Five years is an eternity...

Five Years. When I think of five years, I think, "wow, that's a long time!". Vet school, one of the biggest commitments of my life, was only four years, so five MUST be like an eternity! Jeremy and I just celebrated our fifth anniversary, and though at times, five years has indeed felt like an eternity, in the long run, I realize its just the beginning of what is going to be a long and beautiful (and sometimes trying) adventure.

We spent our anniversary day with a free pass to do with as we pleased. In order to try out a daycare provider, we dropped the kids off and enjoyed our day of freedom. We saw a movie (The Rise of the Planet of the Apes, shockingly good), ate two meals out (IHOP and P.F. Changs) and wandered through some stores without the concern of Mr. Grabby Hands (Noah) striking and both kids getting sick of the confinement of a buggy and filling the aisles with shrieks. It was heavenly! As much as we love our munchkins, we realized that enjoying life as a couple is vital to the health of our marriage.

That being said, those munchkins have enriched our lives beyond what we could have ever imagined. It's so much fun to know that they both contain pieces of us and to watch them grow and change so quickly! If Rowan continues developing at what seems lightning speed, he'll be chasing after Noah in no time. It seems like just yesterday he was in the stage that I refer to as "the lump". In the last 3 weeks he's gained the ability to sit up on his own, roll all over the house (and shout and holler when he is obstructed by pesky furniture) and has found his voice. This morning we had the pleasure of listening to him "talk" to himself in his room for a good 20 minutes before he insisted upon his freedom from the crib!

Rowan is still an incredibly pleasant baby, hopefully he'll learn to stand up to the onslaught that always comes from Noah's direction. Its seems like a clique, but holy moly, that child is "All Boy!". It would be a shame if I didn't enjoy a good tub cleaning, because he leaves a ring after one bath after all the dirt he accumulates during the day. I know I've referred to it in other posts, but it never ceases to amaze me how boys are.

Speaking of how boys are, although this side note is totally out of place in my reflective post, I feel that it will allow for some laughter and how can I miss out on that opportunity? We've recently begun potty-training Noah and found he's already house-trained! Yes, that's right, house trained. When we pull off his pants to head to the toilet, he seizes the opportunity to run out to the back yard. Apparently he's watched Bentley utilize the grass facilities often enough that's he's decided that is where he should empty his bladder, too. I have chased him multiple times, only to arrive and find him making pee-pee in the grass (in a dog-like squat, no less), right where Bentley likes to. Hilarious, but not exactly what we're looking for. It might be cute now, but as he grows, I don't imagine that it'll be socially acceptable to pull down his trousers and go when the dogs do. See, worth the funny, huh? :)

Back to more serious things...

As we enter into the second half of our first decade, we do so a little wiser. My hopes for the upcoming years are many. I hope that we can make a real effort to retain some time for ourselves, as individuals and as a couple. I hope that we can impart upon our children a joy for life and learning. I hope that we can take this house we've already invested so much time, money and energy in, and make it a home. I hope that we can fill our days and evenings with fun and make memories for ourselves and our children that will last a lifetime.

The Fincher Family Inn is Officially In Business!

Our guest room is done (minus a coat of paint, but good luck painting with a two year old around!) and has been graced by our first visitors since its completion (I promise that pictures will eventually be posted!). Our dear friends from up north spent a week at The Fincher Family Inn and helped us to really explore the city we now call home! It is such a rich, lively place, FULL of fantastic events and locations.

It all started with a drive to Monterey, CA for a visit to the famous aquarium. It was a awesome place, and to tempt any visitors, we went ahead and purchased a family pass that allows our visitors to attend without cost! Between shaking in fear of the octopus and touching the slimy sting rays, Noah discovered a love of fish. The little boy who never stops moving actually paused for minutes to gaze and squeal at the schools swarming about our heads in gigantic tanks. From the aquarium, we continued the coastal tour with a stop at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk. After a delicious dinner (of fish and chips, naturally), we strolled the pier to see the sea lions basking and barking below. As a special treat, the pelicans were on parade and we enjoyed watching them nip at Jeremy's fingers and snack on fisher men's bait. It was a late night, but the P.J. trick worked like a charm (I have my Ohio cousins to thank for that one!); get them dressed for bed and make a quick transfer from car to bed, golden!

The tour of the beautiful bay continued the next day at Muir Woods, home of the California Redwoods. Suffice it to say, its shocking to look at these enormous trees (that we can fit the ENTIRE Fincher family inside of, and we aren't a tiny people!) and try to think back to their start as saplings. Some are hundreds of years old, well before a time I can even imagine. Its amazing that, given time, what can come from something so small. Makes me think about our kids and what they have the potential to become. They can be anything they want, given the right nurturing and encouragement, and that is an exciting thought for a new mom.

In the midst of all the fun touring and visiting, I had the exciting experience of working a day in a civilian practice! It was my first time since becoming a DVM that I really got to have the feeling of what my TRUE working passion is! Since that day, the practice let me know that they really want a full time individual and since I'm unwilling to commit to that amount of time, I'm not the candidate for them. I was a little disappointed, but I continue the job search knowing (as my mom says) that something more perfect is out there waiting just for me! I got a call yesterday from one clinic, but I don't believe it will be the place for me. The hours and pay are fantastic, but it doesn't see any in depth medicine and doesn't have the capability to do so at all. I feel that it would be very similar to my veterinary experience in the Army and since one (among MANY!) of the reasons I left was to be able to experience more in-depth medicine, I don't want to settle just so I can feel like I'm doing something. So, the search continues...

Speaking of doing something... after a few days of relaxing at home the touristing reconvened at Fisherman's Wharf. Its a bustling place, all shiny and blinkey, just for the tourists. The carousel doesn't play music and the sea lions stink to high heaven and the fudge wasn't great... I decided I prefer the more natural beauties of the Bay Area such as trees and fish (in glass boxes that contain any odor). Anyone who knows me well, knows that I prefer good food anywhere I can get it, so we enjoyed a delicious lunch at Boudin, the famous SF Sourdough bread bakery, of clam chowder in giant bread bowls (worth the drive and blinking!)!

The remainder of the visit was spent with quality time visiting, men playing video games and children running amok!

The Fincher Family Inn is in business and welcoming all visitors... the next reservation is Gram and Pop and we can't wait! Book your visit now!