Our Labor Day weekend was extremely mild. I think we were still trying to decompress and get back into a normal pattern. Rest and relaxation were the key words for the weekend. And we certainly did try to stick with it.

On Saturday we slept in and all snuggled in bed watching a movie. It was nice to just be there together as a family. Around 11 or so we decided to get up and out of the house… take a drive and get away. I think we really would have enjoyed taking Abby to the park again, but the 100 degree heat made that nearly impossible. Oh well, there are many other weekends.
We decided to drive out to Montrose, La Canada/Flintridge and then Pasadena. I got the chance to see where Shaun spent time as a kid with his dad and Fiona, before they moved into their house in Reseda. From there we drove through La Canada/Flintridge and into Pasadena admiring all of the beautiful homes along the way. Boy would I love to live in one of those homes! Maybe one day… although if I had that kind of money I would have a home in Santa Barbara or Montecito. When then visited with Grandpa and Nana for a bit and then headed home. Like I said, it was a quiet weekend.

On Sunday we decided to head up to Santa Barbara. We didn’t have much planned up there, but figured we could enjoy the drive up, stop by the zoo to renew our memberships and maybe hang out for a bit. However, before we headed up the coast I was able to stop by and visit my dear friend Allyson who had just given birth to her first baby… a handsome little boy!

Nathan Dean Vargas was born Saturday September 4th at 3:25am. He was 5 pounds 12 ounces and 18 inches long. Allyson did a great job and when I came to visit looked great! She was tired, as every mom who just went through labor would be, but there was definitely a glow to her. I could tell through the sleepiness that she was so excited and in love with her little boy. Andy was holding him when I came in and I could certainly tell he was a proud daddy. Such a cute family. Thank you Allyson for letting me come to visit! It meant so much!

The drive up to Santa Barbara after my visit with Allyson was eventful. It was Labor Day weekend and who could have a holiday weekend without traffic?! I knew there would be some, but good grief! Despite the frustration of traffic we made the best of it and enjoyed the drive up. When we finally made it up to Santa Barbara we headed straight for the zoo. We renewed our memberships and then spent the next hour and a half hitting up the favorite spots. When we asked Abby what she wanted to see, her immediate response was “Monkeys!” So we headed over to see the Gibbons first. From there we walked past the elephants, who can miss them, and over to see the Gorillas. Lucky for Abby one of them walked right past the glass! After the Gorillas we headed straight to the giraffes, Abby’s other favorite animal at the zoo. She loves watching them and really did not want to leave. That was made very clear by the near meltdown.

When we left we decided to go for a drive through Hope Ranch. This area was once owned by Fess Parker (Disney’s Davey Crockett) who just recently passed away. It now is a secluded area of homes that are beyond amazing… if only I was filthy rich. Its nice to look though. I had hoped to enjoy a cone of soft serve ice cream from a nearby Foster’s Freeze as we drove through, but it was gone. That place had been there since I was a kid and I am sure before that… and now its gone! I hate change… I really do.

We drove all over Santa Barbara and Montecito mostly to enjoy the scenery but also to get around traffic on our way home. Our drive home once we ran out of alternate routes was a mess. Traffic was a nightmare and Ellie was fussy beyond belief. She was great up until that point but then as we hit traffic and just wanted to get home, she turned up the volume. From Ventura to Westlake Village she screamed and howled. I tried to feed her but nothing. She just wanted to cry and cry and cry and… you get my point. By the time we got home we were exhausted and went to bed right away.

Because of the long ride home, Monday was completely uneventful. We literally did nothing all day. Had breakfast, slept, watched movies with Abby and Ellie, napped while the girls napped. Ran to Target to get some needed supplies and then got dinner on the way home.

Like I said… easy going holiday weekend =)