Yosemite - Adventure On

With a year of parenthood under our belts, Mike and I have been wanting to rekindle our adventurous, wandering spirits since they have largely been at bay since Wren arrived. So we went all out and visited a new-to-us National Park with some of our very best buds. And while it was a hard decision to leave Wren at home with our families it proved to be such a sweet time for us to unwind, recharge, do things we've always enjoyed without limitation. Like lay our eyes on new sites and spend quality time both together and with Ben and Emily. Adventure was certainly had...from fly fishing the Merced River (Shout out to Yosemite Outfitters and David for being such a hospitable, knowledgable and easy-going guide!) to hiking some seriously scenic miles, to checking more National Parks off of our list, to shamelessly being total tourists. We hold dear these special memories! 

But we sure did miss our little bird!

[First hiking destination to Cathedral Lake]

[Checking out Hetch Hetchy]

[Glacier Point View]

[Bemily]

 [Views of Half Dome all throughout our hike on the Panorama Trail]

[Sunset at Taft Point was nearly spiritual] 

[Checking out the giant Sequoias in Kings Canyon National Park] 

[General Sherman - largest tree on.the.planet]

[We had lunch on top of Moro Rock in Sequoia National Park]

[Enjoying Sierra Nevadas in the Sierras]

[On top of Clouds Rest in Yosemite National Park]

[Looking back towards Tenaya Lake where we parked] 

[Love these two!] 

[Shameless touristing on Lombard Street during our one day in San Francisco]

Thankful for all the adventures we take and always the sweetness of home. 

Wren [1 year old!]

  

Wren Mikaela, you are one whole entire YEAR old today! And you are snoozing away today because we have celebrated all weekend long and you certainly delighted yourself in all the extra attention. Your daddy and I must be in for it down the road (:

Like any mama, of course this day - your very first birthday - brings back such a flood of memories. Honestly, I can't land on any thought too long or I'll turn straight to mush. Just know that if I could keep this first year with you in a locket, I'd look inside every day. 

Daddy and I are simply so thankful for your little life and your little soul! Our sweet little bird, you are loved so immensely and treasured so greatly. Happy FIRST birthday to you!

And happy sixth birthday to our sweet Sully! You call him "good boy," I guess because that's what you hear me saying to him all day every day (: Y'all are such good buds and I hope y'all enjoy many, many more birthdays and memories together.

Wren [11 months]

It's just a normal day today - just the pair of us at home together. You are napping now, no doubt worn out from your dancing escapades the kitchen [watching yourself in the reflection of the oven] and following me around the entire house over and over - my dear, sweetest little [crawling] shadow. 

I surely hope we can always apply the rule that you can never have too many pictures because it's days like these I never want to forget. One day you won't be tugging at my ankles, mimicking everything I do and vying for my every ounce of attention. My showers won't include 100 rounds of peek-a-boo to you just on the other side of the curtain and my days will slowly begin to revolve less and less around you as you'll be independently governing yourself more and more bit by bit.

Through misty eyes, let me remind you, little bird, that my heart....my heart will always revolve around you!

Let's go slow this month. Do it for mama (:

Bird bath

Wren, you make even the simplest days feel special. I just love being your mama.

Wren [10 months]

There's something about this time around that makes me a little extra aware that you are, in fact, growing up so darn fast. Maybe it's the double digits - I don't know. 

It certainly could be your THREE new teeth, your ever increasing mobility (seriously, how can one crawl so fast?!), the way you have started to assert yourself when it comes to your meal choices and our playtimes, your constant "talking" which now is making sense (yes, a duck says "quack, quack") and your silly, fun loving, content personality - all I know is that you become more YOU every day and we love YOU much, sweet Wren!