When I told people that I was moving to California I got a lot of mixed reactions.

Like this:

“Oh, wow, it’s beautiful there. You are going to love it.”

“Ooooh. Gee. I feel so sorry for you.” (sarcasm)

“O. Tough assignment.” (more sarcasm)

“Nice…except for the earthquakes.” (not sarcasm)

“Don’t turn into a crazy liberal, now.” (never going to happen)

“California….eh…that’s nice I guess.  Californians are kind of different though.” (Aren’t we all? 😉 )

…..But mostly we heard how beautiful it is and how wonderful the weather is.

I just kept thinking, “What makes it SO beautiful and wonderful?” It’s not the cities or the land that they are referring to. It’s this:

Point Lobos State Park

 I thought no beach could be any more breath taking than Destin, Florida, but this is pretty awesome. Destin still has this on you, northern Cal, in Destin you can actually swim in the water. The northern area of California has cold water–not quite as cold as Massachusetts–but cold. You need a wet suit to swim here.

It isn’t all rocks, either. There are plenty of sandy beaches, and piles and piles of sand dunes.

Here we were in ‘the fog’. The fog never fully leaves, but it does move around a little, hence the sweater game. Put on the sweater. Take it off. Put it on. Take it off. You can’t hate on the fog, though, because it keeps us cool and not sweaty!

See. There’s the fog line. Fog/Not fog. There’s a blue, blue sky behind that cloud.

This dog was LOVING the waves. Hmmm. Maybe we shouldn’t show my children this photo. Then they won’t want to go to the beach.

Alan had one request on this trip. “If we see the CHiPS, you HAVE to drop everything and take a picture!!!” I did my best. Childhood t.v. shows do stick with a person.

Look closely. Do you see those houses going up the hill? I just thought that looked neat. This was going into San Francisco.

San Francisco’s Chinatown

Don’t you love this sort of thing? He was a tour guide.

This is pretty much all of the Golden Gate Bridge that we were able to see.

the infamous, abandoned Alcatraz

my most favorite picture ever

Doesn’t he look SO adorable, content, and relaxed? I just love him. All the other sea lions we saw were in groups. This one is like, “I don’t know where the others are, and I don’t care. This is a great spot.”

This (probably homeless) man was sitting on the sidewalk, on Fisherman’s Wharf, San Fran, holding these leaves, so he looked like a plant.  Then when people would walk by, he’d move the leaves and roar. It was HILARIOUS. Yes, he got me. Yes, I screamed. I went back and gave him a couple of dollars and took his picture. You have to admire his spirit.

….and as the mom of little boys, I totally get how much they love to roar and scare people.

I love San Fran’s cleaner air mass transportation.

This is Monterey. Wow.

There will just have to be a part three because I still have so many pictures to share!!!

In a month or so, VoiceBoks will come out with a “Top 10 Military Blogs” post, and I’d really love to be on that list, so if you’d like to help, you can vote for me by clicking on this link and following the directions on their site. You do have to give the voting choices a minute to load. They are in alphabetical order, which puts me at #35. Voting ends July 31.

Thanks, ya’ll!!

The post California: The Beautiful Part. No more desert pictures. I promise…. appeared first on Stories of Our Boys.

Tonight everyone in this house is seriously exhausted.

I am probably the only one that is still awake, and it’s only 10:40 pm!!!  It’s been a busy, busy week.

The biggest and most exciting news–and I have several bits of news!–was Joshua’s great success today!!

Joshua ran his very first 5K race, and when I say that the boy ran to win, you’d better believe it.  He took off like a shot, zipped through his first mile like it was nothing, and thoroughly impressed Alan, who happily ran the race with him.

Joshua completed the race in 30 minutes!!!  That’s faster than I could do!!  We are so proud.  He didn’t slow down a bit until he cut his leg up on a thorny bush, during the last stretch.  Our little hare came in 3rd place for kids 10 and under, earning his very first bronze medal!  WAY TO GO, JOSHUA!!!!!  We are so proud!

Joshua’s buddy, Xavier, also ran and placed 2nd!!  They were so cute together, with their medals.  Yes, Alan took photos!  Unfortunately, they are on his phone, so those are coming soon!

Oh, and Alan placed too!  Way to go, Daddy!!!

Here’s the scoop on what’s been going on:

This is Dan, playing planes on the aircraft carrier he got from Nana and Granddaddy, inside the tent he got from us.  Thank you, Granddaddy and Nana!  This is a serious hit!  It came like the day after you ordered it too–amazing!

Dan opted for these cupcakes, rather than a cake.  We didn’t do a party because our life has just been so hectic.  Dan still had a great time, as did his brothers.

This little fella is being weaned this weekend, or at least we are beginning the process.  Nonna is here, and she has been giving him bottles while I have been leaving the house as much as possible so that he knows that breastfeeding is not an option.

He’s made a lot of headway, as long as you put juice or breast milk in the bottle.  We still haven’t convinced him to drink formula.  He’s standing his ground on that, but I’m just happy to at least have progress.

What I didn’t expect is how much I miss breastfeeding and taking care of him.  Oh, JD, I miss you sooooo much!!!  I’m okay with not breastfeeding, and it’s been so weird to be out and about rather than at home with the baby, but I miss cuddling him all day long (and sometimes all night) way more than I realized I would!!!

GIANT thank you to Nonna, who has worked extremely hard to get this boy to drink, plus done the laundry, plus bathed the boys!!

This is like a vacation.  When JD was born, my mom was doing all of this for me, but I was too much of an invalid to enjoy it.

This weekend I was able to take advantage of it and go touring with our guests:  Alan’s grandparents!

It’s hard to tell in the photo, but this was Batman and another Lego figure, sitting on a sofa, watching t.v.  One of them has a remote control.

Dan got a doctor kit from Uncle Greg and Aunt Amy and a transformer dino/car from Allen and Emily.  He has played the fool out of all of it!  Thank you so much!

Dan loves to get all the remote control trains going on the track, but then JD waits for them to ride by and SNATCHES them. It’s a pretty fun game.

Oh, the cuteness!!!!!!!!!

A little of the tourism fun:

It was COLD! We found good, handicapped spaces in a parking garage near the museum.

Ha!!!!

It was extra neat doing the museum with Alan’s grandparents.  This is the Smithsonian American History Museum.

Granddaddy and Grandmother said things like, “Oh, I used to ride in one of those.”  and “Janet had a van just like that one.”  Grandmother told a story about the first time her father saw an automobile.  It really added to the experience!

We also went to the Holocaust museum with them the day before.

Then tonight they took Alan and me out to eat at Bonefish Grill.  What an exciting weekend!  This never happens, ya’ll.  I can’t tell you how strange I felt without little boys tugging on me:  no diaper bags, no babies to carry around.  I felt like I was doing something very wrong. I just had to keep reminding myself, “They are FINE.  Nonna and DaddyO are there with them.  JD will eat food and drink a little from a bottle.  This HAS to be done.  I can’t breastfeed this boy forever.”

In this photo, I was having a teary-eyed moment–I can’t tell you how strange it felt to have this much freedom–I am an emotional mess.  I was in the museum, and I spotted a spot where we took Joshua and Caleb’s picture just four years ago.  I remember them running all over the Transportation floor of the museum and how much they loved it, and this time they had not even wanted to come.   “Nah, that’s boring,” they said.  Tears!  Tears in my eyes!  They will never be those sweet, rowdy little babies again!!!

Joshua was almost 4, and Caleb was 2!!!  Oh, I miss them!!!  I know I still have them, but I miss that preschool version of them!!!  I’d forgotten that their hair used to be that blonde.

We saw this guy propose to this girl.  I couldn’t not watch!!!

LOVE these blue dishes!!!!

Alan, the professional DC tour guide, driving us around.  It’s always such a  relief when Alan is at the helm and not me!!  I always end up driving down some “Do Not Enter” street or ending up hopelessly lost.  DC streets, I will not miss you!!!!

Tomorrow is Sunday.  Ah, sigh of relief!!!  My day of rest, and I love it so.  It seems like more and more events are being scheduled for Sunday afternoons, as people are afraid to compete with other Saturdays.  I’m trying to stand strong and not get sucked in to another day of running around like a chicken with my head cut off!!  Sundays are my easy.  God commanded that we take a day to rest.  Literally–the sabbath is one of the 10 commandments.  Yes, I know, the Sabbath is really Saturday; let’s not get technical.  The Lord arose on Sunday, so Christians call Sunday the Lord’s Day.  I suppose either of those days is a perfectly good one to rest on!  Thank you, God, for Sundays!!

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