I spent the past couple of days trying to decide how I would write about the past week. I tried segmenting it, but it really is one story...one fairytale week. So, grab a cup of coffee; this is a long one. The words don't do it justice, but I hope the pictures capture the sentiment.
We spent last week in Napa Valley, Calistoga to be exact. See this little green house in the middle of a vineyard:
That was our home away from home for the week. Those are olive trees surrounding the house, and the mountains in the background were the perfect backdrop for an idyllic week. Chelsea Vineyard was as warm and cozy as you could imagine. Throughout the week, our little family, Nana, Papa, and an assortments of aunts, uncles, and cousins, shared the space. We cooked, snuggled by fires, and played. It really was home in the truest sense of the word.
We arrived on Sunday, but that was a day just to settle and let poor Issa's tummy settle. The two hour drive from San Francisco after two flights just did her in.
By Monday, though, we were ready to venture out. Our first stop was Mustard's for a visit with Brad's Aunt Carolyn:
Mustard's is an incredible little restaurant that has been featured on Food Network. They also have their own garden, which the kids were thrilled to explore.
When we got back to the house, Nana and Papa joined up to explore Calistoga:
It's a charming town filled with boutiques, book stores, and wine shops. The highlight, though, was the train shops:
Yes, those are train cars that are shops. And...the one in the back is a candy store. Poor Evan was just beside himself. We also found a bottle of wine from our vineyard there:
When we got home, the kids discovered what might have been the highlight of their week:
Walnuts. Tons of walnuts. They spent so much time collecting as many as they could find nearly every day. Then, we started cracking:
In case you are wondering, the handles of a can opener make a dandy nut cracker. We enjoyed fresh, toasted and candied nuts all week, and Issa got pretty good at popping them out of the cracked shells:
At this point, I need to explain those gloves. They might be the highlight of the first part of the trip for my mother. When we went into Calistoga, we told each child that they could pick out a souvenir. Three of us got shirts. Not Issa. All of my chickens are coming home to roost with this one. Any shirt, necklace, or scarf I suggested she turned her nose up to with comments like, "That is so not cute," or, better yet, "I guess it looks like you," which translated into hideous apparently. Then, she spotted these fingerless gloves, and before I could stop myself I made a face...and they were sold. She wore them all week. She loves them. And so it begins.
Tuesday, we headed out to our first winery:
Yes, folks, it was a castle, complete with everything a castle would have had: a moat, drawbridge, banquet hall, burning fireplaces, a chapel, and beautiful artwork. We learned about wine presses throughout the ages, and we climbed parapets:
Our little princess:
Evan was on the lookout for a dragon:
But the courtyard was the most exciting:
Because of these:
We had been there only a few minutes when we heard the first rooster crow (and yes I know there are turkeys in the picture above--all poultry are thrilling). Evan's little hands came straight out as he shouted, "Mama, I heard cockel-doodles!" We couldn't find them fast enough. We tasted wines and grape juice, and in a moment of divine intervention, we met Jeff's family who happened to be touring the same winery. They are warm and wonderful and feel like family already.
Wednesday, Brad and I snuck off for a morning date to two bakeries also featured on Food Network. Folks, these are the cookies that stopped the world:
These macarons are incredible, and I will be trying to figure them out over the next few weeks. They are light and lovely.
Wednesday afternoon, the kids discovered new fun:
Sweeping the driveway. We don't get it, but it's apparently hysterical. So is skipping through a vineyard:
That night, Shannon and Jeff came over for dinner, and we sadly watched the Tigers lose:
(For the record, that is a ring pop in Evan's mouth.) Growing up, I remember Daddy and Gramps watching every Tigers game, and watching my boy watch the game with the Stucky men is a moment I will be forever grateful for--even if we would have preferred a different outcome. Somehow, listening to Lyle "coach" the team just made it all the more perfect.
Thursday, Mom and I headed off with Shannon to do some wedding prep, and the kiddos headed out with Daddy, Papa, and Aunt Carol to tour another vineyard:
This vineyard featured a gondola ride and a tour that explained wine making. The kids loved the ride and tasting different grape juices. I think they also loved a little bonus Aunt Carol time:
Thursday afternoon, the vineyard owner stopped by. As it turned out, he had harvested all of the grapes they needed, and anything left on the vine was fair game. The kids couldn't find a bowl fast enough after a week of being told that they were not our grapes. The three of us headed out to the vines:
Cabernet grapes are yummy:
Although we did figure out the ones left on the vine were there because they were harder to get off:
I would say it was a successful harvest:
Daddy made a Cabernet sauce that night to put over ice cream, and it might be the best ice cream I've ever eaten.
Friday, we had the wedding rehearsal and luncheon. The kids loved playing with Jeff's nieces, and the two families melded beautifully. The highlight for the kids, though, was the train that went past the luncheon venue:
The woman in the middle is Jeff's mother, and our kids proclaimed sometime Friday that, "We have two Grandma Judies now." Beautiful.
Saturday was the big day! We girls all got our hair done in the morning and then had a lovely bridal lunch with Shannon's closest friends before we headed to the vineyard to get ready:
Shannon was a beautiful, calm, blissful bride, and I am so glad I could be with my baby sister on her big day:
Issa was a beautiful flower girl:
And Evan was a very handsome ring bearer:
And that is one adorable bridal party:
Always a ham:
Dinner in the wine cave was beautiful:
And it was followed with a lot of dancing and laughter and family.
Jeff and Shannon are so clearly very, very much in love, and it was a beautiful wedding...a prelude to a beautiful marriage and what I am sure will be a very happily ever after.
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