Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk

Taking advantage of the Labor day weekend, Sonia, Melany and I went to the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk and visited other places in Santa Cruz. It was a fun way to spend our day off. The boardwalk is a small theme park located right along the beach and includes games, arcades, carnival thrill rides and a few roller coasters. It includes a long history with the same operating carousel which opened in 1911 and the Giant Dipper roller coaster which opened in 1924. 

Sonia and I enjoyed a friendly match of motorcycle racing in the arcade, which of course I let her win. Then, within the arcades was a mini virtual roller coaster in the "Kids Korner" that Melany could ride. After the arcade we enjoyed our ride on the Ferris Wheel because Melany was able to go with us. We were able to see the whole park, the beach, the ocean and the clear blue sky from the top of the Ferris Wheel. 

After our trip to the Boardwalk, we stopped by a local Japanese restaurant and checked out some local stores in the downtown area. After that we had some dessert  at a local ice cream shop called Marianne's. It was recommended to us by a friend and has really good ice cream made on location. It is a small little store definitely overdue for an upgrade, remodel and expansion, but that doesn't stop it from being packed with customers due its its delicious ice cream. 

After our long day out we enjoyed the rest of labor day with a nap!

   

Kiddie Coaster

Ferris Wheel view

Pirates Miniature Golf

Beautiful Point Lobos Hike

We want to take advantage of all this area has to offer since we have very few months to live here. 

Thus, we headed to Point Lobos on Saturday for one of the most breathtaking hikes we've ever been on.

The Point Lobos website describes it perfectly when they said “in addition to the spectacular beauty, nearly every aspect of its resources is of scientific interests because it possesses rare plant communities, endangered archeological sites, unique geological formations, and incredibly rich flora and fauna of both land and sea.”

The trails were amazing! We even had a little picnic before we began the 2.5 mile hike. We would stop often to look out over the cliffs for the beautiful view and sea lions. Melany was so good, never fussy and quite the little explorer.

Excited for our hike

At our picnic table

Gorgeous view!

One of the trails we walked on

Sea lions camouflaging 

Very Berry Monterey County Fair

Where's the place we can we combine our favorite things like: horses, rides, great food, laughs and fun? At the fair! We couldn't miss the opportunity this weekend to stop by the Monterey County Fair. It was a plus that military families got in for free:) We got the chance to sit in and watch the Rodeo,which was loads of fun. We also tried some yummy BBQ, lemonade, and walked around the fairgrounds. We had a blast!

Melany's first Pony Ride

Yahoo!

Monterey Bay Aquarium

My roommate from college, Anya came to visit us with her fiancee Chase this last weekend. So we decided to go with them to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. We had heard from everyone here that this was the place to go if you came to visit the area. And they were right but due to the time and the size of the aquarium, we were not able to see all they had to offer. We will make it a plan to re-visit it.  Nonetheless, we had fun viewing all the amazing marine life and learning so much about the ocean's creatures. It was so nice having them visit us, we really enjoyed their company!

What a cute clam!

Melany enjoyed the puffins

Thick fur

Dinner the next day

Birthday and update on my weight loss goal

 “The more intensely we feel about an idea or a goal, the more assuredly the idea, buried deep in our subconscious, will direct us along the path to its fulfillment"- Earl Nightingale 

   My birthday weekend and birthday was one of the most peaceful I've ever had. I was happy to have a calm, relaxed weekend enjoying the area and spending quality time with Enoch and Melany. As I grow older, and more mature, I realize that I am no longer interested in "gifts" but rather spending time with those I love. However, it was nice to get some lovely birthday cards from my family and friends and going on a date with my hubby. It felt so nice to be remembered.

         And I was very happy when I remembered a goal I made to myself on my last birthday. The goal was to loose my baby weight.. As some of you can recall, I made a goal on New Years eve to loose weight. Well, my update on that is that I have lost about 15 pounds since then! Wow! I can hardly believe it! I have lost my baby weight and more! I am not stopping there though.  I don't want to be stick thin because that has never been appealing to me.Instead, I want to have a healthy weight for my petite height. 

         How have I lost this weight? First, I made lifestyle changes that have helped me be happy and well. For starters, I do yoga, zumba, and/or individual workouts 3 to 4 times a week. Combining these exercises help  add variety and fun to being active. I also have to watch what I eat, and eat smaller portions. I limit my bread, rice and sweet intake and add more vegetables and fruits to my diet. Practicing yoga helps to easy my stress and dancing to the zumba routines is by far my favorite. In Zumba, I combine my love for dancing and exercise. The best part has been being able to put on those pair of jeans that I thought would never fit me! 

     Being overweight is something I've struggled with almost all my life. I seriously thought that I couldn't loose weight because that's how my body was built. I would listen to my family criticize my weight growing up, that I eventually believed them. And  I was always so embarrassed to talk about my weight because it would bring back those negative comments and re-inforced that silly idea. 

    Well, I decided t put in to practice the components of a type of intervention I learned in my MSW program. I brushed up on the components of Cognitive Behavioral therapy and used them on myself. Months have passed since I decided to do this and I realize how much it was all in my head. I am being patient with myself and loving this new lifestyle change. I feel great, so great that I am currently training myself to run in a 10K. Yay!  

The only picture I took at then end of my bday, so tired!

A trip to the National Steinbeck Center

"It is the nature of man to rise to greatness if greatness is expected of him." -John Steinbeck
 

      We've been wanting for a while to visit the National Steinbeck Center in Salinas. It was a 30 minute drive from Seaside but boy was it worth the wait. I grew up reading Steinbeck in high school thanks to one of my our teachers who insisted we read both the Grapes of Wrath and Of Mice and Men.  I've always had a love for books but at the time did not realize how important these books and  authors were. As I entered college, the love for reading really blossomed and I found myself being grateful for books and authors who chose to be honest and candid about certain historical and literary topics.
      Hence, was my joy when I walked in to the John Steinbeck Center and was able to experience all it had to offer. We were able to discover Steinbeck’s world through interactive, multi-sensory exhibits, unique artifacts and seven themed theaters showcasing East of Eden, Cannery Row, Of Mice and Men, The Grapes of Wrath and other books he wrote.
  Instilling this joy for reading and appreciation of literature to Melany and our future children has been very important to Enoch and I. We are very happy to say that although Melany is just 13 months old, she prefers to pick up a book, or ask to be read to than anything else. She can say "book" with a very cute baby accent and absolutely loves it when we engage her in a good book reading.

At the entrance to the museum, we had to pose with Marilyn!

 

Ta-Da!

Wrong way Melany

Hello! Anyone there?

Saturday fun day

This Saturday we wanted to have some fun after not going out for a while since Melany's cold. We started our day by driving to the Montery Museum of Art. I happen to be a big Art lover, and was treated to viewing contemporary galleries and more specifically, one titled In Sharp Focus: The Legacy of Monterey Photography. This gallery is the third in a series of major photography exhibitions organized by the Monterey Museum of Art. We also walked around their rose garden, which was a delight to see. Melany enjoyed viewing some of the work and although she is still young, I want to instill this love for Art in her as well.
  After the Museum, we walked around the cottage like shops in Carmel. We walked all the way down Ocean Avenue and stopped at Carmel Beach. Melany enjoyed herself playing and at times eating the sand despite her mom's pleas. She couldn't help herself but what baby could?

At the Museum entrance

We love photography!

Kids photography activities

At Carmel Beach

I love sand!