“They say, “Life is what happens when you’re making other plans.” Some people try to map out their paths and plan every step, but in reality, life hands you something better. A dead end is really a detour to a new route you hadn’t planned on taking. Every experience enhances your life now or later. You can’t always see the growth when your life is taking root. If you’re one of those people who feel lost in life, take heart. Being lost could lead you to the very place life planned on taking you anyway.”- Regina Brett in her book God is Always Hiring.
Life is such a beautiful and sometimes hard journey. As individuals we change our ways. As a couple we can choose to grow apart or together. You won’t be the same person as you were 16 years ago. I actually hope you don’t want to be the same person because growth is part of being human.
When our girls stayed at my mother-in-laws during a recent trip, they went to church and when the pastor saw Esther he was so amazed at how much she had grown. Her reply to him, “It is my job to grow.” The pastor was so taken back by her response that his sermon was all about how as Christians it is our job to grow.
We are always supposed to be growing. It is our job as a couple to grow. Grow for the better I hope. Sometimes in life we take detours but those detours help us get back on track or teach us valuable lessons about ourselves, our partner, and how important marriage really is.
Terra d’Oro
We usually try to do some wine tasting when we aren’t with our children. We stack up and then we are good for a few months. We loved the colors of the grape leaves this time of the year so we knew we couldn’t pass up an opportunity to set up our tri-pod and do a photoshoot. We came in the morning on a Friday so the winery wasn’t so busy and the lighting was perfect. I love that as we are aging we are actually becoming more and more comfortable in front of the camera.
My husband tried their reds and I tried their whites. Their wines where amazing and the atmosphere was laid back.
Located at 20680 Shenandoah School Rd, Plymouth, CA 95669.
Andrae’s Bakery
Andrea’s Bakery began as a farmers market stand that eventually got a location in Amador City. Today they are well established and is a place to visit if you enjoy bakeries. Their food is inspired by the French cuisine. This bakery is very special to us because for five years it was walking distance from our house. We came here weekly. Everything they make is made with high quality ingredients.
It was the first time we have been back since we moved and I was so worried I’d be so overfilled with sadness and would want to move back but I was so glad that those were not the feelings I had. I did have a flood of sweet memories but change is good and I’m okay with where we are at. I do miss Andrae’s bread though.
Located at 14141 Old Hwy 49, Amador City, CA 95601.
Sutter Creek Inn
Sutter Creek Inn was the first bed and breakfast in the west. If you ever drive on highway 49 you’ll have to stop and visit the cutest little town known as Sutter Creek and stay for the night at Sutter Creek Inn. We slept on a swinging bed and when we laid down on the bed I couldn’t stop saying how I had wished we had this type of bed when our children were little because the bed would rock them back to sleep. The Inn is so beautiful. They serve amazing breakfast in the morning. This is a bed and breakfast type of inn. We had never tried a cheesy hash brown casserole before our stay at Sutter Creek Inn. It was so good that now I make it once a week at home.
We love when Inns have private cottages that have private entrances and this Inn sure has that. The fireplace in the room made it cozy.
Located at 75 Main St, Sutter Creek, CA 95685.
Ironstone Vineyards
Ironstone Vineyards is the 17th largest winery in America. They import wine all across the world. The visitor center which we visited was seven stories tall and shaped like a stamp mill. You can do wine tasting here. My favorite was their 2016 Obsession Symphony because I love sweet wine. You can enjoy lunch at their Gold Leaf Deli. They also have a museum on the property where you can see the world’s largest piece (44lbs) of crystalline gold.
Located at 1894 6 Mile Rd, Murphys, CA 95247.
Calaveras Big Trees State Park
We totally did not expect to see any snow here so it was such a nice surprise. I wasn’t really dressed for the snow so we didn’t hike. We have camped here before among these beautiful giant sequoias. Californians are extremely spoiled because we have these massive trees to wonder at. You can never go wrong spending time surrounded by big trees. This state park will not disappoint. You can spend all day here or only one hour like we did and it will be worth the drive up here.
Thank you Sutter Creek Inn and Iron Stone Vineyards for hosting our stay.
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