GIRL?!

So we have been so busy lately that I haven't had a chance to update the blog about my sister. She had an ultrasound last week to find out if she was team blue or team pink! The doctor comfirmed the baby measured healthy and everything looked great. But Kelly and Ryan wanted to get down to the most important part! Boy or girl?! The doctor said he saw that "parts" for a second and he is 94% sure it's a girl!? So as much as Kelly and Ryan wanted to be really excited they weren't quite sure if they should start shopping yet. They have another appt. this Thursday so maybe they will get to 100% then! It's so surprising that it's looking like a girl because there are no girls on Ryan's side. So his grandma thought for sure she was getting another grandson! But Team PINK it is!  

Kari's Birthday Weekend!

Steve and I talked about what to do for my birthday for some time now. We tossed around the idea of going to Arizona...or Palm Springs...or Paso Robles. But we finally decided on the Santa Ynez/Solvang/Los Olivos area again! We just love it up there and knew we would have a great time! It was scheduled to rain on Saturday but we weren't too worried..or as you can see below, maybe Steve was a little worried. But I love the rain so I knew it would be ok! I had the camera a lot and just could not stop taking senery pictures! I know that pictures are much more interesting with people in them, but I didn't care this time, because of course it was my birthday! ;-)

It started to clear up pretty quickly! We only hit a few pockets of rain the rest of the day on and off!

I love this pix! Road to where? Who cares when the view looks like that!
Firestone was our first stop! Their grounds are really pretty! Their winery is huge too and of course very popular!

Now where.... Fess Parker!

Moo cows....moooooo!

Ok so you might have to click on this to really see it. There is a spider in the middle of the road! We could not believe how big it was! I have a super spidy sense that gives me the ablility to see spiders any and everywhere! Steve has had to deal with this on many occasions by me GASPING and then explaining I've got a spider he needs to kill! He hates when I do that gasp thing because he says he always thinks I'm in pain or something. Well I'm sorta in pain because there is a spider in my presenses and I can not stand to even look at them! Bleck! So Steve decided to pull over of course...to get a better look...guess who stayed in the car! ME!

Yuck! I seriously can not look at this pix or I will have nightmares...I think it had hair on it! Oh and this was not the only one we saw crossing the road...literally! There was at a least 3 on this stretch of road! I think I would have a heartattack if I saw this in my house! Wow!

More wine....off to Zaca Mesa! At this winery we saw the same pourer who had poured for us the weekend we got engaged! It was his first day and he was super nervous! We had to to tell him! He actually remembered us and he too had since become engaged and married! So cool!

So then Steve took the camera after we did all the wine tasting at Zaca Mesa. He got some super creative shots of their grounds!

Their giant chess set...for the kids to play while their parents booze it up! Hey I didn't say that was right..but at least they have something to do right?

The sweetest lady took this picture. But I was laughing so hard because she put the camera up to her eyeball....but it's a digital one! Poor thing! So cute!

This the Carhdart Winery. It's Super tiny and super small. You may recognize it from our engagment shoot.

We went to dinner at the Hitching Post on Saturday night. We had never eaten there. Most people know about it from the movie Sideways!

You can see them cooking the food from the resturant. So cool!

Day 2: My birthday! YAY! We took a winding, back road to some wineries. Made my stomach a bit iffy but it finally settled down!

We went to Los Olivos for lunch at the Los Olivos Cafe! It's SOO yummy! On our way back we saw this turkey! It was promoting some festival. It was huge and goobled a lot and very loudly!

In Los Olivose they had this little market with pumpkins and veggies for sale. I thought it was so cute! Love the colors!

At Fess Parker, one of the pourers, James, gave us a free tasting card for Epifany Cellars! It was in Los Olivos so we stopped by there too! We thought we were special until everyone else coming in gave their free tasting cards from James too! Whatever! But it was good wine and we even bought some bottles home!

This is the Kalyra dog, Maddy..or Matty...not sure what they said! It is always at this winery! When we took our engagment photos it's actually in one of the pictures! It totally looks like it's our dog! So when we went again this time there it was. It came right in and right up to us even though there was about 6 other couples tasting too! Maybe it's a sign...we should take her home next time. Or just a sign we need a doggy!

For my birthday dinner of course I had to go to Mattei's Tavern! It's just soo good and holds so many memories for us! The same place where we had our 3rd date and where Steve proposed. Who is tired of this story? Heehee! Not me!

Make a wish....

Happy birthday to me....

Kristen's Baby Girl Shower!

Mandy and Noah!

The soon to be mom and dad! Doesn't she look amazing!

I love how they hung some of the onsies from the light! So cute!

Here is all of our masterpieces! The bikini design won! Picked by the momma! I don't know who's that was though!

Here is my simple design..

Love all the tiny, cute gifts! She got some great stuff! I didn't have time to blog about this until day! Almost a week later, whoops! I went to Kristen's baby shower on Sunday at her parents house in Bixby Knolls! She is 30 weeks now and looking amazing! Baby Cameron or Bella...or Emma or Brooke or Taylor...ha will be here in December! As you can see they haven't quite decided on a name but as I understand Cameron and Bella are on the top of the list! I can't wait to see which one they pick! They are all great names!

The first activity was eating of course! Hello we are gamma phi's..what else would we do first!? So after that they had a super cute idea to decorate onsies! We all got a white onsie and had fabric pens to decorate with. As most of you know this is not an ideal condition for me! I need ribbon and my handy glue gun! However I had none of those things...I felt a bit lost. So mine was rather simple and plain...but less is more right?!