I have an Incredible husband!!!

Tomorrow is my 25th birthday. Ian and I were blessed to have his mother come up to watch the girls while we went on a weekend adventure up to San Francisco to celebrate!!!!

I was SO blessed by the love my husband portrayed for me. He didn't give me any wrapped gifts or throw me a huge party, but he truly showed his love and appreciation for me by giving me his undivided attention ALL day with no strings attached and no questions.

We left Saturday morning around 10am. Though we prefer the scenic Hwy 1 drive up to SF, we had some shopping to do. Our first destination was REI to spend some dividend money and gift certificates. Ian pitched in his gift certificate to help fund an AMAZING waterproof running jacket for me. (I have been running a lot in the pouring rain without the needed protection, I am sure this jacket will come in handy for many years to come.)

We then proceeded to In-N-Out for a yummy lunch. Our next shopping stop was Title Nine (athletic and functional women's clothing) Ian didn't mind at all. He encouraged me to try on a bunch of dresses and outfits and really take my time. We had SO much fun. I found something I LOVED but they didn't have my size/color combo, so I bought some much needed shorts.

We headed up to the city and arrived at the hotel in perfect time to check-in at 3:00. We stayed at the Westin St. Francis, in Union Square. We got up to the room, waited for our luggage, got bundled for the chilly evening weather and headed back out.

We rode the cable car to the Wharf

We ate at a GREAT Restaurant: The Blue Mermaid Chowder House. The Chowder is AMAZING. They have some pretty unique chowder choices, and in a delicious bread bowl with a Caesar salad, some fried Calamari, and a glass of chardonnay, we shared a delicious dinner.

Next Stop was of course Ghirardelli Square for dessert:

Above is our amazing dark chocolate fudge mint sundae entitled: Mint Bliss... and it was.

We rode the cable car back to Union Square

And on the way back we had a 'tiny' delay. Just stopping in the middle of an intersection to replace the cable levers. It was so cool to watch them remove the current one by heaving it out of the car, and then load a new one in it's place. A new and unique experience for the both of us.

We got back to the hotel, and after running 9.5 miles the day before and walking around all day I was in need of a bubble bath. But we didn't bring any bubbles. SO, with no hesitation or delay, Ian and I ran out the hotel down to Macy's just 5 minutes before they closed and acquired the much needed bubble bath. A bath, a book, some red wine. It was GREAT! Ian showered, and then we watched 'The Blind Side' through the Hotel Entertainment options. We loved it.

We slept in. Took our time getting packed. Picked up the car, and headed down Highway 1 toward lunch and home. We stopped in Half Moon Bay for lunch. Again we were blessed with amazing food at the Half Moon Bay Brewing Company. Ian had Clam Linguine and I had another salad and some beer battered fish and breaded calamari.

Something to note about us. We ALWAYS order the fried calamari when we eat out at a seafood destination. We are on the hunt for the best around, and have a short list of our preferred favorites. This place made the list. Along with the battered fish, the calamari was so crispy and light and well seasoned. It seemed to melt in your mouth. SO yummy.

The drive was an adventure down, we hit a spot of DOWNPOUR, the cars in front of us pulled over to wait it out, and we were only going maybe 5 mph. It was intense, but fun. We made it home to enjoy some time with Heather and the girls.

I am so thankful for my husband and his love for me. He really showed his love in supporting EVERYTHING I wanted to do or didn't want to do. He trusted me with every decision and supported me with positive loving feedback. It was SO relaxing and refreshing to just be away for a day with no REAL time restraints or schedule restrictions or expectations. I was blessed beyond belief for the love I felt.

So, thank you Ian Shea for loving me perfectly this weekend. Thank you Heather for watching the girls, and pitching in on the trip funding. Thank you mom and dad and Tim and Vic for the funding as well. We could not have afforded this trip on our own and are grateful for the gifts you gave to help celebrate me. I love you all.