!

April Dean Instagramming away :)

 tripod pose

Somebody Pinch ME!

Being above the clouds, fog, and everything else for that matter truly feels magical. 

Like being in an airplane as a kid for the first time. 

Bentley and I LOVE this hike, not too long but not a quick one either. Before we started 'officially' dating we hiked this nearly four times a week! 

Don't get me wrong its an awesome trail, but I know we were just crazy about each other and wanted any excuse to spend as much time with one another as possible.

Here we are almost a year later,

No excuses needed...

Happy Monday 

XOXO

Presidents Day Last Year. . .

A year ago tomorrow I was having a much different kind of day.
It was still a holiday thanks to presidents day. So Bentley and I decided to take advantage of the time off and put together a BIG group of friends to hike Bishops peak in San Luis Obispo. . . 
here are some of the finest of that hike :P

note the blood on the bridge of my nose!

 This hike has such great views, its not hard but you still get a good work out. 

Especially if you run it!

We love Bishops Peak. When we first met we would hike it about twice a week in the mornings for sunrise and then go to school.

However last year on Presidents Day, on that very familiar hike I was bit in the face by a german shepherd!! I didn't realize what had happened at first. It was so quick and cold outside that i didn't even feel it. It wasn't until my blood ran down and hit my lips that I knew something 'serious' happened.

This was a first in many ways for me...

• My first dog bite
• My first 'bloody nose'
• My first stitches
• My first hand holding with Bentley :)

Yes I had to get stitches. TEN of them and some super glue.

And yes, Bentley was there to hold my hand the entire time. Looking back on it now, knowing that I will never forget when, where, and why we first held hands is totally worth it.

It's a great story.

Plus I was fortunate to have a great doctor in the ER that holiday who stitched me right up with hardly any scar!

We finished the hike to the top of the peak and ran down since the numbness started to wear off, and I was bleeding pretty badly.

Those three dots under my nose is from the dogs lower jaw clamping on my nose!

He really went for the whole thing!

Tomorrow we will be running around on the North Shore of Oahu :)

Enjoy the last day of the THREE DAY WEEKEND

Stay away from dogs you do not know :)