Berkeley birthday weekend

We made a quick trip up to Berkeley for my niece's first birthday last week. I know it's such a cliche, but I can't believe it's been a year! She's so firmly embedded in our hearts. I can even get over the fact that D is her absolute favorite because it's so sweet to see her light up as soon as she sees him. I'm just hoping I can edge Circe out for second place in her affections (it's a tight contest).

{gentle}

{engrossed in the toy bin}

{flowers}

{dustin is in demand - two dogs, one baby}

{birthday treats}

{berkeley bowl}

It cracks me up to see how well Circe does with Casey. They have the exact same taste in toys and Circe patiently accepts Casey's pets/slaps. I think a big part of it is that Circe has learned that babies drop a lot of food on the floor. Whatever it takes, right? Terriers aren't always known for their stellar behavior around small children, so I'm just grateful that she's warmed up to kids.

We spent most of the weekend hanging out with Casey, but we did manage multiple trips to Berkeley Bowl, aka - one of my favorite places on the planet. Since we were going camping right after we left town I finally had the perfect excuse to go to town on the snack selection in their bulk bins. We also picked up a bunch of produce and a pretty amazing pack of mixed beer. And marshmallows. My favorite thing about this store is that you can choose from 20 different types of local honey but still pick up normal groceries, like regular sugar. Whole Foods will never measure up.

We hit the road on Sunday afternoon and headed for Yosemite. I'll share some pictures tomorrow from our super quick camping trip.