Norte Dame vs. Stanford

One of Matt's bucket list items was to see a "big time" college football game.  When he saw that Norte Dame would be playing at Stanford while we were in the Bay Area, he couldn't resist tickets.  

 We got to the area a little early to see the town and tour the campus.

 We ate lunch at this cute little spot and walked around some of the shops on University Ave.

 Then we parked the car in one of the residential neighborhoods to avoid the parking fee and make it easier to leave after the game tonight.  I just loved this house!

 The campus was so lively with tailgating parties everywhere, the band playing, a Norte Dame BBQ and lots of families walking and biking around campus.

 We walked to Hoover Hall…the tallest building on campus

 and saw some of the beautiful architecture.  The campus is so clean

 and this church was absolutely spectacular.

Then it was on to the stadium to find our seats. 

 We were seated with a lot of very passionate Norte Dame fans and a few Stanford fans, but everyone was on their best behavior.

 It was Senior Night, so all of the seniors from Stanford were recognized individually before the game.

 We had a great seats and the game was so good…high scoring and a continuous back and forth battle.

 It was about 40 degrees, but luckily we came prepared.

 Stanford scored a winning field goal with 6 seconds left!  It was so cool being there in person and seeing all of the fans storm the field.  We definitely got our money's worth!

These fans sure know how to tailgate!  Before the game, we saw full hard liquor displays, bottles of wine, large screen tvs and amazing displays of food.  After the game was no different.  Stringed lights, bonfire pits and dessert to end a fun night!

Golden Gate Park

With everyone healthy and good weather forecasted, we drove across the Bay Bridge for another day in San Francisco. 

 Taylor asked that we try a new area that the girls hadn't seen before so we started in Golden Gate Park.

 We found parking right away and walked around the Conservatory of Flowers and then to the California Academy of Sciences.  It was so green and peaceful!  It is so easy to forget you are in the middle of a big city.

 Then we parked near the Japansese Tea Garden and walked around Stowe Lake.  There were lots of people running, walking dogs and even a few rowing or riding pedal boats on the lake.  

 Our last stop was to the Dutch Windmill.  It was massive!

 We walked across the street to take a picture at the other entrance to the park and get a few nice shots at Ocean Beach.

 It was a perfectly clear day for pictures at the Golden Gate Bridge.  We found parking at Fort Point

 and did the walking tour inside.  It was a little chilly and windy, but the sites were well worth it!

 Allison really wanted to drive across the bridge so we braved the traffic to fulfill her wish.  At least it was a pretty view of The Presidio and Chrissy Field.

We crossed the bridge and stopped in Sausalito for a quick dinner before making our way back to Danville.

Thanksgiving

It was a very crisp morning, but perfect weather for a nice walk through the neighborhoods.  I walked up Paraiso Drive for this gorgeous view of the mountains, Osage Park and the many fall colors.

 I recruited Allison for another walk along the Iron Horse Trail to Starbuck's.  We also passed my elementary school.  Other than the PE pavilion, every building has changed, but it was fun to show it off to her. 

With everyone healthy, we were excited to spend Thanksgiving with the Mascardo's and all of the Leahy's since Grandma and Papa were in Arkansas with Chris and Aimee.

All of the kids looked so cute in their cousin picture

 and our girls had such fun hanging with all of them throughout the afternoon.

 Sarah and her mom and aunt made a delicious dinner with all of the fixings.  It was great seeing all of her siblings and spending some time with her mom and dad.  I can't believe I have known them since 1986!

Catching Up with Friends

Taylor was done throwing up, but was still weak and needed to be quarantined for at least another day.  I got up early and met Sarah at Starbuck's for a few hours to catch up.  We have been friends since 6th grade and love any opportunity to see each other.

 After coffee, the 3 of us left Taylor at home to meet up with the Curtis' for lunch at Pete's Brass Rail.  We have been friends with them since high school and our kids have grown up with yearly visits.  Holden is now a Sophomore and has his permit.  Tanner is in middle school and loves hockey!!  They had a busy week of activities, but I'm glad we at least got to meet for lunch!

A few days ago, I had offered for Taylor and Allison to babysit Sarah's girls and nieces and nephews so the family could celebrate her dad's retirement.  With Taylor sick, I knew it was too much for Allison to go alone, so I joined her for reinforcement.

Allison was certainly more fun and the kids all loved playing hide and seek with her.  Vivian and Brooklyn were glued to her!  She even handled a few sibling disputes quite well and is a very good babysitter.  I did the dishes and cleaned the kitchen and let them have the fun.  

Quick Trip to SF

Unfortunately Taylor woke up with a stomach bug and wasn't feeling up to a day in San Francisco.  Allison and I still decided to go and let her rest.  We took BART into the city since Matt would have his car to drive us back this afternoon.

 We got off BART at Powell St. and went right to Bristol Farms for a scone before walking up to Matt's hotel.  His conference ended just as we arrived so the timing was perfect.  It was a little rainy and freezing…not a great day for the cable car, but still fun to see.

 We met up with Matt at the Hilton and then walked to Union Square for a little window shopping at Macy's and Crate and Barrel.

We  continued up hill a few more blocks into Chinatown.  I was hoping to find some good white elephant gifts, but Taylor called asking us to come home.  She was throwing up quite a bit and was getting nervous being alone.

 We quickly made our way back to the car

 and over the new Bay Bridge

to find Taylor trying to get some fresh air after a rough morning!!

UC Davis

 UC Davis has been on Taylor's interest list since her AP Bio teacher started talking about her time there as an undergrad.  

We scheduled a guided tour as soon as we knew we would be in the Bay Area for Thanksgiving.  The school is about an hour from my parent's house and only 18 miles from Sacramento.  We had lunch in the cute downtown area and then met for a tour of the residence halls before heading to the Welcome Center for the main tour.

 The school is well-known for it's Veterinary Sciences and agricultural/wine-making studies, but it has over 120 majors including nutrition.

 Taylor loved everything about it…t

 the residence halls,

 the arboretum,

and the quad areas with hammocks.

She also loved that everyone rides bikes (these roundabouts can get quite chaotic between classes!) and she probably wouldn't need a car.  There is wonderful public transportation and a great bus system on campus run by students.

The science laboratory and recreational center are state of the art

and the football stadium and basketball arena looked brand new.  As we left, it was clear that this school has moved to the top of Taylor's list…at least for now.

 We got back to Danville in time to spend a little more time with the Houston's.  Elizabeth is a UC Davis alumni so it was fun to share our tour highlights and listen to her memories as an Aggie.

We snuck in a few more cuddles too!