Last Days in California...remembering

To be honest, i was annoyed when Mom made me stop and take this picture, but now I am glad.

I guess that is what mothers do! :-) Me included...

At home, I always have something to do...or I find something to do.
This morning the kids were so glad to be home and played and ran outside and did not like my suggestion to go to the store (our fridge was empty!).
I put off going to the store and chose to hang out in the backyard instead. Instead of playing, though...I pulled weeds.
I pulled lots of weeds!

On this trip, I just got to BE. I stopped, knelt, and played.
I held and cuddled and played.
I sat and served and did what needed to be done and did not go looking for projects.
Well, except projects that the kids wanted to do. :-)

Owen got to play and be adored too. Xavi had eyes for him and Owen learned something new about himself: he can nurture. In taking care of someone else (including his sister), he has become more generous and less demanding. I've been praying for this day for over 5 years. :-)

Well, Xavi is easy to love: those brown eyes, that squishy, dark skin, that curl to his hair...

"What? Who? Me?"
Yes...squishy on a baby is a GOOD thing!

One of our last days in CA, we took a trip to San Diego.
We toured the USS Midway, an aircraft carrier that's been docked since 1995 (I think).
MB and Xavi made the trek, along with all of us tourists.
We had another reason for going to San Diego, but we just told the kids that there was a special surprise waiting for them!

The ship was not the special surprise, but it was pretty cool!

There were real noises plugged into the halls we walked,
so once again my little girl plugged her ears...

From the top there was quite the view...

and the kids took it all in...

And...to be able to get into a helicopter!

and see gramma and grampa!

But the special surprise came after all that...
As we were leaving the USS Midway, Owen was tired and hungry and had been away from home two weeks already. It was the first time he said to me,
"I don't want to be on this trip. I just want to see my daddy."
It would have broken my heart, but I knew the special surprise...

Daddy was at the airport waiting for us to pick him up as he was saying these words.
He missed us enough to catch a one-way flight and ride back with us...\We were so glad to have him with us!
And, we were able to add one more day in CA so he got to spend a day at the beach!

Grampa endured the sun...the last day in CA...

Xavi took it all in too...
ahhhhh....Owen got to show Daddy how to yell at the waves..."Tsunami!"Playing...

Our last afternoon and evening...

I had to catch one whole California sunset...

And it was worth it...

Good bye California...

Still...more to come!