Santa Barbara: 2

Our trip ended with a few days with the Rice family, enjoying their splendid little patch of paradise.  Whenever we are there the outside world quickly grows fuzzy (and no, it isn’t from all the delicious wine…well, maybe a little) and we just settle into relaxation mode.   Our days were filled with enjoyable conversation, content kids, reading and resting, incredible food (even Rusty’s pizza takes on a gourmet feel when warmed up on a pizza stone in the outdoor fireplace) and yes, scrumptious spirits.

Leah does some writing/editing work with Valerie, she has a fabulous website (www.eat-drink-garden.com) that embodies the relaxed and elegant SB lifestyle. Leah was able to be a part of one of Valerie’s “Chefs in My Kitchen” events during our stay.  It was fun to return home with an arsenal of new recipes and some new kitchen tricks.

To have extended family time is a true luxury, one that we are extremely thankful for…we are also thankful for the abundance of our sweet little home, Newton church family, a fat cat and the rolling green hills that greeted us upon our return.   However, the stifling heat and humidity of NC in the summer has us crawling into bed each night listening to our ocean waves soundtrack and just for a moment, we feel the cool breeze and the memory of sand in our toes, waves swirling and fall asleep with a smile.

Santa Barbara: 1

We spent the majority of our vacation time in Santa Barbara, which will always feel like our “hometown.”  As usual, we stayed with David and Judy, soaking up the gorgeous views when the fog decided to clear.  We feel so comfortable there that Ben and Clara have dubbed it, “our California home” and Sassy fell into a doggie depression after we left.

Once we reached SB the kids began to sleep, which means Mark and Leah began to sleep, which means we had a really great time.  One could never imagine back in the sleeping in until noon days (remember those lazy wake-up mornings?) how luxurious, coveted and necessary good sleep is to both sanity and a tolerable personality! 

A lovely routine was quickly established around nap and bed times, filled with morning and afternoon excursions to the beach, the zoo, the parks, the wharf, downtown, the Mission and more, being sure to indulge in all our favorite West Coast treats.  Leah’s dad (Pop Pop) came for a few days and we also had the chance to connect with a handful of dear friends, all though there never seems to be enough time to see everyone.

A highlight was Mark preaching at El Montecito Presbyterian, the church where we met and were married.  It was incomparable to worship with our kids on that hallowed ground and for a moment, to absorb all the blessings, memories and lessons of our first decade together.   How fortunate that we are already building up  many new happy memories for this next decade.

Orange County

Our big summer trip to California started with a few days in Orange County visiting Leah’s brother, mom (Grandma Zipper) and most importantly, Nick and Noah.  Ben refers to them as, “MY cousins.”  All the kids loved playing together and it was entertaining to watch Clara make every effort to keep pace with the boys.  We surprised Ben and Clara with a trip to Legoland.  Ben rode his first roller coaster (loved it) and Clara was excited to meet Lego Bob the Builder (but both kids were terrified of costume character Bob, when will this phase end?).  With the travel, time change and unfamiliar setting, sleep was limited, but the joy, excitement and family time was worth it.  We took the train from Orange County up to Santa Barbara, an enchanting, relaxed and wonderful way to get from point A to point B (or would that be B to C?).   

Little Patriots

Happy 4th of July weekend!