ROAD TRIP!!!

At the end of January/beginning of February

we went on LONG

ROAD TRIP!!!

our first stop was Tahoe!

(well, after a brief stop in Elko

so Adrian could do some "business",

but I don't have much to say about Elko)

This is an annual ski trip with

a bunch of our friends from Palo Alto

and we were so glad that we could join them again this year!

(Beckley was the only kid there... and he loved all the attention)

Tahoe is gorgeous!

here is what the view from our cabin looked like when we arrived...

Me and Beck so happy to be out of the car!

Beck and I enjoying a run outside in the warm Tahoe weather 

(well, warm compared to Utah, anyway)

Glen, Heather, Erika & Adrian

@ Northstar

Beckley & I hung out while Adrian snowboarded...

and met up with him at the end of the day

so cute all decked out in his snow gear!

Beck hanging out at the cabin

Our next stop was Palo Alto...

unfortunately we didn't get to spend as much time there

as we would have liked...

but, we did get to see a few good friends

and enjoy some of our favorite things about living in PA

(Fraiche, SF, Specialties Cookies, The Dish, Osteria, The Counter, etc...)

dinner @ The Falks

(Beck LOVED all their toys!)

we spent a day in SF!

and saw more good friends in the Bay Area...

we wish we were able to see

 more friends...

and hope to be back soon!

we kept Beckley up pretty late

trying to fit as much as we could in.

he did so good...

but, there were a few times that he just couldn't do it anymore.

poor guy!

we all ended up with bad colds

along the way too...

which meant for some sleepless nights...

despite it all though,

Beck was a great little traveler!

the colds & fatigue didn't stop us...

next...

we were off to DISNEYLAND!!!

which, unfortunately, meant a few more hours in the car!

Arriving at The Happiest Place on Earth!!!

LOVE this picture of Beckley!

this video is pretty good too...

and, with that...

i think Disneyland deserves it's own post!

so, that's it for now...

my little helper

cleaning out the fridge

checking the mail

loading/unloading the dishwasher

Beckley is one busy boy!

one weekend in january

we did this...

went to The Auto Show

then we headed to Carl & Estela's cabin

and thought we'd let Beck try driving...

(don't worry this was just the cabin parking lot)

at the cabin...
Beck got all geared up for the snow

and then we went snowmobiling!

Thanks Carl & Estela we had a great time!

Happy 1st Birthday Beckley!!!

Beckley born 2.16.10

On the Night You Were Born

On the night you were born,

the moon smiled with such wonder

that the stars peeked in to see you

and the night wind whispered,

"Life will never be the same."

Because there had never been anyone like you...

ever in the world.

So enchanted with were the wind and the rain

that they whispered the sound of your wonderful name.

Beckley Drew Brown.

It sailed through the farmland

high on the breeze...

over the ocean...

and through the trees...

Until everyone heard it

and everyone knew

of the one and only ever you.

Not once had there been such eyes,

such a nose,

such silly, wiggly, wonderful toes.

When the polar bears heard,

they danced until dawn.

From faraway places,

the geese flew home.

The moon stayed up until

morning next day.

And none of the ladybugs flew away.

So whenever you doubt just how special you are

and you wonder who loves you, how much and how far,

listen for geese honking high in the sky.

(They're singing a song to remember you by.)

Or notice the bears asleep at the zoo.

(It's because they've been dancing all night for you!)

Or drift off to sleep to the sound of the wind.

(Listen closely...it's whispering your name again!)

If the moon stays up until morning one day,

or a ladybug lands and decides to stay,

or a little bird sits at your window awhile,

it's because they're all hoping to see you smile...

For never before in story or rhyme

(not even once upon a time)

has the world ever known a you, my friend,

and it never will, not ever again...

Heaven blew every trumpet

and played every horn

on the wonderful, marvelous

night you were born.

~Nancy Tillman

Grandma & Grandpa Monahan 

gave Beckley this book.

Adrian read it to him last night before bed.

I love it.

The wonderful, marvelous night our Beckley was born

was one year ago today.

Beckley is ONE!

It is hard to believe that he was ever this small...

and, it is very hard to imagine life without him!

"Life will never be the same."

(this was taken the morning of 2.15.11,

so he is 364 days old here

& he keeps getting cuter everyday!)

WE LOVE OUR ONE & ONLY EVER BECKLEY

TO THE MOON AND BACK!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY

BECKLEY!!!

(Birthday Party pictures coming soon...)

oh the places he'll go...

Here is where Beckley has already traveled in his first year:

Southern California x 2 

     (including La Verne, San Diego, Disneyland...)

Northern Califonia  

(born in Redwood City!)

      (including Palo Alto, San Francisco, Tahoe...)

Hawaii x 2

Utah

Texas

Colorado

Chicago

 (just a layover... does that count?)

Arizona

Nevada

& London!

I'd say he is off to a good start!

feelin' the love @ our house

Happy Valentine's Day!

BECKLEY LOVES YOU...

even more than he loves chocolate cake!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!