Day: July 12, 2011

Bella got to experience her first fireworks, which ended quiet fast, as she did not like the noise nor the lights.  She kept telling me “loud” and “bright” so we finally asked her if she wanted to go back inside the house to which she replied with excitement “yes”.  As I was still trying to make it exciting for her, I said, why don’t we watch it from the window (the fireworks show was put on by our three neighbors) and she agreed gladly.  Once we started watching, after about two minutes into it, she once again said, “bright” and “all done” so with that we headed to sleep that evening 🙂  It was a very nice day with family and Bella of course had the cutest outfit.

Barry and I have been planning to go to San Francisco for a little while now but finally decided to act on it.  We asked Papa and Nana to watch their darling granddaughter to which they gladly agreed as always and we took off to one of the busiest cities nearby.  Let me just say, we had one of the best days to ourselves!  It felt great to reconnect, not to worry about baby being hungry, pee peed, hot, cold, sun burnt…it was just great!!!   Not to say we don’t enjoy taking trips with our princess, we certainly do, but this was a completely different experience since we have had her and we needed that very much.  We started off with the basics and most common places to go, Pier 39, after which we headed to the Fisherman’s Warf and that of course led us to one of my favorite places in SF- The Ghirardelli Square where I always order the same thing (Espresso Escape)  Our day was completed with Chinatown, which I nor Barry have never walked.  We drove though it, but ever walked and it was definitely worth it!  It was almost crazy to not rush and just enjoy one another 🙂  To walk and sit and go as we please.  Thank you very much our dearest parents for watching Bella and for making it a day to remember for us!

This was probably one of the most spontaneous vacations we have gone on.  We were invited by Oleg and Lilya and planned to go until Bella got sick and all of the plans changed.  As of week prior to the trip, we have told them we were no longer going, considering the 9 hour drive and Bella not feeling good.  Little did we know that a week later, we will be joining them 🙂  It was definitely the most spontaneous vacation we have ever gone on, given the fact that it was for 6 days.  By that time Bella was well, but I being the worrier in the family never stopped worrying how she will do on this long drive.  I am happy to say, she did fantastic, it almost seemed like she enjoyed it, new scenery, big trucks on the way, rest stops and etc.   The closer we got to Palm Desert, the higher temperature reading we got and at our final destination, it was reading 115 degrees, to which I thought- ” what in the right mind are we doing here?”  As Oleg came out to greet us, the first thing I asked him, is this how it has been and will be for as long as we stay, he smiled and said “Yep.”  I must admit, I felt a little panicked, since I had a toddler in the car and a little limited to the activities as you can not do much outside in that heat.  If one wonders what 115 degrees might feel like in Palm Desert, just imagine stepping into the sauna with coals sizzling hot, it’s that first breath you take as you are walking in- that is exactly how it felt.  With that said, we headed straight to a very beautiful resort with a room and a terrace.  The place was pretty much surrounded by pools, which made the stay absolutely fabulous!  Bella had the best time ever, running through the fountains set up for kids and playing in the kiddy pool.  She ate great, slept great, was the happiest little girl ever.  It certainly  made me want to invest in water fountains and a pool 😉  not happening of course 🙂 While we were there, we swam every day, went on walks, set out on the terrace in the evenings and watched the million stars, visited “The Living Desert”, went shopping to Palm Springs outlets, ate fun food and just had the best time hanging out with Oleg and Lilya.  We thank them dearly for making this trip possible for us 🙂

I meant to write this pretty much as soon as I turned 30, but as always short on time and did not make it a priority.  I feel like I have lost most of what I wanted to express in this post, so I will simply say what I want to say today.  I never in million years thought I would live this long;  some might say it’s a crazy thought, but when I was little, 30 seemed so old and unreal (I am laughing to myself as I write this).  Here I am, 30 years old and feeling very much the same as in my twenties.  It still seems like a big number, but I believe I only have great things to look forward to, there is still so much I would love to do in life and God willing I will have that chance.  My 30th birthday celebration was one of the best days and it is only because I was surrounded by my most favorite people- family!  I love, love, love my family!  They certainly made sure I felt special this year and I did beyond measures.  I loved every minute of that day.  My beautiful and talented mom cooked all of my favorite dishes, I was blown away!  My sweet dad spent half of his morning, making the best shishkobabs I have ever had, my great brother and Lilya showed up with a whole load of cherries, which were bought just for me 🙂  and of course my lovely husband and Bella were there to help with every little thing 🙂  The presents were above and beyond amazing- I simply feel blessed and loved by God like no other.  Turning 30 made me think of all that I have accomplished so far and at times it does not seem like much, but then I look back and evaluate what is truly important to me and it seems like I am right where I would want to be.  I have the best husband and daughter, the best parents and brother, a beautiful home, a dog and of course the ability to stay home with my darling Bella.  A true gift from God!  I would not change a thing and God knows exactly where I am.  Let the fun 30’s begin 🙂