Date 8: Fish Boutique Cafe

Okay, so this is random.
Fish Boutique?
I know, right?

This place opened up in the same parking lot
as one of our Trader Joe's
so natch... I added it to the list.

I figured they'd have fish tacos maybe?
Okay, fish tacos are not boutiquey enough.
The decor? Boutique at it's finest. :)

They've got all sorts of fancy fish sandwiches
which Jeremiah (the birthday boy!) was brave enough to try.

Me? I stuck with fish n' chips.
And I must admit,
the fish was super fresh and real yummy.

If they had ranch dressing for their fries,
I might even go there again.

All kidding aside,
it was alright.

And they do have a fish counter
that I might try sometime.

Working for the Weekend

Traveling makes me feel alive.
It doesn't need to be a big trip.
Heck, I still have never really been out of the country.
But Roadtrips, Weekend Getaways,
Island Vacations, New Cities...

It all makes me giddy.

I love airports
and taxis.
City buses and trains.
I like tall buildings.
Hidden parks.
Moving at my own pace.
I love touristy things
and mom and pop's.
I love it all.

Sure, I have dreams to visit Europe
and stay over the water in Tahiti.
I'd love to explore Australia,
bask in the sun of more Caribbean islands,
take in Hong Kong, and Africa...

But for now...

it's a short little weekend trip to the rainy city of San Francisco
that has me smiling ear to ear.
A simple little trip to celebrate my brother-in-law's birthday.

but I'm just oh so excited.

Maverick

Last weekend, Jeremiah's wing-man Mav celebrated 27 years of life.

Our friend Taylor through him a festive little shindig at her house
before we headed out to Temecula to go clubbin'.


Yes, I'm white.
And Yes, I just said clubbin'.

Her porch was beautifully decorated for the Falland little decorations were popping up all over the place
A quick picture of the birthday boy before dinner
and of course there were cupcakes
How else would we sing Happy Birthday?
What party is complete without a frosting fight?
The calm before the storm
But of course... sweet little Ellie playing on Bacon's phone.
That girl has some mad tech skills
Happy Birthday, Maverick!

Thanks for making me stay up way past my bedtime.
and thanks for being such a gosh-darn-fun person to celebrate.

We love you!!

{NYC:} Anything Goes

The whole reason we went to New York was to see:
Anything Goes!


And I must admit, it was well worth the trip!

Anything Goes is about
a hilariously messy love triangle (square?!) upon the S.S. American.
It's sweet, it's funny
and Sutton Foster, Colin Donnell,
and Kelly Bishop were particularly wonderful.


Especially from the front row. :)

It's probably my new favorite Broadway show of all time.(Lys, no talking during pictures!)

... and after the show, we of course hung out at the Stage Door
to snag some autographs and pictures!
I've had the soundtrack on repeat ever since we got home.

Happy {belated} Birthday, Jay!

A certain special someone had another birthday earlier this month
and I've been a real slacker about honoring her on this here blog.


A couple weeks ago,
Jordanna and I got together with our boys
to celebrate her Quarter-of-a-Century Birthday!

We went out for yogurt,
and exchanged a simple gift

but more importantly,
we shared in honest conversation.

It was the kind of conversation
that was strangely life-giving.

The kind that makes you feel more human.

And the kind that makes you insanely thankful
for friends like the McGoverns.

Happy belated Birthday, Jay!!

We love you!
and are honored to be your close friends
and to have gotten the chance to celebrate with you.

Meet Elle!

This beautiful little girl was born on August 5th
and we couldn't be more thrilled.

{*}

Welcome to the world, sweet baby girl.
Your mommy and poppy are going to take such great care of you.

Weekend Highlights

This weekend felt like Heaven to me.
It was the first weekend in a month that we were home.

We didn't leave early from work on Friday
or drive for hours in traffic
or arrive home way past our bedtimes on Sunday night.
We just stayed put
relaxing and spending life-giving time with friends.
It was so rejuvenating.

A few highlights:

A double-date BBQ and Game Night
Actually waking up cold (instead of hot) in the middle of the night
A spontaneous and beautiful morning walk around the lake
A candid and beautiful display of friendship
The SR Farmers Market
A mini Paint-by-Number
Our new toy coming in the mail
Seeing my father-in-law for a short chat
Zucchini Orzo with Feta
A clean house (Finally!!)
A triple-date BBQ with friends
Walking to Rite Aid for an ice cream cone
Good Conversation
A challenging sermon at church
Playing my current favorite song during worship
Running errands together
Reading a new book at the pool
Getting my wedding ring cleaned and dipped
Celebrating Danny's birthday with a bunch of friends and yummy food
Snuggling before bed

And to think...
next weekend is looking just as lovely.

I'm so thankful for the full life we get to navigate and enjoy.
Our God, our families, our friends, the city we live in..

*sigh*

:-)

My [Big] Little Seester

Today, my beautiful little sister turns 20!!

We celebrated her last weekend with a Sunday Funday,
we'll celebrate her again tonight with a family dinner
(after her day at the spa, of course)
and we'll keep on celebrating right into Fall
when we go to NYC!!
That's just the way we roll. :)

But on her special day today, I want to honor her
with 20 things I really appreciate and love about her.

Maybe it will even get her to read my blog ;-)

1. She's the funniest person I've ever met. Ever.
2. She'd never say a hurtful word about anyone.
3. She is an absolutely gorgeous dancer.
4. She gives killer hand massages, willingly and frequently.
5. She scouts out the best beauty products.
6. She gives wise advice.
7. She has a servant's heart.
8. Anything she cooks is tasty, tasty, tasty.
9. She does the best impersonations.
10. She's the best burger flipper on the plaaa-net.
11. She has like a thousand different facial expressions that all rock.
12. She makes awesome little movies with her friends.
13. She's loyal like a little puppy dog.
14. She's a stellar shopping partner - has the best style and picks out cute things.
15. She is impeccable at remembering and identifying colors.
16. Her nails are always perfectly manicured #inspiring
17. She's insanely considerate and generous. Giving.Giving.Giving.
18. She's creative and innovative, with the best ideas!
19. She loves the Lord.
20. and she's the best sister in the world.

Happy Birthday, Lyssie.
I'm so thankful not only for the gift of having a sister,
but for the fact that my sister is YOU!

I love you.

Surprising the Sister

My wittle sister is not a teenager anymore.
Well, as I write this, she still is.
But on her birthday next week,
she's saying hello to the big two-oh.

We celebrated Sunday with breakfast at Hash House,a stroll through Hillcrest to the candy store,a walk along the Embarcadero and through Seaport Village,and with a little shopping before dinner.

I was pretty excited about this birthday in particular
because we were surprising my sister big time.

Before breakfast, Jeremiah and I gave her
a little suitcase full of Seattle puzzle pieces.She loves puzzles. and she loves Seattle
so I knew it'd be a winner.But the big surprise was this little guy.A simple card that read a little something like this:
"A little birdie told me, it's your birthday.
And when it's your birthday.... anything goes.
But if anything really goes,
you might need these."And what are "these?"

Yes, yes, YES!

They're tickets to see Anything Goes on Broadway.
in New York City!!!

Seeing her face when she opened them,
had to be the highlight of my whole weekend.

Can't wait for our girls' trip this fall!

A Family Celebration

Last weekend, my cousin MaryLisa
had our family over for Sunday dinner.

We enjoyed good conversation,
a tasty meal, a few rounds of games,and we celebrated miss Julia's birthdaywith cake, ice cream and presents, of course.
How fun to have our family close by.
These girls are just the sweetest.

{Mom gets the photocreds on this one}

Happy Birthday, Bloggy

Today my little blog turns 2.
And what a lovely 2 years it's been.

Happy Birthd-E

A couple weeks ago we celebrated sweet Erin's 25th Birthday!

We started out the night at Kensington Grill.
Then we headed back to the Schak for
drinks, desserts and games.

Any party with that girl is nothing short of fun.

Happy Happy {belated} Birthday, E!

I'm so thankful for the way our friendship has grown and strengthened.
You are beautiful. You are fun. You are brilliant. You are loyal.
I love you.

*******************

Me and the Birthday Girl at dinnerThe Pretty LadiesThe Handsome Men
Sprinkles Cupcakes, Drinks and a game of Fishbowl

PS: I totally recommend: Mac n' Shrooms,
Black Bean and Panella Ravioli, and Pork Baby Back Ribs
at Kensington Grill! Nom Nom =)

#iheartbaseball

Goodness me, isn't Petco Park absolutely beautiful?
I know.

Last night, dad and I enjoyed a game together
to celebrate his big 50th birthday.

As much as I would have loved for the Padres to win
{and really, to have a winning season this year}
I set my expectations a little lower last night.
All I hoped for was an exciting game that finished in 9.
And I got what I asked for.
Jurrjens threw an exceptional complete game
and the Padres kept it interesting with sloppy pitching.
It was a bummer they lost, but still a fun time.

I mean, c'mon
who can deny a ballpark hotdog,
a bag of peanuts
and people who sit behind you asking,
'do they like get penalty points for leaving runners on base?'
It was aw-to-the-some.

And for the first time in quite a while,
I kept score last night.
I know, I know, it's a geeky habit, but I just love it.
I love knowing how many first-pitch strikes the pitcher has thrown.
I love knowing which of the up-coming batters are lefties.
I love knowing all sorts of silly randoms like that.
And I love being invested in every pitch.
It takes me back to my days on the mound.


PS: Padres scorecard makers, if you're listening,
have you ever kept score before?
Your design is no bueno.

What's Half of a Hundred?

There's a special connection between a father and his daughter.

A connection that I'm sure starts when he holds his little girl for the first time,

A connection that grows as he teaches her to throw a ball and swing a bat.
A connection that celebrates with award ceremonies, graduations and championship games.
A connection that is challenged yet reinforced through those awful teen years.
A connection that deepens as they share life {and cry} together.
A connection that is transformed as he walks his little girl down the aisle to give her away.
A connection that smiles as they discuss business over mid-week lunch dates.
And a connection that continues to grow more and more each day.

As we celebrate another year of my dad's life,
with BBQs, gifts, Padres Games and an upcoming family vacation...
I think about the strong relationship we've worked to develop.

I'm so thankful to have a dad that both knows and loves the Lord
a dad that is careful with his words and gives wise advice
a dad that is handsome and works so very hard
a dad that challenges and encourages
a dad that I love to itty-bitty pieces.

Happy 50th, Daddy!

I love you.

Anticipation

Happy Friday, y'all!

If you know me, you know I thrive on anticipation.
So what am I looking forward to these days?

Well...

Dinner with my Papa and family tonight.
The weekend.
New-to-us patio furniture.
The Padres game next week.
Girls Night
A trip up to see these two lovebirds.
An upcoming lunch with my daddy.
Easter.
Our wedding anniversary next month.
Mrs. Schanaker's Birthday and Masters Graduation
The END of Busy Season.
our trip to Seattle this summer.
(Exact flights I wanted, at $200 less than I had expected,
Adorable little hotel, Padres/Mariners Game, Food Tour... Gah, I can't wait.)
And our upcoming family staycation.

What are YOU looking forward to?

The Birthday Boy

I love him to pieces. I do. I do. I doooo.
Being married to him has been both the greatest joy
and the greatest challenge I have ever experienced.

And I am SO excited to celebrate another year with him.

Happy 27th Birthday, my sweet darling.

You're handsome. You're loving. You're generous.
You're hard-working. You're intelligent.
You're so much fun.

I love you.

Go Shawty

So yesterday was my birthday.

I'm typically one to go all out.
I love celebrating.
anything and everything.

But this year, all I wanted was
R E S T

This year, I was reminded
it's in the small things.

My NON-morning person of a husband
work up early to make us a pancake breakfast
I showed up at work in the morning
to find my office decorated Jack Bauer style.
I enjoyed shrimp and crab fondue with a few co-workers
My typical Friday afternoon meetings were canceled
My sweet husband left a birthday note on my car
I spent an hour perusing a couple different craft stores
I ate meatloaf and potatoes at home in my pajamas
and I watched an episode of 24 from the comfort of my bed
before falling asleep at ten

Not terribly exciting
but practically perfect

Thank you to everyone
for all of the sweet birthday messages.

Happy Birthday, Mike!

Remember last year when my father-in-law turned 50?

Welp, it's that time of year again.

Happy 51st, Mikey!
On this birthday in particular,
I'm especially thankful for the opportunity to celebrate with you.

And I hope your day is relaxing and wonderful.
I'm looking forward to our dinner party tonight.