October 5-15, Greg and I were in
California. The boys were at home thanks to my wonderful parents
being willing to come to our house and stay with them while we were
gone. This way they were able to stay on their own schedule and not
miss more than a week of school.
Greg had some meetings for work at the
beginning and the end of our trip and I came down in the middle. The
first Sunday in October is Mt. Diablo bike ride which is an 11-mile
uphill ride that is probably Greg's favorite ride to do. If you
succeed in completing the course in less than one hour you get a
t-shirt. He has several shirts now after doing the ride several
times. :) Greg did this ride with a couple friends and had a great
time. We also got to spend some time at Greg's sister's house and
celebrated her birthday (and Greg's birthday even though it was a
month after his).
Greg and his buddies with their Mt. Diablo t-shirts!
My adorable nephew, Brody
Greg's sister, Natalie, and Brody
Happy belated birthdays to Greg and Natalie!
Then, Sunday night the two of us drove
to Monterey to spend a few days on a mini vacation. We enjoyed
relaxing, not having to worry about kids' schedules and mealtimes,
etc. The first couple days were beautiful and sunny and we enjoyed
walking along Cannery Row, window shopping, and going to the Monterey
Bay Aquarium. If you haven't been to the Aquarium before, it is
quite amazing and we really love it. Our favorite section is the
jellyfish. They are so fun to watch. So mesmerizing and relaxing.
Of course we wouldn't want to be in the water with them, but to watch
them through the display glass, it's wonderful.
Walking along Cannery Row
Watching a sea lion hanging out below the restaurant window
Our next day was more cloudy with some
rain. We spent the day visiting State Parks. We went to Point Lobos
State Park, and Julia Pfeiffer State Park. Both of these were
recommended to us by some friends and we really enjoyed them both.
Point Lobos offered some beautiful views and secluded coves.
Julia Pfeiffer offered some stunning
views of a waterfall coming off a cliff onto the beach. We had some
beautiful sunny weather here and loved our short hike to see
everything. There is also a small campground here with only two
sites available. Greg really wants to come back sometime and camp
there with Kyler. I'm sure they would have a wonderful time, but
it's really hard to get the site due to demand! I hope they are able
to do it some day.
The campsite at Julia Pfeiffer State Park
The next morning as we packed up to
leave, I met up with a friend of mine, Tricia. Up until this point
we had only communicated via email or facebook. We were put in touch
with each other by a mutual friend who knew we had some things in
common with our youngest children in terms of medical challenges.
Tricia's son is a year and a half younger than Caden and due to some
similar challenges, we exchanged multiple emails. She lives near
Monterey and was able to get away for a little while one morning so
we could meet in person. It was so great to finally meet her! It's
amazing how easy it can be to talk to someone you've never met when
you've dealt with so many of the same things. We have many similar
experiences and it is so nice to be able to talk with another mom who
truly “gets” it. Thanks for meeting up with me, Tricia! We'll
have to do it again sometime if we're ever in the same area again.
:)
Then we headed back to the Sacramento
area where we stayed with some friends. My original plan was to come
back to Sacramento for the 2nd weekend in October so I
could go to the Christian Women's Retreat that I go to every year
with some friends. This year ended up being a little different as my
friend, Suzanne, ended up getting put on bed rest due to preterm
labor that week. So I went to the retreat with Suzanne's mom, her
aunt, and another friend of ours. The four of us had a great time,
but we really missed Suzanne!
Sunday after the retreat, was my dear
friend, Suzanne's baby shower. She got to recline in a chair while
everyone came and chatted with her. I was so glad I got to be there
for this special event. For those of you who might remember me
writing about our friends who lost their precious baby daughter,
Gabriella in April 2011, this is their fourth baby. Their older
children are Brayden who is 8 years old, and Elizabeth who is 4 ½
years old. The baby's name is Olivia and I can't wait to meet her!
I am so happy for our friends who have been through so much and are
going to have another beautiful daughter to hold. Nothing can take
away their pain from losing Gabriella, but having Olivia will
certainly bring them much joy! It was a beautiful shower put
together by several of Suzanne's friends. One thing is for sure,
this baby is very special! Just like her whole family.
The cute onesies made by the shower guests
Me with Suzanne
Sadly my trip was over on Monday as I
had to fly home. I was anxious to get home to my boys but I will
miss my friends in California. Until next time...
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