California

My sweet, gracious husband encouraged me to go back to California to visit my best friends, get a large dose of Vitamin D, and stick my toes in the ocean before I become "Mama" to Baby #2.  I am so thankful for this wonderful babymoon he gave me!

I had prayed so much about the trip in the months leading up to it because, in so many ways, I feel like my heart is still there.  I miss the sun.  I miss the smell of flowers and the beauty.  I miss all the things that SoCal has to offer.  I miss the deep friendships I'd formed.  I miss my school.  My heart still aches and tears well up in my eyes if I spend too much time thinking about my old life there.  So I got on the airplane last Monday with complete excitement and yet trepidation...would I be able to get back on the plane in six days with dry eyes and a desire to go back home?

Thankfully, God was super gracious to me.  I had an absolutely glorious time; everything went just perfectly.  And that is so rare for a vacation!  I just loved my time with my friends and traipsing around my old stomping grounds.  And, yet, despite how incredibly wonderful the trip was, I was ready to come home - I realized that "home" isn't a location, but "home" is where Brian is.  I missed him so much.

 I flew into LAX and stayed in La Mirada with the Brittons for a few days.  It was so much fun to meet their daughter, play with Isaiah, and hang out at Huntington Beach.

 Isaiah reminds me so much of Aidan - he is just hilarious and curious about everything.

 Austin received a call to the pastorate at an OPC church in La Mirada last fall.  I'm jealous that he gets to study and prepare for Bible studies and sermons at the beach.

 This is their adorable home.

 Thanks, Brittons, for an absolutely wonderful time!  I miss you already.

Then I drove down to Murrieta to stay with the Gallaghers.  They were very sweet to let their door swing open so many times as I visited a number of friends in Escondido throughout my time at their house.  I was able to visit my old school and see my students - most of them are taller than me.  I went to a weightlifting competition, a softball game, Del Mar beach, Coronado Island and, of course, I had to drive by our old apartments and the seminary.  It was bittersweet.

 Gallies and I went to the lake to walk and feed the ducks on Saturday morning.  It was over 85 degrees!  So beautiful.

 Gallies have two boys - Sean and Logan.  They are so sweet and well-behaved.  Sean is three weeks older than Aidan so it was fun to play with him and identify all the similarities.  Gallies are flying out this summer for a few days, and I can't wait for Aidan and Sean to play together.

On Saturday night, Kgal and I spent the night on Coronado.  We played at the beach, walked around taking pamphlets of all the homes for sale (none under $1.7 million), and ate at an Irish pub.  We were thankful to Ryan for being Super-Dad so we could have a girl's night.

The next morning we strolled along the harbor; the sun hadn't quite yet burned off the mist.

Like the Brittons, Gallies are blessed with a beautiful home.  It was so fun to hang out in the backyard and eat meals at the outdoor table.  It'd been 7 months since I'd felt warm air on my face. 

 I was so blessed by the hospitality and fellowship of the Brittons and Gallaghers.  It was a true joy to be a part of their families.  I love how strong and God-glorifying their marriages are - their love for one another is evident.  I love how they parent - the Gospel is definitely at the center as they seek to draw their children to Christ (I took home so many great ideas!).  I was so thankful for the late-night chats and ways in which they encouraged me.  I was welcomed with open arms and fed extremely well.  So blessed beyond belief to call these two families dear friends.

Before I flew out of San Diego, I drove along the harbor to take a few last-minute pictures.  Below is the Midway and it always reminds me of my grandpas because they fought in WWII too.

This picture is for Aidan because he loves tugboats.

Bye San Diego!  Thanks for the perfect weather and all the fun!

Halloween Fun!

Garner held Treats on the Streets today; it was our trial run with Aidan in his parrot costume.

Since it was 30 degrees when we left, I bundled him up - he could hardly move and the parrot head wouldn't come up over his head due to the hat and two hoods.

Poor kid!

Kurk, Jenn, and Abs were there too!

So were Nikki, Blake, and Carson:

Off we go!

Aidan walked about half a block before we started to hold up the line.

Thankfully, Mr. Kurk held Aidan "up so high!" to each storefront.

 Sometimes Aidan tested out his wings...

 Yay for fun friends and Trick-or-Treat!

Aidan dumped out all of his candy the moment we got home.

He was in sample mode: Take one bite, open another piece, take one bite, etc.

We finally convinced him the candy would last longer if we placed it in a Ziploc and kept it in the cupboard.

Surprisingly, he agreed!

Then we carved Aidan's pumpkin.

 "Whoa...gooey!"

He was no help separating the seeds from the goo - "No hands dirty."

 "I done wif pumpkin."

 "I see Leo."

 But he was back at it when Daddy asked if he could use Aidan's markers to draw the eyes, nose, and mouth.

 Wonderful pumpkin, Aidan!

The parrot is invited to a Halloween party Monday afternoon, and we look forward to Trick-or-Treating with friends on Wednesday night (followed by a soup supper & games at church).  I can't tell who's more excited: Mommy or Aidan?!

Happy Halloween!

Fun Weekend

Despite the frigid temperatures, the sun was out and we had a wonderful weekend!

On Friday, Brian spent the morning with his boy and I got to shop alone!  Grocery shopping is my least favorite housewife chore, but it's not so bad sans toddler.  That evening we had some new friends over - I'm so thankful for the Tapper family!  They recently moved to the area and it's been fun to get to know them.  Their children, ages 4 & 5, keep Aidan on his toes as he tries to keep up with all that they do!  When Sydney got into the Cool Whip, Aidan was right behind her - "double fisting" it!

Brodi was enjoying some Cool Whip too (and Sydney was eating it out of Aidan's hair!).

Early Saturday morning, Aidan made some Halloween crafts with me.  He's been very proud of them and says to everyone who visits, "I MADE dat!"

.

Saturday, my sweet friend, Jenn, invited me to Clear Lake's Harvest Festival. We had an absolute blast browsing all the vendor tables, sipping wine, and ducking into stores to warm up (yes, it was only 42 degrees that day).  We drank coffee & Bloody Marys too.  We forgot to take our picture, but here's what I purchased:

These FAITH letters came from Heartfelt Designs, Hampton, IA (you can find her on Facebook).  They match my new living room decor perfectly!

I can't wait to order this birth & name info for Aidan when I redecorate his room.  She'll do any color scheme.

[Oh, while I'm talking room decor, I found this Customized City State Heart that I would love to order for Aidan's room.  I think I'll do San Diego, CA where he was born.]

Thanks so much, Jenn, for the fabulous afternoon!  I needed the girltime!

That evening Gigi and Papa Jake came to Garner and took us out for supper!  It was super fun to see them.

 

On Sunday after our naps, we visited Lake Cornelia.  Our new friends recommended it to us and it was beautiful!  Due to the frigid temps, we were the only people there so Leo was able to run like crazy.  He had a blast - he even dipped his feet in the water.

 Aidan absolutely loved the playground.  It was nearly impossible to pull him away from it.

 Our son is not afraid of anything.  He always gets too close to the edge, wants to climb way higher than he's physically able (even with Mom or Dad's help), and insists that he'd only get a "scrape" if he fell.

 Aidan also likes the Merry-Go-Round.

However, most of the time he'd rather be pushing it (that means Mama & Daddy are riding on it - ha!).

 Best Buddies

 What a wonderful weekend we had!  Yay!