Family trip to Cali and Napa favorites

Last week Team Kauffman packed up and headed out to gorgeous northern California for a weeklong vacation with the Kennedy-clan. I didn’t know if Coop and I were going to make it, we both got a terrible cold a few days before we left - but this girl never misses a trip to the wine country. I mean, if it weren’t for the fact that I’d be living way-poor in Cali, it would be such an incredible place to live. I have yet to visit a city there that I don’t love.

The first night was spent in San Francisco. We spent the day at the oh-so-touristy Fisherman’s Wharf and found this little fruit stand...I mean can you see those plums behind me? Their humongous!



We made Snoop some food with the fresh peaches we bought there. Cooper was such a trooper. He was lugged around all day, and was POOPED by the end of it! Can you tell?

[caption id="attachment_344" align="aligncenter" width="167"] Coop's pooped.[/caption]

We spent the rest of the week hopping around wineries in Napa and had gorgeous weather! Cooper literally spent hours in his car seat jumping from one winery to another and he did awesome. Way to go Coop!

There were so many highlights from the trip but here's just a few:

1. Chappallet Winery. I’ve never seen a more spectacular winery. Reservations only here. Wine was fantastic. www.chappellet.com

[caption id="attachment_336" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Vines of Chappallet at Pritchard Hills.[/caption]

2. Regusci Winery. We had this wine at dinner one night and decided to check it out. It had a fabulous patio overlooking the valley and was a great red wine experience. The grounds were gorgeous too. http://www.regusciwinery.com/

3. Del Dotto Winery. This was a very different experience. You get to tour the caves and got to taste wine out of the barrels. We did the tour in Napa, but there is another location as well. http://www.deldottovineyards.com/. Here’s a pic of my sister Elaine and her short date.

[caption id="attachment_337" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Look at the cave behind them - the wine barrels that fill the caves are the ones that we got to taste from.[/caption]

4. Oakville Grocery. Right off of Highway 29 this place is an adorable little sandwich, cheese and all-things-picnic stop with a cute outdoor patio. http://www.oakvillegrocery.com/default.php

5. Farmstead Restaurant. Relatively new to Napa, I could have eaten here every night. They have rows and rows of vegetables and fruit right on site that they use in their dishes, truly farm-to-table. I really can’t pick a favorite food I loved it all. The guys loved the ribs, fish, and their biscuits are pretty darn good too. http://www.longmeadowranch.com/Farmstead-Restaurant
[caption id="attachment_339" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Our little family.[/caption]

6. Uva Restaurant in Napa. This is a yummy local Italian spot in Downtown Napa with live music. Love this little place. http://www.uvatrattoria.com/

It was fun to re-visit Napa where Jeff and I got engaged 3-years ago. We didn’t get to go on the hike we were on where he proposed, but we did drive by and gave it a little shout-out (Bothe Hiking Trail, for those that love a good hike). I pulled an old photo out for fun:

[caption id="attachment_345" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Engagement photo in Napa circa 2009 with the stunner Wal-Mart ring.[/caption]

Unfortunately, there was one low-point of the trip. This was, obviously, when we learned of the TRUE Twilight tragedy. Yes I am referring to KStew cheating on RPatz. I’m seriously upset y’all. I’m aware no one is really concerned about this besides me and other Twi-hards (holla), so mums the word unless you ask me about it; and then I’m full of opinions and I’m all “why Kstew, why?” Jeff tells me that I don't understand how it works in Hollywood. "Lauren, this is just one of many girls for this guy...I mean, he's a Director...that's what they do." Ah, sigh.

I'll leave you with a picture of the family from vacay. As always, it was so wonderful to get the entire gang together, which has now grown from 6 to 8. "Families are like fudge... mostly sweet with a few nuts." -Author Unknown. As for me, I sure do love our little nut-mix.



xox
Lauren

5-months and reflecting on today's Colorado tragedy

[caption id="attachment_319" align="aligncenter" width="300"] Coop. 5 months.[/caption]

Today Coop slid right into that 5-month mark while news broke of a horrific shooting outside of Denver. It definitely has overshadowed this beautiful day today in Colorado, and of course taken over all news channels across the country.

I’m sure if you are up-to-date on the details of last nights midnight showing of “The Dark Knight Rises” in Aurora, Colorado, than you know this movie experience turned into a nightmare when a 24-year old gunmen open-fired on a packed theater. The local hospitals saw victims ranging from ages three-months to 31 years, however most of them were teenagers. Teenagers! Going to see a movie on its premiere night. The whole event is just unfathomable.

As a born worrier (thanks mom), now “going to the movies” has officially made my “things to worry about your kids doing” list. I definitely do not want to be the mom that fears their child doing everything, namely, entering society. Considered who I am married to, my son will likely be on ski’s by the time he can walk. Do I choose not to allow him to fall in love with being active because of the risk? What about driving a car? But going to the movies? Where is the risk in that? I often think about the different experience that our parents had growing up, and especially the generation before them. I plan on blogging about it one day, but was life simpler back then? Safer? Or do we just have the means to know things immediately now?

I’ve always been intrigued with how one small decision can change your LIFE. What about those people that tried to buy tickets last night to that showing, and they were sold out? It’s reminds me of the stories we heard after 9/11, of employees that called in sick that day or were running late to the office at the Twin Towers- and thus were not there that day when they could or should have been. All of these people avoided a life-changing moment. Unfortunately we are not guaranteed another day. Life truly hinges on the moves we make and the moves others who cross our paths make – some outcomes within are control but many are not. We can't avoid bad things because we often don't know when they are going to happen - and we sure as heck can't stay inside all day. So at the end of the day we just live. Make smart choices when we can, pursue what inspires us - enjoy life.

"The purpose of life, after all, is to live it, to taste experience to the utmost, to reach out eagerly and without fear for newer and richer experiences.” -Eleanor Roosevelt

Today I am keeping those affected by this morning’s tragedy- the children, teenagers, adults and their respective family members- in my prayers. I am choosing not to take today for granted, not to dwell on the "unimportant stuff" that I all to often spend way to much time on, and to love those in my life with all I have. And I’ll start with this munchkin, who is (one of) the light of our lives.

[caption id="attachment_320" align="aligncenter" width="300"] You thought I was lying when I said he can hold himself up and stand. I wasn't. Proof.[/caption]

Gratefully,
Lauren

Wisdom Wednesdays: Does everything happen for a reason?

I came across this article and was intrigued. Take a look:

http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/hot-thought/201002/does-everything-happen-reason-0

And adversely:
http://www.enotalone.com/personal-growth/4539.html

So don’t hate me, but I’m not be a big believer in the phrase “everything happens for a reason.” Please know that YES I do believe in God and I know this is an unpopular thing to say; I do love the meaning that the belief holds - it’s hopeful. I also know that it is often the first thing that brings comfort to people in tough times - believing that it happened for a reason, to be revealed now or sometime down the road. However, I myself have just not been able to validate bad things happening to good people. What about those diagnosed with ALS? The victims of Katrina? I’m just not able to see the reason behind tragedy. I believe that bad things just happen, and that half of life is about what happens to you and the other half about how you react. I think those defining “reacting” moments are the ones that build character. We can choose to find the good in something sad..create something positive out of a horrific situation, OR we can choose to revel in the “why me?” and let this attitude bring us down to dark places. Good things can come out of bad situations, just by how we choose to react to them. But do they happen for a reason?

Shifting gears, has anyone read ‘The Secret?’ For those that don’t know about this book is pretty crazy interesting. This theory claims that if you will something to be, than it will happen - visualize something and it will come your way. Well, I read this book about 5 years ago, and the one point I kept coming back too was what you put out in the universe (positivity or negativity) will come back to you. Ie: the law of attraction. The year I read ‘The Secret’ I wrote down 3 things I wanted to accomplish: 1) meet the man I was going to marry, 2) complete a triathlon, and 3) make a big decision in my career. That same year I met Jeff, ran the Monster Triathlon in Texas, and accepted a promotion that would take me to New York City. Hmmm, coincidence? Or did I “put it out in the universe and it came right on back?” Let’s just say I believe it was a little bit of random and a whole lot of timing. When you are truly ready for certain things, aren't they easier to come by?

So my question today is to you, the reader: do things happen for a reason? Do you believe in the law of attraction? What do you think?

Best to you and yours,
Lauren

Wisdom Wednesdays: Land of the free

Happy Independence Day, America!



As we celebrate the 236th birthday of this incredible country, it’s easy to get caught up in the fireworks and festivities, and forget how different life would be if it weren’t for the foresight of the founding fathers and the direction that they set for this country. A few diddys about this special day: it was recognized by Congress in 1870 as a national holiday, 100 years after the Declaration of Independence was signed (which was 1776). It wasn’t until 1938 that Congress officially declared it a federal holiday, and gave federal workers the day off.

Today, in the midst of an upcoming election, we have political jargon, war of words and differing opinions as the top dialogue of our country. We also now have social media as another, relatively new, venue to share opinions; I’m sure you’ve seen many facebook and twitter posts on how ridiculous Republicans and/or Democrats are- but no matter what side you are on, thank God, the cornerstone of this country is democracy and with that comes the freedom of speech and the right to choose our leaders. A gift that we owe to those that came before us who set this protocol for our country.

Today I wanted to remember the values and beliefs that this country was founded upon. Now, I’m no historian, so alas, I hit google for quotes from our founding fathers and their vision for our country.

On the role of the government:
“A wise and frugal government, which shall restrain men from injuring one another, which shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. This is the sum of good government, and this is necessary to close the circle of our felicity.” Thomas Jefferson, First Inaugural Address

On liberty:
"Any people that would give up liberty for a little temporary safety deserves neither liberty nor safety." -Benjamin Franklin

On the Constitution:
"The Constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government." -Patrick Henry

On religion guiding our leaders:
"I've lived, sir, a long time, and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this truth: That God governs in the affairs of men. If a sparrow cannot fall to the ground without His notice, is it probable that an empire can rise without His aid? We've been assured in the sacred writings that unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain who build it. I firmly believe this, and I also believe that without His concurring aid, we shall succeed in this political building no better than the builders of Babel." -Benjamin Franklin, eldest member at the Constitutional Convention

Check out more quotes and info from/on our founding fathers:

http://www.dojgov.net/Liberty_Watch.htm

http://www.foundingfathers.info/

So, here’s to this country, those that came before us and led its path, those that lead us today, and those who will continue to lead us in the future. All of which wouldn't be possible without those that gave their lives in the name of freedom. For my kids and my kids kids' sake, may we go forward with the same integrity in which we began. I’ll leave you with this quote, one of my favorites:

“Posterity, you will never know how much it cost the present generation to preserve your freedom. I hope you will make good use of it. If you do not, I shall repent in heaven that ever I took half the pains to preserve it." -John Adams

Cheers to you and yours…and happy Independence Day.


-Lauren