Back Into Rhythm

We're home from our trip to California! It was the most wonderful, cozy, beautiful, relaxed, and fun vacation! We enjoyed it so very much. Napa Valley is such a gorgeous area, filled with vineyards and rolling hills and grazing cows and sheep and horses. We did a lot of driving and exploring and walking and a lot of oohing and aahing. So many of our meals were delicious and memorable, and we tasted so many yummy wines (and brought 8 bottles home--amazingly, they all made the trip back unscathed!). On our way to San Francisco, which we visited for 5 days at the end of the trip, we headed up to Sonoma to seek out a special vineyard that makes a wine that my husband and I love, and then traveled down to Tomales Bay for amazing oysters and Point Reyes for the most breathtaking countryside and ocean views. Our time in San Francisco was wonderful--it was a fun change of pace to be in the city, and we got to spend time with one of my best college friends. Around noon on Sunday, December 30th, the three of us toasted to one year of marriage with a Napa Sparkling Wine we'd brought her. Such happy times.

This belated honeymoon was filled with so much celebrating and my husband and I feel so very blessed. We celebrated our marriage as if it happened yesterday, and at the same time celebrated our first year together as husband and wife. We had our first Christmas Eve and Christmas Day as a married couple and both were perfect. My mom's birthday and my parents' anniversary took place while we were out west, and we thought of them and sent them lots of love and good wishes. We celebrated a New Year, and I couldn't be more excited for all that I hope 2013 will bring.

When we got home last night, I realized how happy I was to be home, which I think is a sign of an absolutely perfect vacation. It means we planned our vacation for just the right number of days. It means that we made the most of each day and did all we wanted to do. It means we have no regrets about how things went, just very happy memories and warm feelings about a fantastic two weeks. My husband hugged me when we got home and, smiling, said that he loves how many new inside jokes we now have. If that isn't a sign of a good vacation together, I don't know what is.

My plans for today include unpacking, eating detox food (rich restaurant meals always leave me craving quinoa, whole fruits, and spinach salads--my "detox food"), grocery shopping, and catching up on all of the lovely blogs I read, which I've neglected. I hope you all have had a wonderful couple of weeks and Happy 2013!