#FanningFourth

If you follow me on Instagram, you would know that my entire family (plus 23 others) just got back from South Padre Island where we celebrated the 4th! My family used to caravan to Padre every year growing up and we hadn't done it in a few years. It was a blast. We had a few bumps along the road (literally, our tire blew out on our return trip...oh and Ford hates road trips...aye yi yi) but overall it was a such a fun and relaxing trip. Ford wasn't so sure about the beach the first two days but then was a maniac crawling around and squishing sand between his chubby fingers. I mostly kept him in the shade and we took lots of pool and nap breaks so he wouldn't get overtired or sunburned. It is so stinkin' cute to watch him and Embry interact these days. Ford is moving away from babyhood and loving to play and learn like a little toddler.  Our family lost a dear friend who went to be with Jesus too soon last Sunday so there is no where else I would rather be than with my family while during the beautiful mourning (will share more later).

The family that shot-skis together, stays together #Merica

#embryandford

We stayed at the Suntide III for probably the 6th or 7th time and highly recommend it. It is beach front condos (2 and 3 bedroom) with an indoor and outdoor pool. We made most of our meals and went out a few times...perfect for families!

Riveria Maya... 8 months pregnant!

If you remember back to December, my parents surprised us with a trip to Riveria Maya Mexico for Christmas! Well... it wasn't exactly a surprise because my dad asked us if we could go the week of August 5th and knowing we were due that day, we had to make up some lie for him to move the trip up :-). Little did he know we would be surprising THEM with our pregnancy on Christmas Eve! This year my parents turned 50, Jon turned 30, and Tomi will turn 21 in 2 weeks and among other things...this is a year to celebrate! It felt like June would never come...

We flew into Mexico and were shuttled to our amazing resort, Barcelo Maya. We stayed in the Palace section of the tiered resort and I cannot rave enough about the entire establishment! We were just in Riveria Maya in October for a wedding and had a blast and it was fun to compare the resorts. Y'all... the food! It was out of this world! There were 4 fancy restaurants, 2 buffets, and a snack bar...filet, lobster, crab legs, escargot...we definitely ate like kings. 

 

(*note my little brother didn't come with us...Younglife camp happened to be the same week and he had a blast with his friends!)

My gorgeous parents

I brought my nice camera but only brought it out a few times and luckily Cori brought hers and took tons of pictures! I hated not being able to Instagram during the trip but honestly it was nice not to be glued to my phone, checking work emails, and unplug a bit. We bought a 4 day internet pass so we could check in which was nice.

Jon and I savored our dark, cold room and leisurely slept til 9am everyday. We'd spend most of the day by the huge pool with built in loungers and cabanas. The Barcelo had an amazing kids area with slides, fountains, and a separate zero depth area (we would definitely come back with kiddos!) so Embry had a BLAST!

I think E brought more swimsuits than I own!

(*note, Embry is the happiest baby on the planet!)

Nothing feels better 8 months pregnant than wading around in the pool, it was heaven! I am very grateful to have come this far in pregnancy without stretch marks so I was able to wear regular bikinis on the trip (things don't exactly fit the same way as before pregnancy but hey, maternity suits are $$$!). It was funny how many people would straight up STARE at me around the resort. Granted I know my belly is huge and I look like I could give birth at any second but we thought it was comical. They act like they've never seen a pregnant gal in a swimsuit before! We got lots of curious questions and even had an L&D nurse and med student come give me their room numbers just in case haha. If you're wondering, my doctor gave me the OK to travel but after this Sunday, I have to stay within an hour of the hospital (34weeks). 

Embry is already sharing her toys with her cousin!

The swim up bars were huge and everyone (but me) enjoyed trying new drinks, okay and old drinks too! The best thing about all inclusives is getting to try food and drinks you wouldn't normally shell out the money to do so. I think I drank enough in Riveria Maya in October for this trip too :). I kept well hydrated with bottled water but could have definitely enjoyed a virgin cocktail if it wasn't for my glucose scores boooo. 

If you know my husband, you'd know that he is a conversationalist. He's an engineer by degree but a salesman by trade and really is a great communicator. This holds true, even on vacation because after a few days, he seemed to know everyone at the resort. He found fellow Clevelanders, threw the football with Chicagoans, and chatted up many others. Love that about him!

(*note, if you are going to an all inclusive resort with men, I highly recommend bringing a football or waterball. Our guys forgot them so had to shell out $30 in the giftshop for what was probably a $3 football)

We felt like Kardashians on the white couch

Our days were spent by the pool and beach, eating, drinking, snorkeling, relaxing. I feel so lucky to call each of my family members a best friend because you couldn't beat the company! As much fun as Jon and I have traveling alone, our family sure does know how to have a good time. We are already planning our family vacation for next summer... we will have an almost 1 year old!

The evenings were spent at dinner, enjoying the beautiful resort, and belly laughs playing Catch Phrase. Y'all I can't even tell you how funny it was. My sister also brought Chat Pack which was great to play at dinner or around the pool. Oh and luckily the hotel had ESPN so we (okay the guys) were able to watch the NBA finals. One night the ladies ventured to one of the nightly shows which was hilariously entertaining!

Uncle Jon's beard is so fun!

Yes that is me, full snorkel gear, 8 months pregnant! It was so much fun!

Our family of 2... not much longer!

(can you tell I tried to pull off a non maternity dress... quite short in the front!)

The "original" Fannings... without little brother James

So there ya have it folks! Our last big hurrah before our lives change forever. I can't decide whether to use the word surreal or real because we are closing in on our due date and feeling more and more ready for the birth of our son. We were home for all of 30 minutes on Wednesday night and I found myself packing my hospital bag (and last night put up the pack and play, washed baby clothes, and folded blankets haha). We have a busy next couple of weeks but good busy... friends, parties, baby classes and hopefully a baby!

Thank you to my parents for such a fabulous and generous Christmas gift. It will be a trip and experience to remember forever! We are so lucky to be a part of this family.

Getting away

Last weekend, Jon and I made an hour and a half drive to San Antonio for a little getaway. Jon gifted me this weekend for Mother's Day and knowing that in 4 weeks, we need to stay within an hour of our doctor, this was the perfect time. We stayed at the Westin on the Riverwalk and even though we'd both been to the Riverwalk before, we'd never been together. San Antonio has a lot to offer beyond the Riverwalk...Sea World, Six Flags, the Alamo, etc. but honestly I was just looking forward to being away from home, relaxing in a hotel.Sometimes I find it hard to relax at home when I have projects and chores calling my name.

Halfway between Austin and SA there is a massive outlet mall so we hit a few stores and got on our way. We spent the afternoon at the Mexican market (El Mercado/Market square) and had a delicious lunch at Mi Tierra. If you are in SA, it is a must visit restaurant! It was worth the 1 hour wait at 2 in the afternoon. Jon came on a mission to buy a chess set for his office and bought a beautiful onyx set that fits perfectly with the colors of his office. He's taught me a few times but I pretty much stink at chess (I will blame it on my impatience... Jon is such an engineer in every aspect of life, including games and strategic decision making). 
Happy boy at home with his chess set! (I should mention we now own 2 chess sets haha)

Now I've told you we are game nerds and had no shame walking into our fancy hotel with our huge marble board. We play at least 1 game a day so we couldn't miss a day just because we were away from home! The funny thing is the game is 4 player but we make it work. My grandpa actually hand made this board for us when we got engaged so it is really special for us. A normal marble game for us includes a Louis Armstrong or Cas Haley concert on the iPad (helps calm us when we get too competitive haha).

My big ole pregnant belly was a trooper walking around the Riverwalk but we had a fun time taking breaks to "people watch"... one of our favorite past times. We had an incredible dinner at Paesano's which we highly recommend and decided to forgo the piano bar by our hotel in favor of hot showers and an awesome foot massage for my tootsies. 

(first time I thought my belly looked HUGE was in this picture)
It's funny when your wife is a blogger, you are constantly coming up with ideas or bits for the blog. Sunday night was definitely good blogging material thanks to my husband. A few weeks ago we watched a Dateline special with Chris Hanson where he went to meet internet scammers, phony mechanics, and Craigslist weirdos and Jon was hooked. I was telling him about To Catch a Predator and he'd never seen it. Lo and behold, 10pm rolls around and old To Catch A Predator episodes were on HLN. I wish I could have filmed Jon watching them, he was hilarious. He couldn't believe these guys were real and was looking them up on LinkedIn lol. We kept saying this will be great material to talk about on the blog... our romantic weekend getaway and watching To Catch a Predator! 

We slept in and had a yummy breakfast at Schilo's by our hotel before heading back to Austin. We spent some time downtown, browsing, shopping, and having a late lunch before picking up our little piglet and heading home for some more R&R. Tonight we are heading to Dallas one last time before the baby comes for some time with our sister, brother in law, and precious Embry. We've been on the go but we gotta pack it all in before we set up camp here in Austin. Time is flying people!! I am savoring these sweet times with my husband and so thankful for weekends like these.

Riveria Maya

 viva la Mexico/cheers

 bar-accuda/husband love

 the bride/hubby

 Facetiming with Chunk/Jon the giant

 Bridesmaids/Harts

 Seals and manatees/Mr. Lizard

 white sand/Bridesmaids

 Bridegroom/Bridesmaids

 The night before/details

 The Jeffersons & The Harts/married!

 Hart Love

 Anchors Away/Wifed her up

 Friends/fire dancers on the beach

We got back last night from an amazing vacation. We spent 5 days in Riveria Maya at the Dreams Puerto Adventuras Resort celebrating the marriage of two great friends. After a crazy couple of days welcoming our sweet niece into the world, we were ready for some R & R. We'd never vacationed with friends before and this vacation was one for the books. I'd look around during the trip... our friends arm wrestling, playing beach volleyball, making toasts with yummy drinks and thanking God for such great blessings. Friends and family make life worth living and we got lucky in those departments. The wedding was absolutely beautiful, Maggie walked straight out of a bridal magazine and the backdrop was breathtaking. They flew out 2 photographers and I can't wait to see some of their photos (and show y'all). The whole trip felt like a big adult summercamp and I told my sisters and parents when we got home...we HAVE to do this with our family! We missed our little Ernie so much and were excited to get into our own beds last night (and it is COLD in Austin! Yay!). Now time to catch up on a week missed at the office and not being at home since last Saturday. Cheers!

The city of love {San Francisco}

Last week Jon and I celebrated our 1st wedding anniversary and Valentine's day (both a little late) in San Francisco. I was in San Jose for the first half of the week for a tradeshow for work and Jon met me up there on Wednesday night. The next morning, we rented a car and headed to the city of loveeeeeee.

First stop on the trip was breakfast in Sausilito where Jon ate a salmon omelet...wow. We can't wait to make one at home! Next up, Muir Woods. I had been a couple years ago but Jon had never been. The trees are absolutely amazing! They are so big and old, it is really a beautiful and peaceful place. 

It was so cute, there was a group of elementary school aged kiddos coming in for a field trip as we were leaving. They had their books and pencils to write things down and were all so excited. As cute as it was, I am glad we were out of there because they were loud and we loved the peacefulness of the woods.

Oh and Sic Em Bears!

We drove over the Golden Gate Bridge and back into the city to check into our hotel. I shared the pics I took via Instagram on Monday but had to re post this one again...

We stayed at the Sheraton on the Wharf and we highly recommend it. Luckily I found a deal where parking and internet was included, normally they really nickel and dime ya ($45 a day for parking!). We were a block away from Fisherman's Wharf which was awesome. 

We pretty much ate our way through the city...clam chowder in breadbowls, fish & chips, calamari, and best of all...chocolate. We have this thing when we go on vacation...Jon calls it going "buck wild" which means we eat a lot of dessert. Lunch AND dinner. It is glorious. 

The weather was really good...50s-60s and sunny but some major fog. Or smog. Who knows. We were disgusted by the layer of smog over the city when we were in LA this summer (part 1 & part 2). Because of the haze, we couldn't get the best view of the bridge from the Wharf but that's okay. 

We bought the 24 hour transportation pass that allowed us access to all trolleys, cable cars and buses...it was a life saver. Parking is a nightmare in San Fran so having that was awesome. We rode the trolleys from start to finish to get a tour of the city (Lombard Street, Nob Hill, etc) and then rode to Union Square to do some shopping. Now I can say this because I live in one of the "weirdest" cities in the US but San Francisco is WEIRDER! There are so many odd people on the streets...homeless, performers, musicians, and just weirdos. San Fran definitely trumps Austin! Oh and I almost forgot to mention our experience on the bus in China town. We hopped on an empty bus at the Wharf to head downtown and even made a comment on how it was nice to have it to ourselves. Little did we know, we would soon pick up about 200 people in Chinatown. We got kicked out of our seats by 2 little old ladies who then continued to talk crap about us in their language (I hate that!!). It reminded me of seeing pictures of the city streets in China how people are literally shoulder to shoulder. Quite interesting.

One of my favorite things about San Francisco is Pier 39. I could watch the seals all day...they are hysterical! Something that surprised us was all the blooming flowers around the city. Seriously they were everywhere! And tons of flower markets, I wish I could take some home with me.

Another highlight of the trip was visiting the Bay Aquarium. Jon is an animal lover and has a big love/interest in fish. It baffles me when he starts naming off the types of fish we see, I think he has a minor in marine biology or something. His dad loved having aquariums in their house growing up which has helped fuel Jon's love for them. He can't wait to have one when we own a home. We want to visit all the big aquariums around the US and this was our 2nd together...we went to Shedd in Chicago in 2010 and then we've each been to a few separately. We had so much fun taking tons of pictures inside. I was enamored by the jellies...seriously memorized. The aquarium had 3 octopus and that was neat to see and learn about. I also got the chance to touch different rays, it was so cool!! It was right before feeding and they were being little hams and splashing around. Jon was cracking up watching me and taking lots of pictures. I am so amazed by marine life!

My all time favorite thing that I've done on any vacation has been Alcatraz! I went on the day tour about 3 years ago but this time around Jon and I went on the extended night tour. We were hoping it would be haunted but it wasn't too scary. We got to see a lot of the "rock" that they don't show you during the day along with extra presentations and videos. Pretty cool. 

If you've been reading for a while, you know that Jon loves horror. He loves everything spooky, scary, and Halloween related so it didn't surprise me that he loved Alcatraz, especially at night. He thinks its so funny that I am so obsessed with the whole idea of it. I love reading articles and watching documentaries about "the rock" and love the cheesy Fox show about it. One of the special things we got to do on the night tour was visit the prison hospital. We got to see where 'the birdman' was locked up for 11 years because he was so psycho and had to be confined...talk about creepy! Here is an awesome shot of Jon in the prison operating room...eeeek

After our Alcatraz adventure, we headed to a nice dinner off the Wharf. I showed a few pictures in Monday's post and asked you all where you thought we were (remember the penis shaped cookie?). Turns out we had dinner in the Castro District which is the LGBT neighborhood/area of San Francisco. We kind of noticed a lot of couples at our restaurant but didn't think twice until we talked to our friend. It was funny because when we found out where we were, we instantly noticed the rainbow lights and stickers on the surrounding buildings, restaurants, shops. It was such a fun time and only the Harts would end up in that area and not know it! I've gotta say, we had one of the best meals we've ever eaten at Catch in the Castro District...it was out of this world! :-)

It was such an awesome trip, I love getting away with my hubby. Over the past 2 years we have taken quite a few weekend trips all over the US and definitely want to continue. Why not take 3 small trips a year rather than 1 big trip? We always book flights with points and find great deals on hotels, cars, activities online. Jon and I aren't big shoppers (clothes, electronics, etc) and love the idea of spending money on experiences. I am so glad we are on the same page about that!

What's the last trip you went on?