Napa Valley preview

Now that it's officially the week of our Napa Valley trip I'm starting to get super excited! Two of the main things I'm pumped about is the Napa Valley Wine Train and the Hot Air Balloon Ride over Napa Valley! I thought I'd share those items :)

Vista Dome Lunch on the Napa Valley Wine Train
Lunch in the Vista Dome train. It's a tour of Napa from 1030am-230pm with lunch and drinks all day!

The train we will be touring on:

One of the booths in the train we are taking:

http://winetrain.com/
"Elegant Glass-Topped Observation Car"
"Our 1952 Pullman domed rail car provides our most private dining experience. Your meal begins with a complimentary glass of California sparkling wine and continues with a four course lunch of your choice."
"The Vista Dome Car is an elevated observation style dining car expertly refurbished using Honduran Mahogany paneling and brass accents. Executive Chef Kelly Macdonald offers a unique menu for this dining option with all selections prepared in the kitchen located on the first floor of this car. One of the booths in the Vista Dome Car. As with all our menu choices, the meals are freshly prepared on the train using fresh, environmentally responsible ingredients, humanely raised, hormone free meats and fresh, line caught fish. Guests are invited to explore the rest of the train after the entree and prior to the dessert. Perfect for a private function or one of our special events, this domed rail car hosts up to 56 dining guests."

Hot Air Balloon Ride over Napa Valley

It's a one hour ride in the air and then a champagne breakfast!
https://balloonrides.com/

"Hot Air Balloons in Napa Valley float almost silently above the trees, hillsides, fields, and vineyards. You will see the Napa Valley wine country in a way that ground-bound travelers never will. Napa Valley hot air balloon rides are one of the most exhilarating experiences you will 'ever enjoy. Your hot air balloon rises with the roar of the burners and then floats in silence, drifting with the wind as your overlook wine country's majestic landscape. You won't feel the wind; you are a part of it - barely realizing you're moving."

We have many more exciting plans but these two are on my "bucket list" so I'm pumped! it was hard packing last night since I am at work for 3 days, Napa for 5 days, Yosemite Park for 2 days and San Fransisco for 3 days! I had a LOT. Good thing Southwest lets you carry on two bags plus check two bags for free!

Happy Monday!

Trains and Dinosaurs

Time for a long post, it’s been awhile! I’m going to start with last weekend; I had a busy week at work and didn’t have time to blog about it.
On Friday we went to the Brooks and Dunn concert. It was fantastic!! Gary Allen opened for them and he is incredible. I am now back to being a full-time County music listener. Our friends Dane, Sara, Lucas and Amanda came to the concert with us. Amanda and I are really the only true country fans and we ended up being the only ones drinking as much as we could so it was even more fun for us! (we owe our rock friends!)

Brooks and Dunn:

On Sunday I hosted a bridal shower for my good friend, Kristin. I hosted it with her two good friends at my house. It was the first shower at my new house and it turned out super cute! We did a pink/green theme and had a great turnout of 19 ladies! Kristin’s friend, jess, is an incredible cook and made the best Italian spread of food. By far the best bridal shower food I’ve ever had. Then we topped it off with red velvet cake, yum yum!! So our first house shower was a success! Only two more months and Kristin will be Mrs. Falkenberg! Unfortunately, I’ll be looking not so hot with my eye surgery at her wedding, but oh well. The day isn’t about me and I’ll just stay out of pictures and have some pre-drinks so I’m ready for the weird looks and “what happened” questions :)

The pretty bride-to-be:

The yummy cake and some of the decor:
Now on to this weekend! My niece and nephew came to Kansas City. My brother and his wife had a wedding on Saturday in KC so my hubby and I were all alone with the kiddos! Thankfully I can report we all four survived! We started off around 11am going to Fritz restaurant. It’s a train restaurant where the food is delivered in a train to your table. Let me tell you – if you have a child the age 3-6 and live in KC take them to this restaurant! It was fantastic. Like most three year olds, my niece is obsessed with trains and had a great time. My nephew slept through it all so I’m thinking he enjoyed it too :) You use a phone at the booth to call in your order and the train delivers your food. All the kids got “conductor” hats and milk shakes. Plus, the restaurant is a diner and has some great burgers and milkshakes! Our friends, Dane and Sara came to eat with us. And of course, we were 20 minutes late because it took Uncle Josh 15 minutes to get them in the car while I was packing the diaper bag :)

At Fritz with Ariana, the conductor:

Uncle Josh and Corbin having some guy time
Yum Yum Ice Cream!

After eating we went to the Dinosaur Exhibit at Union Station. Another thing my niece LOVES is dinosaurs so it was a great day for her! It was a cool setup with lots of huge life size dinosaurs. Midway during the exhibit my nephew decided to have his debut! I was carrying him in this baby carrier you strap on your chest. It’s great for carrying him until he is ready to get out of it. (Especially if it’s Aunt Amber trying to do this for the first time!!). He woke up and I noticed but before I could reach down and start pulling him out of the carrier he was in a dead scream. I think everyone in the exhibit heard him. Haha. So I pulled him out and walked out. I gave him a bottle and changed his diaper and then he was back to being an angel!! Newborns are so funny. So now I know that I have to be ready, do not do what I do which is – have the bottle nipple in a different place of diaper bag then bottle, did not time it so I knew when the bottle should be out of the cold, and I didn’t have a diaper on hand! It was at the bottom of the diaper bag, which of course Uncle Josh had in the exhibit!

Dinosaur Exhibit!

When we drove out of the exhibit the kids were both asleep and we were mind-numb. So overall, it was a great time!! We went back to the house and fed Corbin and let Miss A watch some Barney. To end the day we went to Chick-fil-a to let A play on the slides. When my brother and sis-in-law got back around 9pm my brother went to put my niece asleep. He said she was telling him about her day and said “wasn’t today just the greatest, I can’t wait to wake up and see Uncle Josh and Aunt Amber again”… PRECIOUS! So I guess we passed the test! And I’ll admit my nephew gave me a TINY bit of baby fever. I didn’t want him to leave! I can’t wait to have one of my own :)

While they were visiting my sister in law gave me Corbin’s newborn pictures! Dear lord, he is honestly the cutest newborn ever! Yes I know, I’m biased but my oh my, they are a precious family!!

Tomorrow we leave for work again but on Thursday we leave for NINE days to Napa Valley!! So hopefully in 96 hours from now I will have no contact on computer, email, or voicemail and will have a glass of wine in hand all day everyday for a week straight. Our friends get married on Friday in Napa and then we are staying there for 4 days, 2 days at Yosemite Park and then 3 days in San Francisco. Hopefully the next four days go by super fast. We are in need of a vacation!! So I'll talk to you on August 28th when I'm fully refreshed and relaxed, back from our vacation!

Hope everyone had a great weekend!