Mama's Weekend Getaway

Now that we have a family of six (we have a foster daughter who is just 6 months old), there's not many opportunities for me to get away and just have me time, let alone chances for me and hubby to get away for some US time!

Our Room at Asilomar

 Last month, Papa Bear had ALL FOUR kids, while I got to get away to Pacific Grove, CA with some girlfriends.  For TWO nights!!!  I was SO blessed and refreshed!  We had no agenda but to just have some girl time and to relax.  We stayed at Asilomar Conference Grounds and enjoyed some incredible ocean views, lots of laughter, and a bit of chocolate.  

Two Sweet Friends

Me and another sweet friend (I'm on the right)

Tiki Faces

 We ate at 5 Guys Burgers and Fries.  TWICE!  We went to Hobby Lobby in Morgan Hill (because it's the CLOSEST one to us, and I love it so much better than Michael's!).  I found a really cool basket there for $6 and a VERY cool BIG mirror for $24.  Both were 80% off!!!  We played on the beach, made a sand castle, took silly pictures of each other, had breakfast together at the conference grounds, had potato leek soup the first night, because it was so chilly, and because that soup just sounded so yummy (and it was!).

Love this woman!

All of us at The Ice Cream Shop in Pacific Grove

  We took board games, but never got around to playing them.  Another friend came down and joined us for Saturday, so we went to the Barnyard in Carmel and did some fun thrift store shopping for items to re-purpose into newborn pants and hats for my photography business.  We had a little snack and then went bought some coffee (for Papa Bear), and some chocolate at one of the best little chocolate shops EVER...Pieces of Heaven.  

Ahhhh, the life!  Monterey Municipal Beach

Can you see the seals?

That's me!  I don't care to have my picture taken, but I am learning to let go...

The Lone Cypress on 17 Mile Drive

Love this lady!

Love her too!

We took the 17 mile drive in Carmel, which is AMAZINGLY GORGEOUS!!! We had dinner on Saturday at one of Papa Bear and my favorite restaurants in Monterey...Hula's Tki Room.  We had ice cream at Lappert's A.K.A The Ice Cream Shop in Pacific Grove. We talked and talked and talked about some of the things that come with marriage and children.  We talked about God and His goodness and faithfulness. 

If you can manage it, I highly encourage you to get away with some girlfriends.  It'll do you good!  I am so blessed by these friendships!

Thank you, Papa Bear for allowing me to get away when you had all four kids.  You are an amazing husband and daddy.  I love you!!!

God bless you!

Mama Bear

 

A Tropical Weekend

This past weekend was Papa Bear and I's engagement anniversary. Yesterday was Papa Bear's birthday. To celebrate, Papa Bear booked an ocean-view room for us at the Best Western Monterey Beach Resort...a hotel RIGHT ON THE BEACH! We have stayed at this hotel 3 times now, and we really like it. It's not a fancy schmancy place, but it's simple and suits our needs perfectly. The rooms are comfortable, and the price is fairly reasonable during the off-season. Looking out of our window and seeing the ocean is amazing! Walking down the steps from our room to the beach is fantastic! We even took the boys there last May, so that we could all have fun and play on the beach. The hotel has a gorgeous lobby with windows that stretch across the ocean side of the hotel, making it the perfect place to sit and sip wine and watch the sun set. They also have a full-service restaurant, and a swimming pool. It's almost easy to believe you're in a tropical paradise here.

While we were overnighting in Monterey, we visited our MOST favorite place to eat in all of the Monterey Bay Area...Hula's Tiki Room. Hula's is kind of a hidden treasure. It's not on Cannery Row, where most tourists spend their time. Instead, it's right on Lighthouse Avenue, nestled in between a pharmacy and a bookstore. The ambience of Hula's almost makes you feel like you're sitting in a little grass shack in Hawaii. The waitstaff at Hula's is always very friendly and they take great care of you.

There's a couple of different ways to approach Hula's. The first time we went, we went for dinner, and ordered off of the dinner menu. I had Duke's Luau Pork Plate, which was simply divine. Papa Bear had one of their specials, which was a Scallop dish. We also ordered an appetizer: Samurai Sticks -- grilled Mongolian beef skewers, with lime-curry dipping sauce. YUM!!! I highly recommend that you try these if you stop in at Hula's. They are SO delicious! Also, be sure to order the sweet potato fries...to die for!!!

The second time we went to Hula's, we took the boys and we were there at lunch time, which has a different menu. This time, I had the Crispy Coconut Shrimp Rolls and Salad. I can't say enough about these little tasty friends! You can order these Shrimp Rolls as an appetizer (or PuPu) at dinner, without the salad. They are incredibly delicious, with a pineapple horseradish dipping sauce.

This third visit to Hula's, Papa Bear and I decided to simply order off of the PuPu (appetizer) menu. We had the Samurai Sticks (A+), Sweet Potato Fries (A+), Crispy Coconut Shrimp Rolls (A+), Seared Ahi Wontons (C+ in my book...just not my taste I guess, but at least I tried them), Surfrider Sticks (B+), and Abalone Style Calamari (A+). We definitely got full, even off of the apps!

For lunch the next day, we headed over to Bahama Billy's Island Steakhouse in Carmel, at the Barnyard shopping center. We had a $25 Gift Certificate from Restaurant.com that we had only paid $2 for, so we knew we wanted to visit Bahama Billy's for sure. They have an outdoor patio, which is a great place for a little lunch. We had for our appetizers, the Crab Mango Bisque (B+), and the Coconut Prawns (A+). For lunch, Papa Bear had the Bahama Mama Fish Tacos (He says they were about a b+ or A-), and I had the Fish 'n' Chips (A-). Pretty tasty little lunch, after which we visited Pieces of Heaven...our FAVORITE little chocolate shop in all the world, and the Carmel Valley Roasting Company...a coffee shop where Papa Bear bought a pound of Carmel Foglifter Coffee to bring home.

So, if you're looking to get away to a tropical vacation, that's not quite as costly as Hawaii, I highly recommend our little Monterey Bay mini-vacation spots. All in all, Monterey is one of our favorite little getaways, especially if Papa Bear and I get a chance to get away by ourselves. But, if you're taking the kids, it's a great place too. Be sure to check out all of the wonderful family friendly things you can do in Monterey, including a visit to the Monterey Bay Aquarium and the Dennis the Menace Park!

Have a great day!

Mama Bear

The Perfect Place for Bears to Eat

Looking for a great place to eat a yummy meal with your bear cubs? Look no further than the Black Bear Diners. You can find them in Washington, Oregon, California, Nevada, Arizona, and Colorado. We ate at the Black Bear Diner in Monterey this past weekend, and really enjoyed everything...from the newspaper style menu, to the kid's fish sticks, which were the best I've ever had, to the bear decor everywhere! I mean, I AM Mama Bear, right? We definitely felt right at home. I love the carved wooden bears everywhere, and they even have a great little gift shop.

Their menu has a large array of items to choose from, including healthier choices for the dieters or health conscious bears. We were SO full from our meal that we didn't get to indulge in any of the desserts, but from the looks of the dessert case, we might just have to visit the Black Bear Diner JUST for dessert! Bear claws filled with seasonal fruit fillings, thick handmade milkshakes, bread pudding, blackbeary shakes, and Grandma's Fresh Baked Cobblers. And that's only HALF of the dessert menu!

So whether you're in the mood for breakfast (which is served all day!), lunch, dinner, or just dessert, be sure to stop by and visit the folks at the Black Bear Diners. You'll be glad you did!

Oh, and yes, they DO have a website! It's www.BlackBearDiner.com.

A Very Special Day

Today is a very special day for the Bear Family. Today is the day that Baby Bear gets to change his last name, and his two middle names! Today is the adoption finalization. We are SO excited, and can't believe that this day has finally arrived. I'm pretty sure Baby Bear and Brother Bear are excited too. Baby Bear woke me up at 5:30 this morning, which is SO unlike him! He normally sleeps in until about 7:30. So I decided to get up with him, figuring that he could get up early and then nap before our court appointment. Fingers crossed...

Brother Bear is also up early. He leaves for school at 7:50, but he was up at just after 6am. He's such a good kid! He gets up and showers on his own. (He's a special needs teen, so sometimes his daily responsibilities get forgotten, or we have to remind him about things on a regular basis.) He fixes his lunch for school. Papa Bear and I must've done something right! This kid is good!

So, at 1:15, we will stand with family and close friends, before a judge who will be granting permission for Baby Bear to legally be our little boy. We have prayed for this for about 3-1/2 years now, and it's here! This whole journey sure didn't come about the way we expected, but God knew what was best, and he brought a little BOY (we had our hearts set on a girl) to our home, and brought with him LOADS of smiles and giggles and wiggles and dancing and just full on laughter at his antics. Thank you Lord, for not always giving us exactly what we want, but instead, what we need.

And yes, we will be taking pictures! I hope to post some next week. No, can't do it tomorrow. Papa Bear is taking me down to Monterey for two whole days! We have gone on a total of 4 dates since Baby Bear made his debut in our home. We have not done any overnights. This time, we have a wonderful Grandma-friend who will be watching the Bear brothers, and Papa Bear and I get to stay at a hotel on the beach, and we get to RELAX! I'm looking forward to not having to "take care" of anyone, and I'm looking forward to just getting to hold hands with Papa Bear, and walk on the beach together, and explore Moss Landing together. YAY!

By the way, it's our engagement anniversary tomorrow! And it's Papa Bear's 40th birthday on Monday, so it's kind of a full circle celebration.

Well, have a GREAT weekend.

God bless,
Mama Bear