a peek into our SF getaway

how i love this handsome dude.
we had a wonderful time this weekend-
just catching up.
like, before our little getaway, i kinda was forgetting that we weren't just friends with benefits or something. not because i dont' think he's adorable. but because we rarely see each other with how much he's been traveling and working and how tired and lame i've been in my recently-abducted pregnant body.

time away, to just laugh, talk about things other than Ellie (i had forgotten that other things exist. though, conversation almost always came back to her...we adore that little squirt), miss Ellie desperately, do things we can't do with a toddler, eat yummy food, laugh some more, and just remember clearly why we chose each other those 5 years ago definitely does a marriage good. i recommend it.

here's a little peek into our adventures:
we started at the Botannical Gardens in the Golden Gate Park in San Francisco.

we were both a little giddy at this point that we actually got away.
that work wasn't interfering.
that Ellie wasn't needing a nap or a diaper change or some obscure stuffed animal that she saw on an even more obscure kiosk somewhere 100 feet away.
i think we felt a little mischievous.
like we were getting away with something.
we laughed a lot.

like at these plants that we called "Marge Heads" because they resemble Marge Simpson's hairdo. don't you agree? and then they'd sway side to side, almost to resemble her laughing. it was weird. but it made us laugh too.
we also found some beautiful, serene spots.

and of course, lots of lovely little benches to just sit on and talk about life.

then we left, and checked into our hotel, The Westin St. Francis, in Union Square.
(side note: though M traveling has been a drag, it does have its perks, as we stayed in this lovely place for free--simply using points M has accumulated on his work-travels. pretty stinkin' sa-weet, eh?)

Union Square is basically the shopping mecca of SF- surrounded tons of ridiculously expensive boutiques and department stores, people buying the ridiculously expensive merchandise, and taxis and random musicians playing music all the time. it was fun to be amongst all the hustle and bustle of the city.

then M took me to this super duper yummy Caribbean restaurant called "Cha Cha Cha's" down on Haight Street- you know- the famous "Haight + Ashbury"...where the whole "hippie" thing began. i love Haight Street. what a bizarre place. anyway, back to Cha Cha Cha's:

dang this place was amazing. but you know me and latin food. it's my fave. it's a part of me. in fact, when we first got married, i think i really only knew how to cook latin food. M may have been a little confused :). anyways, once again, back to my point: Cha Cha Cha's had several of my authentically caribbean faves- including platanos maduros (mmmm), congri (rice + black beans), & this jamaican jerk chicken that was to die for. i can't wait to go back again.

since we were in the shopping mecca, M took me shopping a little bit (i know, right? what a guy).
we even found me a pair of maternity jeans + shorts.
they were on sale.
they are so soft and comfy.
and i LOVE them.
now THAT in itself was a miracle. i'm embarrassed to admit that i think those are the very first maternity pants that i have purchased for myself. i just could neverbut i am so relieved at the same time. because the hand-me-downs i've been borrowing just don't fit my round curvy hips + short legs combo, and the last pair of "fat pants" ( you know, the ones i bought freshman year when i busted out of the seams of all the other ones) that i own are now painted on...& the button jabs into poor baby girl 2's head or bum or whatever is there at that moment. so new maternity pants = happy, happy marci.

we also bought some awesome sunglasses for our biking trip the next day.
i think we looked pretty stellar, don't you agree?

and then we returned to high-rise-Westin St. Francis Hotel to our 26th floor room, where we had this view:

and this yummy treat waiting for us from the Lobby Hostess, Marichu, whom we befriended upon checking in. having friends in high places pays off, my friends :)

so we ate crackers + fancy cheese + grapes + the most delicious peach there ever was while falling asleep to "When in Rome." falling asleep to movies is one of our favorite things...even if the hotel charges you $13 bucks for the movie. (seriously. the hotel industry rolls in the dough. it's reeeeeediculous).

 {image courtesy ofandthismakesaheartbeat.files.wordpress.com}

we woke up bright and early the next morning to the most beautiful sunrise:

{wish this was my image- but it's not- photo courtesy of sfbayimages.com}

we then walked to this fantastic little bakery called Andersen's:

where we ate the most delicious raspberry/cream cheese danish pastry i've ever had. and i'm not a pastry person. but this was soft, fluffly, and most importantly, incredibly delicious.

then we waited in a very, very long line to go on the trolley to Pier 39/Fisherman's Wharf. believe it or not, i've never ridden on the trolley. and i'd always wanted to. like 100 times i've said, "M, we HAVE to ride the trolley someday." well, that someday came. and it did not disappoint.

 (though we did run to get on the front...while the trolley was moving...and the conductor/driver dude was very angry with us. he yelled at us in front of everyone for a good 5 minutes saying "you should NEVER run onto a moving trolley, especially with her condition." so, pregnancy is now a condition, huh? who knew?...anyway, we laughed about it. and got the best dang view EVER out of it, so we didn't care. yeah, we're rebels like that.)

once we got to Pier 39, we walked down to the bike rentals place. this is also something i've always wanted to do- ride along the Marina towards the Golden Gate Bridge. it was so windy. and had a few beastly hills. one hill, i'm afraid, got the best of me. you see, there i was, switchin' my gears down to make it real easy...but unfortunately it wasn't easy enough-- so i decided to take a little break. well, i put my right leg down, and began to whip my left one around the back to gracefully dismount from my lovely rental. well, dismount i did, but gracefully, i did not. i had forgotten that my purse was strapped on the back...my left leg got caught, and the pregnant lady (aka, ME) went tumbling down, and the bike came tumbling after. it was a very pathetic fall (especially since i was already stopped), and even more pathetic because it was right in the middle of the hill/bike path. M was very concerned when i continued to lay there on my back for a good 2 minutes....but he realized i was ok when i couldn't stop laughing. how embarrassing. but funny too. and memorable. and, the best part of the whole thing, i was able to use the experience as a good metaphor in my sacrament meeting talk yesterday- how everyone falls sometimes. but we have the choice to get ourselves back up again or not. there was more to it than that, but, i'm convinced that everything happens for a reason...even if it just an embarrassing bike fall...that you can happen to tie into an otherwise boring sacrament meeting talk :)

now for the pic's:

i adore that last picture of us. i don't know why. i just do.

after our bike ride, we ate chowder in bread bowls, browsed some Pier 39/Fisherman's Wharf shops, and had an essential Butter Pecan Caramel Fudge Sundae from Ghirardelli Square.

we were pretty exhausted by this point...so we decided to take it easy + go see a movie. (since we haven't seen one together since Christmas! nuts). we saw Karate Kid. and i was surprised to hear the theme of my talk yet again quoted in this show "You taught me that when life gets you down, you have the choice whether or not to get back up." i loved Jaden Smith in this movie- though was slightly creeped out by how much he reminded me of Will Smith. seriously! it was wacky.

and though i was about to fall over from exhaustion after this movie (my bum was already pretty dang sore from our 2 hr bike ride earlier...or maybe it was from the fall? one can't be sure...), we had one last hoorah at the most delicious restuarant, Roy's.

i'm sure many of you have heard of it- basically it's this Hawaiian Fusion restaurant...an expensive one at that...but which serves thee most delicious cuisine. we had lobster potstickers, ahi tuna, macadamia-nut crusted Mahi Mahi, banana bread pudding + chocolate souffle (between the 2 of us, of course...and can i just say, thank goodness for giftcards??). it was all divine. decadent. delicious. and many other D words that i can't think of at the moment. 

{yes i look exhausted. because i WAS exhausted :)}

all in all, it was a fab weekend. so sad it's over. but then again, not so sad. because i missed Ellie...like a lot. and i also missed my cute/cozy house....because SF is awesome, but it's also very modern, fast-paced, adventurous, spacious and yet crowded at the same time, and just ca-razzzy. and it made me realize, while it rejuvenated me + the Mr., i love our slower-paced little life here and appreciate the fulness it brings to my life. 

thank you M for a fabulous time.

i love you, and

miss you already.

bring on the next 5 years, baby!

xoxo