We had the great joy of spending a week in California back in May. Our trip was twofold: to visit our dear friend Chris, who was one of Eli's roommates at Bethel and one of the groomsmen in our wedding, and also to visit with some of Eli's aunts and uncles.
First, to see Chris in sunny southern California! We only had a quick weekend to spare, but it was amazing to spend time together after not seeing each other for many years. We ate good food, explored the area, and laughed a lot as we reminisced and made new memories.
When I think of southern California, I typically think of the hustle and bustle of LA, but there is incredible natural beauty outside the city. We added another national park to our list when we hiked around the Santa Monica Mountains. We were gifted with a beautiful day to explore such a glorious place.
We also made our way to the Pacific Ocean! The first ocean our boys ever saw was the Indian Ocean off the coast of Kenya, and during our last HMA they saw the Atlantic Ocean off the east coast of America. The trip to California marked their first time seeing the Pacific Ocean - Ocean #3!
We were prepared to go swimming and enjoy a morning at the beach, but a strong wind was coming off the water, whipping sand everywhere, and it was crazy cold for a day at the beach. Did that stop Eli and Chris from going swimming? Not in the least! They ran right in and took the cold plunge, laughing all the while. The rest of our crew drifted no farther than dipping toes in the water. It was not the beach experience we expected, but it was a memorable beach experience nonetheless.
After the weekend in southern California, we drove several hours to central California where Eli's aunt and uncle live. Another aunt and uncle flew out from Georgia to spend time with us too, and one of Eli's cousins also lives in the area so it was like a mini family reunion!
We enjoyed time around their house, which is in a peaceful neighborhood on a beautiful lake. We were so thankful for the chance to visit and reconnect. (Notice that Eli is looking up at his uncle - it's not every day that Eli has to look up to someone!).
Asa was a huge fan of the paddle boat. He would've spent the whole day paddling around the lake if we'd let him. The first time I took him for a ride, I declared it as a Mother/Son Date because, well, it was special time together and we took our time and really enjoyed it. That li'l stinker of mine, however, refused to call it a date because, ahem, there were no treats involved! I learned a valuable lesson that day: no Mother/Son Date is complete without a treat! (And really, who can argue with that logic???) So we went for another paddle boat ride later in the day after a treat was acquired. Thank goodness Aunt Laurie had M&Ms on hand for us to take around the lake!
Kai and Eli also enjoyed the paddle boat, but they didn't enjoy any M&Ms along the way. They have yet to learn the rules of parent/child dates!
Our kids were reintroduced to cornhole and even got some beanbags in the hole (it took a while, but they got there).
And we went for rides in their Slingshot! We felt like superheroes driving around in this thing. What a joyride! Literally!
We spent one day going to Yosemite and back (see previous post about Caleb's birthday). The weather couldn't have been better, and although the park was busy with tourists it wasn't overwhelmingly so, meaning that it was an ideal day to be at Yosemite National Park. We couldn't have planned it better if we'd tried.
I've said it before and I'll say it again: if there are rocks to climb, boys will climb them! The stunning beauty of the falls couldn't distract them from Priority One: scrambling on the rocks.
Exploring the national parks has always been, and will always be, a Life Win. I completely agree with the notion that the national parks are America's best idea!
The next day we had the privilege of going to the Sacramento Zoo. We never tire of visiting zoos because we never tire of seeing wildlife. Some people have asked if we can't stand zoos after seeing so much wildlife in the wild - and truly, the African savanna can't be beat - but the answer is no! We love zoos! Besides the fact that they have animals there we'll never see anywhere else (like this okapi and these red pandas!), zoos are also vital for rehabilitation and conservation efforts. And if there's one thing our family is passionate about, it's wildlife conservation!
What a marvelous time we had in California. I feel like a decent part of our life during HMA is to ride on the coattails of others and be blessed by their blessings. Beautiful homes were shared with us, extra groceries were bought for us, favorite local joints were shown to us, and time and energy were gifted to us.
Truly, whatever God has blessed you with, those blessings are meant to be shared with others. That's the principle the people of God were founded on. God said to Abraham that he would be blessed and also be a blessing, and we want to be people who perpetuate that principle. However God has blessed you, allow those gifts from God to be a blessing to others and thereby bring light into your corner of the world. As recipients of so many people's blessings poured back onto us, I can testify that it does indeed spread the Light.
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