Wednesday, December 30, 2009

Los Carneros Walk

We took a very fun walk around Lake Los Carneros with Anne and Richard.
The MOST exciting part (which Cyanne talks about every single time we now pass by the lake) is that we saw a baby bobcat. There were people there taking photos and we stopped to see what they were photographing.

It was this beautiful little bobcat - it sat there looking at us and Cyanne was mesmerized.
Eventually, it went home to "his mommy and daddy." And Cyanne kept saying "see, see! Bobcat, home to mommy and daddy" over and over. And each time we now pass Los Carneros, she says "Bobcat. Home to Mommy Daddy. Bobcat. Over there." Amazing memory, this one...






Nanna and Cyanne after the walk



Unfortunately, we didn't get any photos of the bobcat!

Maritt & Cyanne - Shirts from Whitney

Our dear friend Whitney sent us the most adorable, creative, sweet, entertaining shirts ( a onesie and a T-shirt) for Maritt & Cyanne once Maritt was born.

The onesie says "I (heart) Cyanne" and the t-shirt says "I (heart) Maritt."
So, so fantastic!!!






Getting them to pose together proved a little challenge. Maritt did a good job of sitting there =)... and then we tried to get Cyanne to smile. I think they like each other =)...



Kisses....
















Tuesday, December 29, 2009

Beachwalks, Christmas Decorations and Goodbyes

Some photos of the front porch all decked out for Christmas:



My mother made yet another incredible Christmas wreath. The theme this year was 'Nutcrackers.'


Nanna doing double-duty without blinking an eye. Entertaining Cyanne while holding Maritt. She's amazing (and boy do we miss her around here!)!



Family photo:



More family shots:



It's hard to beat the view from my parent's deck:





"Look Nanna, over there!"




Mart doing some last minute Maritt-holding before she had to leave:



Tom saying goodbyes to Mart & Anna. See, we made them hold Maritt and/or Cyanne until the very last minute! =)



And, of course, they were kind enough to oblige. Maritt seems very peaceful! =) We were so, so thankful to Anne, Anna and Mart for all of the time they spent rocking, bouncing, shushing, singing, and holding Maritt or helping her fall asleep. It was a huge help to us and we appreciated every moment! They also did a wonderful job of playing with Cyanne. There were many walks taken outside, oranges picked, playdough shaped, and books read. She had a fantastic time with her Nanna and awesome Aunts!



They walked down the stairs from my parent's house to the beach - Cyanne, impressively, walked up and down all the stairs herself. It is a good climb!



Anna taking photos of the crew on the beach. I enjoyed playing with my telephoto lens!:

Monday, December 28, 2009

Visit to the Santa Barbara Botanic Gardens

We visited the SB Botanic Gardens today. It was incredible to see what had been damaged in the Jesusita Fire. A vast portion of the Gardens were damaged and/or destroyed by the blaze.
The contrast between the new growth and the burned, charred trees and vegetation was amazing.

It was a still a beautiful site even with all of the fire damage it withstood during the last (of many) fires we have experienced around here.



Walking through the Redwoods:







A burned out tree trunk:



The Lassiter boulder - amazing to find a connection to Anne's family in Santa Barbara!



Tom tried out his Christmas present: a child backpack. Now, Cyanne can ride in style and comfort!





A huge portion of the Gardens were burned in the fire. You can see the new growth contrasted against the burned trees and shrubs. It burned right down the creek bed and burned all trees, plants, and bridges in its path.




Richard and Cyanne discuss how her shoe fell off in the first place and whether to put it back on. Richard's doing his best to convince her it would be a good idea...





View towards the ocean:





Sunday, December 27, 2009

Visit to the SB Courthouse

Tom, Anne, Richard and Anna visited the SB Courthouse tower for some beautiful views of Santa Barbara:





Saturday, December 26, 2009

Firestone Winery

The day after Christmas, Tom took people over to Santa Ynez to take a drive through wine country.





Kisses for Daddy:



They stopped at the Firestone Vineyard. The ladies (Anne, Anna & Mart) tasted inside while the men and a little lady (Tom, Ryan, Richard and Cyanne) went on a hike through the vineyards and up a hill that became steeper and more adventurous than they planned!









They brought back some delicious bottles which we enjoyed that evening.