Practically Perfect In Every Way--Our Palm Springs Weekend

2 weekends ago Aaron and I escaped to Palm Springs.

When you have 4 kids, getting a weekend away requires more than a little bit of planning.

It took 2 sets of grandparents, an aunt and uncle, another aunt, and a dear friend to get all the kids taken care of for the weekend.

In the week leading up to our getaway, my mom fell and had to get her finger stitched up and a split in her chin glued together, my mother-in-law developed a terrible case of bursitis, my sister and brother in law were expecting 3 visitors and a dog to spend the weekend with them in their already crowded house, yet they all still said, "yes!  drop off the kids."

And then Davy got a high fever, a terrible sore throat, and wouldn't sleep at night.

It seemed the stars were not aligned in our favor.

He was a little better by Friday, so we decided to go for it.

(I never would have done that with the 1st kid)

Leaving much later than originally planned, we headed out.

At the last minute, Aaron decided we really had to drive the Falcon to Palm Springs, so we squeezed the whole fam in the wagon, and dropped the kids off one by one.

Driving in the Falcon always attracts a lot of attention.
But when it is loaded with 4 kids and a bunch of vintage suitcases in the back, we attracted a LOT of attention.
All told, we spent over 2 hours in the car, just dropping the kids off at their various destinations.

I was still pretty worried about leaving Davy, but he turned into a different kid the moment he saw my Dad, his best friend.
He squealed and laughed and played, and was happy as a clam.
My parents assured us everyone would be fine, and shooed us off with instructions to come back as late as we wanted on Sunday.
With a deep sigh of relief, we were on the road!
Maybe it is just me (but I pretty sure it is a universal Mom thing) but I find it so hard to let go of the guilt whenever I leave my kids behind.
And I don't mean I feel guilty about leaving my kids.
I know they are fine, and that it is good for us all to have a break from one another.
I mean the guilt I feel about everyone who is watching the kids, that Davy might keep my parents up all night, that Lilly will fight with her cousins, that the boys will ask for too many snacks, and all sorts of other ridiculous scenarios I create in my head.
It took the entire drive for me to really relax.
The moment we pulled off the freeway and Mt. San Jacinto loomed over us, the light from the full moon hit the mountain and lit up all the snow.
"Oh look!" I cried.  "It's so beautiful!  It's magical!"
And it was.
It felt like that moment happened just for me--a reminder that we were really there, somewhere so different from home and our everyday life, and that I should soak it all in, and enjoy my time with my best friend.
So we did.
.........................................................................................................................................................
We rolled into Palm Springs at 9 pm and ate dinner at a restaurant called Birba.
Not only was the food fantastic, but the people watching was extraordinary.
It was Moderism Week in Palm Springs (the reason we were there) and that night there had been all sorts of fancy parties where people dressed up in their mid century best, and had cocktails in places like Frank Sinatra's house.
For reals.
How cool is that?
I think Aaron was in heaven looking at everyone dressed up in fabulous plaid jackets and gorgeous, full skirted dresses, looking like they walked right out of 1962.
It was a fun night.

The next morning dawned sunny, clear, and Palm Springs beautiful.
I was so glad Aaron chose to drive the Falcon.
It was the perfect way to get around PS, and she looked right at home amid all the mid century architecture.

Seriously, isn't she just the cutest?

We went out for coffee and breakfast and then headed out of town for a hike.

Since we always visit Palm Springs in the summer, we never get to see the mountains covered with snow.

It is a really beautiful sight.

This was our first hike in PS.
Summer temps aren't conducive to hiking, so we never get to do it.
Aaron dressed for the occasion in an ascot, and a sweater tossed jauntily across his shoulders.
He spurns modern day hiking gear, and things like cargo pocketed hiking shorts.
His response to my,"That's what you're wearing to go hiking?": "What would Cary Grant wear if he was hiking?"
I love this guy of mine--he makes me laugh.

We hiked 4 miles along an amazing palm oasis in the middle of the desert.
It was astonishingly beautiful and one of the most favorite hikes I have ever done.
I'll tell you all about it in my next post.

We did a lot of looking at gorgeous vintage goods, but not a lot of buying.
We have enough vintage stuff now that things have to be a great price in order for us to add to our collection.
Or it must be something we don't have and is on the list.
We didn't get anything, but it was awfully fun to look.

On Saturday we spent the afternoon at the vintage trailer show that was part of Modernism Week.
It was so much fun.
Just look at this little beauty.
We got to walk inside all of them, talk to their owners, and dream of the day when we'll be sitting inside one of our very own.
It was fun to be around a whole bunch of people who geek out over the same things we do.
There will be lots more pics of my favorite trailers over at Picnics in the Park.
Be sure to check it out!

I even had a celebrity sighting at the trailer show.
Charles Pheonix!
He was really nice, admired Aaron's ascot, and was super excited that we lived in one of So Cal's original 50s suburban communities.
We speak the same language.
I love Charles!

But you know what the best part of the day was?
Just cruising around with my man.
He was in his element amidst all that mid century coolness.
We laughed a lot, held hands, sat close on the bench seat in the Falcon, and had entire conversations without being interrupted once.
It was glorious.

Sunday morning dawned clear, windy, and cold, (for us) but still sunny.
We admired the pool from inside the warm house.
It's pretty wonderful to have generous friends who let you stay at their Palm Springs house because otherwise you could never afford to visit Palm Springs in the high season.
Thanks you guys!
We even had a view of the snowy mountains from the breakfast table.

After a visit to a vintage garage sale, and coming very close to purchasing a 1962 Shasta trailer, we went for another hike.
This one was the beginning of the Cactus to Clouds hike, and it was 1.5 miles of straight up.

It's an 850 elevation gain in only a mile and a half.
If you go the whole way, it's something like climbing 10,000 ft. (makes the 850 seem pretty lame, right?)
Doing that whole hike is now on my list of life goals.
It was a lot of scrambling over rocks, but the views were breathtaking.

And then, breakfast at my favorite spot.

The rest of the day was spent tooling around PS, doing a tiny bit of thrifitng, (not much to find this time of year) and leaving as the sun was setting behind the mountain.

This was the first time we'd been away for a night since my birthday, last August.
And it was the first time we'd been away for more than 1 night in probably 3 years--maybe more.

As hard as it is to make it all come together, getting in the time together away from our kids is really important to keeping our relationship healthy and strong.

Also, it is a lot of fun!

Thanks to all the fine people who made this trip possible.
We owe you big time.

Palm Springs, we love you!

Love from,

Greta

Friends Forever

This past Saturday I helped host a baby shower for one of my dearest friends.

We celebrated little Henry, Erin's second son.

Erin and I have been friends for as long as I can remember.
In fact, I really can't remember my life without her.
Really she is far more than a friend, she is the little sister I never had.
I love her.

Our friendship exists because of these 2 lovely ladies.

My mom and Cathy have also been friends for as long as I can remember.
When Cathy moved to Fallbrook she was a young Marine wife and didn't know a soul.
She met my mom at church and soon she would come over to my parents' house, sit on the couch, and watch the chaos of a family with 4 kids unfold around her.
After a while, she was sitting on the couch in labor with Erin, her first born.
She was in labor with Erin for a while, just sitting on my parents' couch and waiting.
Eventually she went to the hospital and Erin was bron.
Cathy and my mom have been best friends ever since.
Their friendship is responsible for this group.

We love each other.
Cathy is my second mom.
Cathy was who I called when I was 13 and needed someone to take a tick off my dog.
And Cathy called our house when her husband Ed was overseas with the Marines, and she heard strange noises on her roof in the middle of the night.
It was a raccoon. 
Erin was in my wedding.
Cathy has been at the births of each of my children.
She was Kristen's coach for both of her boys.
Cathy and and my Mom maintained their friendship when Cathy and her family moved to 29 Palms, Virginia, Washington, and back to Fallbrook.
Erin rubbed my back while I was in labor with James and David, and I rubbed hers while she labored with Zeke.
Cathy and my mom made it through all 6 of their kids teen years together--with much laughter and many tears, I'm sure.
My mom was there when Erin gave birth to both her sons.
Erin remembers my sister as a teenager, laying on the floor, talking on the phone, as any little sister would remember her big sister.
Their family lived with ours for a while.
We have watched each other grow up, celebrated weddings and births, and stood have by one another through some very hard times.
We know we will always be there for each other.
NO. MATTER. WHAT.

 The other thing we know is that there will always be laughter.

We crack each other up.
When you have 30 + years of history together, there is a lot to laugh about.
No one else may get all the jokes, but that doesn't really matter.
Having a group of women I can cry with, be silent with, pray with, be honest with, and laugh out loud with is an incredibly special gift.
I love them all so much.

And these two, well I love them heaps and heaps.
Lilly is named after both of them.
Lillian Catherine.
They're the best.

"A faithful friend is a strong defense; 

And he that hath found him 

hath found a treasure.” 

 Louisa May Alcott

Mom, Cathy, Kristen, Erin, I am forever grateful that we are friends forever.

Thank you for being part of my life.

Love from,

Greta

PS.  There's more about Henry's shower over at Picnics.  And lots more fun pictures from the photo booth (lots) over here.

Family Photo Booth Shoot 2012

This may be one of my most cherished family traditions.

To me, these are priceless heirlooms.

Our collection of photo booth strips is growing.

If we keep going at this rate, it will take over a whole wall.

I'm game.

These strips, and the story each one tells, are fun.

I think that's what I like best about them.

They are silly, they are spontaneous, and they are just the real us, having fun.

I know that when my kids are grown, and I look back at the days of their childhood, these are the kinds of moments I will cherish.

Make the time to make memories, my friends.

It is worth every bit of extra effort.

This life is short--live it up!

Here are our shots from the OC fair this year.

The big boys went first.

Brothers.

They share so much.

I love them so.

Then it was me and my littles.
Davy is still not sure about the photo booth thing.
But Lilly is getting it.
Last year Davy was a tiny newborn.
Now he's a big boy.
And Lilly is my blond beauty.
I love them so.

Aaron met us at the fair after work and we headed back to the booths for the family shot.
No one thought we could do it.
But we did!
Look closely and you'll see parts of everyone's face in every picture.
The first one's the worst, but they just get better from there.
I like the third one--everyone's mouth is open except for Davy.
But his eyes are wide open.
These crack me up.
Every single time I walk past these strips hanging in the kitchen, I smile.

People tell me every day how hard it must be to have "all those kids".
They shake their heads.
They say "better you than me".
Or, "I couldn't do it".
Sometimes they say, "you are so blessed."
Yes, I am.
I am blessed beyond measure.
Yes, it's hard.
Yes, it's crazy.
Yes, it can be exhausting.
But there is also so much joy, laughter, and fun that we all share.
There is a fullness in our house and in our life that is very rich.
There is a lot of love.
Sometimes when I stop to think of it, I can't help but cry.
Blessed indeed.
These photos remind me of that.
Have a wonderful week, friends.
Love from,
Greta