As I scroll back in my Instagram feed (by the way, I think Instagram is highly underrated when it comes to being used as one's personal historian) I'm reminded of how truly, truly good this year was. We kicked off 2018 in a treehouse—literally. Arden turned one and we celebrated her BIG. I trained for and ran my first (and maybe my last) half marathon. We celebrated our third anniversary in Napa (my favorite trip yet). Kamryn got married. Drew's parents closed on their property in Georgetown—the future site of their wedding venue. We took a family RV trip to the Texas coast. We visited Fredericksburg. I celebrated my fourth year at work. Drew started a new job—working with me. Lindsay moved back to Waco and got ENGAGED. We went to Punta Cana. We took it easy.
2016 was the year of pregnancy and 2017 was the blur of a new baby, so 2018 was needed. It felt settled and normal. We had time and space to travel and kick a few things off the bucket list.
It wasn't perfect by any stretch, but I'm very, very thankful for the deep breath which was this year.
As I said up there ^ Napa/San Fran was my favorite trip of all time, and I somehow NEVER got around to blogging it. So stick around for a few photos of Napa/San Fran, and then we'll get into something else good.
We had a rough start to the trip, but we MADE IT to San Francisco. On our second anniversary we were holding a one-week-old baby and eating pizza in our jammies. We were clueless and we were tired, so standing in front of the Golden Gate Bridge on our third anniversary was so nice. Honestly, it felt earned after 2017—which was so sweet and so hard. Ha.
We visited Muir Woods. Drew's dream realized.
We made it to Napa just in time to freshen up and head to dinner. We stayed in the cutest place—Hotel Senza. 10/10 recommend. Such a good location and recently completely renovated. The perfect spot.
Our room was the top left windows. We stayed for four nights, I believe. By the way, this is a fairly large boutique hotel with quite a few other buildings. I chose a room in this remodeled historic home on the property because it was so charming, but you can also opt for a vineyard room with killer views of, well, the vineyard and also the morning hot air balloons.
Bistro Don Giovanni was quite literally a stone's throw away from our hotel so we ate there on our first night and Drew fell in LOVE. He does love a good plate of pasta.
Breakfast in the hotel each morning was complimentary and well stocked with Bouchon pastries, so we did not stray.
A sparkling wine tour at Domaine Carneros was our first wine stop of the trip and one of my favorites. Good champagne. Good pinot. Great cheese. Excellent tour.
The Boon Fly Cafe was a brunch gem—so worth stopping.
Unbeknownst to us, we came during mustard season and I'm sure glad. SUCH pretty yellow wildflowers!
I booked a surprise couple's massage at this darling hometown spa and it happened to be Drew's first massage ever. He was randomly kind of nervous?
But turns out he's a natural. At the end, when we were supposed to be getting redressed, I said, "Okay babe time to get up!" and he said, "This is me time and you're just lucky to be here right now." He literally DENIES saying this, but no way, nice try Drew. I'll never forget. So, so great.
Swanson Vineyards was a favorite. Dreamy space.
Duckhorn was also so good and scenic.
Tipsy (me not Drew, he's fine) roadside mustard selfie with red wine teeth.
Silver Oak is the king of cab if you're a cab person. We are cab people. We were definitely not sad we went.
After a long morning of tasting on our second-to-last day, I was done for. Like very done for (I don't drink that often, so it doesn't take much), but I insisted on trying a hamburger from Gott's roadside stand and it was our very last chance, so Drew took me.
I fell asleep on the picnic table at Gott's before our food ever came and Drew had to limp me back to the car. My finest moment. I then proceeded to fall asleep on our bed for two hours while Drew went BACK to Bistro Don Giovanni for another round of pasta to-go. He was a good sport considering it was our last full day and I was sleeping it away, but I was still somehow grumpy he went back for pasta without me and then saved me zero.
We figured out how to ship wine back to ourselves, so we bought quite a bit while we were there. This box was Drew's baby, and he was so OCD over it that we had to stop at Domaine Carneros again on our way to the airport to buy one more bottle. The box just had to be completely filled.
Ps. As I'm writing this, all of this wine except two or three special bottles is gone and that makes me so sad.
Like I said...his baby.
We checked it on the plane and ALL of the wine made it back to Texas undisturbed.
I seriously cannot wait to go back someday. This trip with just the two of us was a dream. If you're planning a visit to the area I can send you my full itinerary. I highly recommend just about everywhere we went.
For our entire marriage I've complained to Drew because my birthday falls smack dab in the middle of tax season. Drew has always worked at an accounting office, so this has meant that my birthday week and weekend was always kind of postponed until after the season had passed. This obviously isn't his fault, it's just the facts of life. BUT this year Drew works at my office and there is absolutely nothing special about that time of year where we work, so I've talked him into a trip right around my birthday. Our very first. I'm so excited. (And if you're considering burglarizing our home while we're away, we have a pretty scary alarm system, cameras and gun-wielding house sitters, so I'd move along.)
We are going to California! Laguna Beach and Joshua Tree/Palm Springs. I booked our stay this weekend and I can't wait to start working on our itinerary (nerd alert).
We're staying at this cute little boutique hotel on our first night. I just stumbled upon this place and I'm so glad that I did. It just opened this year and it's absolutely gorgeous. Right on the beach.
Have you ever seen a bar this cute? It's unlikely.
After we leave there we'll stay a few nights in the cutest little rental in the middle of the desert.
Then we'll finish up with an overnight in a little Air BnB in Venice Beach so that we can catch an early flight out the next morning. If you have any suggestions for Laguna Beach, Palm Springs, Joshua Tree or Venice Beach please send them my way!
I'll be honest, 2018 will be missed. It was a moment I could truly live in forever, and in true Kaylee fashion, I'm not looking forward to change—and a new year feels like change. But the Clarks have so much to look forward to in 2019, so I'm leaving 2018 behind with a very grateful heart. Grateful for a husband who is such a provider for our family in so many ways—whether that be in the normal definition of the word or even doing laundry or dishes or grocery shopping. He is such a servant. I'm grateful for Arden and her health and her big, joyful personality. I'm thankful for our home and the almost three years full of memories we've made inside it. I'm grateful for our jobs that keep us inspired and passionate and always moving. I'm thankful for Arden's school and her sweet teachers who teach her so, so much and who are infinitely patient with her and her classmates. I could go on and on, but I'll stop. We are blessed and 2018 was one we'll hold close for many years to come.
Happiest New Year to you and yours!
