bonny doon.

For my birthday last month, Sam took the family to the little town of Bonny Doon. It's a tiny town that basically consists of a few local businesses right on Highway 1. He found a great place on Airbnb- a home on a ranch in the Santa Cruz mountains. It was the perfect birthday present. He watched the girls all weekend, while I laid around in bed and finished an entire book. We went on a hike in the dunes, and played on the beach. We ate seafood at a cute roadhouse in town, where the employees were so nice to us even when our kids were being wild. 

Motherhood has gotten the best of me lately (more on this later). I hadn't had a good night's sleep in months. And, my birthday was the same week as the election. Emotions were running high, and I was feeling pretty low. So, it was really great of Sam to step in and take care of all of us, giving me the rest I needed. Also, the house didn't have service, and I actually "lost" my phone- meaning I couldn't remember when I used it last, and chose not to look for it until we left. I don't think I could have gotten through that post-election weekend without unplugging for a bit. The ocean can make you forget everything. This particular spot was mesmerizing. We stopped at a cliff that overlooked a beach, where the shallow water stretched out for so long and you could follow a single wave spread so smoothly until it dissolved onto the sand. 

Thank you all for the birthday wishes! And, thank you Sam for taking your girls on a much-needed get away!