California Dreamin’.

Oh, hey, remember us?  Yeah, my babies are growing up.  I die.  They are way too adorable and smart for their own good.  We love them unimaginably. 

I’ve been on a blogging hiatus that stretched out way longer than I expected it to – nearly a year to be exact!

A few things in recent months have made me pause and consider breaking radio silence.  That time when all the Christians got hysterical over people (myself included) posting the gay rights “equal sign” as their Facebook profile photo, the complete heartache I felt when watching the news of the Boston Marathon bombing roll in, one of my fellow blogger-friends being torn apart on some critical website by a bunch of jerks (You are awesome, Hannah!), registering Bennet for Kindergarten, Kennedy’s first year of preschool, Bennet losing not one - but TWO teeth (with another one loose,) friends, love, heartbreak, lessons learned, my newfound love of gardening, this pastor who really pissed me off once at Starbucks when he showed up for a meeting wearing a really aggressive, judgemental anti-abortion shirt ---

But here’s what has inspired me to blog again.  Excitement.  The realization of my love of the grand, sunny state of California and how much of Andrew and I’s relationship was built around the west coast.

Eek! Who are these people? These young, care-free beings who thought that they were living busy, stressful lives?  True story --Andrew worked near Los Angeles for 2 years before we met, and that after we were dating for only a few months, he went back to CA for a field assignment.  I spent about a year visiting him every-other-weekend in what is, in MY humble opinion, the greatest state in the union.

Eek again.  I was so excited to see Britney’s star on the Walk of Fame.  For reals.

But really.  We toured, we sunned ourselves, we got to know each other --- all on a completely different coast.  Bliss.

Wineries…

Beaches…

Memories that go back to before I even had a digital camera.  Hello, OLDNESS.

This being said, we’ve been blessed that Andrew’s job has allowed him lots of west coast travel again of late.  I’ve been able to go, and it’s been amazing to re-visit some of our old favorite haunts, as well as to find new places we love.

We traveled together not too long ago, and decided to visit our most favorite restaurant – The Lobster – in Santa Monica.

Such a romantic spot.  On the water, view of the Santa Monica pier, sunset, SIGH.

We’re headed out to the west coast next week – and when planning our last night in Los Angeles, we both agreed we HAD to do dinner again at the Lobster.

“Especially since, when I was single and living out there, I always said I wished I had a pretty girl to go on a romantic date with to the Lobster,” said my sweet hubby.

AND SO, friends, I’ll tell you this – almost a full year of radio silence from this gal, and what made me break it wasn’t my annoyance with humanity, or my cute freaking kiddos, or a story about the day-to-day in the ‘burbs.

It was love.  And sunshine.  And a coast that seems oh-so-far-away, but it always oh-so-close in our hearts. 

Oh, and my cute hubbs, who always seems to love me no matter what life throws at us.

So, I’m hoping to hop back on the blogging train.  But who knows…maybe I’ll see you next spring.