solvang getaway

Ken and I were super lucky to be able to get away to Solvang for two nights in January to celebrate his birthday!  A huge shout out to my parents for taking the boys for those days.  All parties had a great time.

Ken and I stayed at Hadsten House in Solvang again (I also wrote about it in this blog post) and again just thought it was perfect for a little getaway for two.  So basically the weekend was very chill.  We enjoyed the jacuzzi at the hotel, ate out at the phenomicnal restaurants in the area, took an easy and very scenic hike, and just generally enjoyed spending time together.  The weather was ideal--highs around 80 degrees and chilly in the evenings.  We decided that January is about the perfect month to visit Solvang.  Great weather and fewer crowds than in the summer months.

I think it is SO important for us to get away without kids sometimes.  It's very bonding and just gives us a chance to talk and reconnect.  Regular life with kids and school and work and activities and commuting can get so full and busy.  Sometimes I feel like we barely "see" each other.  So I love these getaways.  I'd love to do this twice a year.  Again, we are so lucky to have my mom available to help with the boys.  We are so blessed and fortunate that she has her health and energy, loves kids, and the boys have a blast over there.

So, in other news, Ken bought me a new laptop!  I've never had or used a laptop before so there is a huge learning curve for me.  I'm determined to make it work.  And I'm excited to learn.  We still have our old desktop Mac but it is so slow and clunky I'd basically stopped blogging.  My hope is to get organized and post here much more.  I love having my blog as a way to look back on our family life and all our memories.  I hope to "be" here much more often in the coming weeks and months.

Recommended places in Solvang and the area:
Hadsten House (for lodging)
Sides Hardware and Shoes in Los Olives (insane food--we've only been here for lunches.  I highly recommend the fried chicken sandwich.  The butternut squash soup was also unbelievable).
The Red Barn in Santa Ynez--this is another Brothers Restaurant (as is Sides) and is delish.
The Red Viking in Solvang--this is where we always go for our fix of Danish yummy foods.  Get the smorgasbord.
The Hitching Post-- we tried this  for the first time.  Excellent if you like meat, which we do.  We had wonderful steaks here.

The whole area has lots of restaurants and lovely wines.  I definitely recommend venturing into Los Olives and Santa Ynez.