California Adventures Part III

Coronado!


Let the pictures paint the words.....

Point Loma:

Cabrillo Monument at Point Loma

Fun in the sun:

Samuel with Morgan and Travis Dwan

Sarah Grace with Michaela Dwan

Hotel Del Coronado

San Diego

The Dragon Tree

So much to see and do in the San Diego area, but we decided to spend our time in Coronado and enjoy our incredible upgraded ocean-front accommodations.  We did venture over to Point Loma one day and explored the area discovered by Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo of Portugal long ago.  


The weather was perfect and afforded us lots of time to swim and play in the sand.  
The city of San Diego, as viewed from across the bay at Coronado, was stunning.  Truly, it is a beautiful city by the sea.  I really fell in love with the place where the sunshine burns through the misty fog and salty air.  Where just off the shore, on a clear sunny morning you can watch dolphins breach high and away from the water.  And at night the bright lights from Mexico, just a shore away, shine into the darkness.  Where American Navy and their Seals run up and down the beach building their strength and resolve, and where their ships anchor off the coast, not resting, but protecting.  It's a place where their fighter jets slice through the atmosphere at any given hour.   And where, when all their earthly service is done, they rest in white-markered graves on the hills of Point Loma.   


It's a beautiful place.




And because it's Monday, I count blessings....


# 718-737


smiles
salty air
warm sand
devotions
fires on the beach
stars in the sky
palm trees
SUN
old hotels
fish tacos
flip flops
touch, smell, sight, taste
roller coasters
people in dress-up
monkeys
cousins
flowers
kisses
friends that help
a pup that forgives

California Adventures Part II

Disney!!!!

Sunday evening we headed to Disneyland.  We stayed at a Disneyland resort hotel and hit California Adventures on Monday. 

and of course swimming in the evening.....

Tuesday we checked out of our hotel and walked over to Disneyland.

and then Samuel's favorite part:  the Jedi Knight training!  He got chosen to train as a Jedi Knight, and fought Darth Maul!

And then, at the end of our Disney adventure, while the kids and I were in a shoppe, Greg made some pics of the retiring of the colors....  this being the day after our brave Navy Seals found and killed

 Osama bin Laden in Pakistan.  A ten year mission completed.

 Portland, OR. is often distinguished as having a European feel to it.  

Interestingly, for me, coming to California is coming back to America.  With all it's diversity of people and places, distinct Mexican influence, balance between work and play, beauty and grit, it embodies so much of what is so grand about the U.S.

Check back later as our trip continues and culminates at our stay by the sea....

LYMYWY,

Kara

California Adventures Part I

It's been awhile since I have blogged about the regular goings ons of the Liechty family!  We have been looking forward to our California vacation for a very long time.  As the rains in Oregon have continued steadily we surely have fallen short in the Vitamin D department, so our spirits AND bodies have been longing for some sunshine!

We arrived last Saturday in Long Beach and from there went directly to the American Girl store.

From there we enjoyed dinner with some of the California Liechtys.  It was a great time for Greg to reconnect and for me and the kids to make some new family connections.

On Sunday we met Greg's cousin, Jenny,  at the Santa Ana Zoo.  Jenny has worked there for ten years as a zookeeper responsible for several of the monkey exhibits for which the zoo is most well known for.  In fact, based on agreements originating years ago at the zoo's conception, the place must keep at least 50 monkeys on the premises at all times.

We had amazing once-in-a-lifetime experiences feeding and spending time with many of the animals there behind-the-scenes.

and here is a pic of us on one of the elephants trained by the same people that trained the star elephant of the new movie:  Water for Elephants....

Our elephant was named Becky.... I guess the star of the movie no longer has to give rides at the zoo!

Here are some little lion-faced tamarin babies clinging to their mama.  They were just born that very morning!

Look at their little arms wrapped around mama....

Here is a Great Anteater and her baby that was born just this past Thursday!

After the zoo, we went on to meet another cousin, Beverly, and her family at Claim Jumper.  We enjoyed a lovely meal and visit.  We all did lots of sharing about our puppy-kids.... sure did make us miss Toby Doo! 

Well, that ends part I.  My next post will review a bit from our Disney experience.  We are having such a great time here!

LYMYWY,

Kara

The Blessings # 696-717

Oh sing to the LORD a new song; sing to the LORD, all the earth!

Psalm 96:1

The Lenten season has given way to Resurrection victory!  May we walk in the freedom He bought for us, may we walk in newness of life, as He walked... 

as He walks still.

Oh, Happy Day!

a baby girl turned nine 

every day a treasure

having words of life, because

He teaches me, and sometimes

He speaks for me

bouncing, happy girls and boys

sunshine and warmth

open windows

birds

their music

buds on trees

figuring it out

the quiet remembrance  of Friday

the rejoicing Hallelujahs  of Sunday!!!

old furniture that works

that home is where we are

that clean living is creative living, and

sometimes that's messy


empty cross
empty grave
Jesus is alive!

trading sorrow, shame, sickness and pain for 

the JOY of the LORD!

Counting #679-695

Sunshine in Oregon!

thrift store finds

a little girl that is growing into a real lady


finding a solution to our Lenten Lights candle dilemma for under $10

kids singing praise on Palm Sunday
how a child's enthusiasm purifies the more aged senses in worship

the joyful service of my friends towards one that is great with child
a tea in her honor
the smiles all around

watching the amazing story of a sold-out-surfer-girl on the big screen
how later our littlest reflected on the various fruits of the spirit she found reflected in the story

how my cold didn't turn very nasty until this morning, after a weekend of joyful obligations

my dear friend's gratitude list... she gets it! and it made me cry

tears of joy

that I can do all things through Him who strengthens me
how I don't need to analyze that
it just is what it is

A Happy Little Life

I am vowing (sort of) to get the camera out and start snapping pictures.  There are the teeny tiny evidences of Spring stirring around here.  There is something when new life starts blossoming up out of surrounding deadness that is simply breathtaking.

In the meantime, here is a short accounting of the long history of His goodness to me:

#'s 662-678


the beginnings of bird song
barren trees lining the street, across from
trees full of delicate pink blossoms

boys building forts

jazz for little piano players

leaf blowers

painting pots and plates

my girl memorizing songs
her writing a story.... with chapters
that she thinks work is play

two littles making lenten sacrifices
how they don't get discouraged when others don't understand


that my love can run and jump and play his game

that sometimes the veil lifts ever so little, and
I get to peek under it, and
I see a treasure meant for me, for us...


Spring is coming