I was just scrolling threw my iPhone picture gallery and I wanted to share a few things. I don't always have my massive, huge, honking camera with me and the iPhone does a pretty good job of capturing the moment!
.For starters, this weekend Mikey surprised me with a little trip to Santa Monica. Over the course of our marriage, with his job, it is rare that we get to spend A WHOLE DAY together. We were going to start our Sunday riding our new bikes for the first time. We waited because when they were shipped to us the tires were flat. He went out and got a pump and we were itching to go ride on Sunday only to find that the tire on mine wasn't just flat it was totally busted! I'm not sure why everything with me has to be an ordeal, but it will make the first ride monumental once we are fully functional.
.So we scrapped the bikes (that are now just living room sculptures...for the last month) and headed out to Santa Monica. We went to one of my FAVORITE restaurants
Real Food Daily and had a delicious meal. Then we headed down to Third Street Promenade. I hadn't been there in forever and ever, I used to go down all the time. I didn't know that there is now an
H&M and that the
Forever 21 moved from the mall down to the promenade and is three stories! Mike only let me go into three stores but it was for the best. The fewer stores you visit, the more money remains in your pocket :).
.After that we headed to the pier. On our way over we stopped in a cute little cafe that only sells green tea things. We got green apple tea. It tasted a little bit like feet. But we sat and enjoyed the atmosphere. When we got down to the pier we played some air hockey and skee ball and after that I felt like I needed a shower...if I have kids I'm going to be the mom that has hand sanitizer chained to my belt loop. Then we decided to go on a ride! I have not been on a ride since I was 15! And he and I have not ever been on a ride together. He picked the one ride ($10 for both of us!!) and it was the one that is like a boat pendulum and I'm thinking no big deal, it just sways back and forth. Well I forgot that it leaves your stomach waaaaaaaaaaay over on one side when your body is waaaaaaaaay over on the other side. It was a fun and gentle reminder that I am no longer 15. This is a picture of us sitting on the ride right before the mayhem began:
This is the sunset from the pier a few minutes before the above picture was taken:
After the pier fun and a churro on the way out, we got on the PCH and took it all the way to it's northern ending point in Oxnard and went to my favorite Asian restaurant. It's a little whole in the wall Thai/Chinese place that doesn't look like much in the way of decor, but makes up for it in taste and community. By community, I mean this place is a real life Cheers! The owner knows EVERY customer by name. We haven't been there in like a year and we were welcomed with "Mike! Amanda! It's been like a year!" So cute! How much better would the world be if more places like this existed? Places that value you as a person and not just another sale.
.
Last week was my mom's birthday and we had dinner at CPK. We waited FOREVER for a table so by the time we sat down this little guy had been in his carseat for way too long so we let him crawl down the length of the table. I think he thought it was pretty cool to be at eye level with all his favorite people!
And then he helped her open her presents:
And last but not least, this is a cat. She finds her way into my phone pretty regularly:
And here is a short 6 second video:
I've been promising my sister some updated pictures of her son and while in a hotel room the other day I played around with the light coming in from the window and captured a few shots of the cutest kid to ever live!!! I might be a little biased but not much.
A few weeks ago I had the incredible honor of second shooting with the fabulous 
