"If the Lord wills, we will do this or that..."

We left our Monterey hotel this morning with grand plans to end up in L.A. at a friend's house.

Silas: "Mommy, where are we going today?"
Mommy: "We are hoping to make it to Mr. Wayne's house."
Silas: "What if we don't make it?"
Daddy: "Oh, we'll make it."

So we made our way down the coast on highway 1.  We fixed our gaze out the window across the ocean.  For days we've been hunting for whales and haven't seen a single one.  I gave up, picked up a book and began to read aloud.  After the first two pages, I glanced up.  
What was that?!  Did I see a whale spout?  
Yes!  
Stop the car!  This is it!  
How could I have seen it in one little glance?  I was reading after all.  
But, yes, there it is again.  A whale.
Finally.
The truck coasts to a hasty stop and out we jump; camera, binoculars in hand.  We see him fluke and spray and roll...way out in the distance.

We are captivated.

The spray center right in the photo is our whale. :)

After a long pause as we spy this one in the distance, we finally decide to continue on.  If we don't, we'll never make it to Los Angeles.  We drive 15 more minutes...  ROAD CLOSED. 
What?  A rock slide? Were there signs?  How far back is the detour?  50 miles?  All the way back to Monterey?  Really?  This will add 4 hours to our day.

There were signs.  We were too busy looking for whales.

What's that verse again?

"Come now, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit'; whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life?  it is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.  Instead you ought to say, 'If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that.'  But now you boast in your arrogance.  All such boasting is evil." (James 4:13-16)

Right.  AS THE LORD WILLS.

Jamie met a CHP officer who told us about a secret waterfall and a beach with purple sand and elephant seals.

We found the waterfall.  

We found purple sand.  

We found the Lord's will for our day

...and it was way better than our plans. 

L.A. will come tomorrow, as will the elephant seals.  ...if the Lord wills.
Today, Brandon said it was "a great and fun day."

It was.

 We're in Cambria tonight at a cozy motel.  Just south of San Simeon.

Thank you, Father, for being so totally sovereign.

our D.C. excursion, part 7: the Grande Finale

(for the beginning of this series, click here.)

Tobi and Rich dropped us at our hotel in D.C.   After getting some laundry taken care of, we walked a mile or so to the most charming Irish Pub you ever saw...with real Irish people working there displaying their hospitality.

The next day, we headed over to the National Mall where we took in the Jefferson Memorial, had lunch with some of the CWA staff at their offices, visited the Star Spangled Banner at the American History Museum, pored over the greatest documents of freedom any nation has ever created at the National Archives (I tell ya, staring at George Washington's signature on the Constitution is something else), and eventually made our way toward Union Station to get some dinner and head back to the hotel.

This is, by far, the best exhibit in the Museum.
Take a minute to listen to this audio drama
(specifically the Star Spangled Banner episode)
before going to see this incredible work of history.

Thursday came and we set out for Mount Vernon.  We caught a bus from the Metro station and spent the majority of our day walking the grounds of the beautiful home of George Washington.

This is undoubtedly my very favorite place in America and perhaps the world.  Considering George Washington is indeed "First in war; First in peace; and First in the hearts of his countrymen," the opportunity to visit his home is a great privilege.  To walk through the rooms he resided and to stroll the land surrounding the mansion...well, it makes you realize why he loved it so very much; why he never wanted to leave his beloved Mount Vernon.

"I can truly say I had rather be at Mount Vernon with a friend or two about me, than to be attended at the Seat of Government by the Officers of State and Representatives of every Power in Europe." ~G.W.

our D.C. excursion, part 6: Black Tom

(For the beginning of this series, click here.)

We left NYC and made a quick stop (in the rain) at the site of Black Tom.

What is Black Tom, you ask?
A little bit of history that Woodrow Wilson wanted you to forget about...or never even know about.  In the words of Glenn Beck, "I hate that guy!"  Ok, as my Grandma always said, "'Hate' is a very strong word."  And Jesus said to hate someone in your heart is the same as murder, sooooo....  I'll just say he's far from my favorite and I don't like him.

This is the only thing that marks such an unknown and  tragic event in our history.
Amongst dozens of picnic tables, this marker is barely noticeable and hard to seek out.

Jamie stumbled across this story a few days before leaving for our trip.
Click here for the story.  In a nutshell, Germans exploded a bunch of ammunition and artillery on this Island in the New York Harbor which blew out windows well into the city and registered a 5+ on the Richter scale, yet no one knew what it was. Because Wilson was seeking reelection and didn't want to rock his boat.  So shhhhh... there's nothing to see here.  This is the reason no one (except the National Park Service) is allowed to tour the arm of the Statue of Liberty: it was pierced by ammunition and has been closed since this explosion.

We headed back to DC via Philly for a cheesesteak.

(For the final part of our trip, click here.)

our D.C. excursion, part 5: 9/11 Memorial

(For the beginning of our trip, click here.)

The only thing I wanted to see in New York was the recently opened 9/11 Memorial at Ground Zero.

It did not disappoint.

I reached my right hand forward over the black granite and swept my fingers over the name:

Renee A. May and her unborn child

Suddenly everything stopped.  I looked over toward the woman standing nearest me.  She had seen me reach my hand over the name.  Where before she was collectedly somber, her hands now covered her eyes as she convulsed with quiet sobs.

I saw at least 4 other such names.

Standing on this mountaintop

Looking just how far we've come

Knowing that for every step

You were with us

Kneeling on this battle ground

Seeing just how much you've done

Knowing every victory

Was Your power in us

Scars and struggles on the way

But with joy our hearts can say

Yes, our hearts can say

Never once did we ever walk alone

Never once did You leave us on our own

You are faithful, God, You are faithful.

~Matt Redman

"Never Once"

A work in progress - the Freedom Tower will rise to 1776 feet.

Survivor Tree.
This Callery Pear Tree was in the WTC Plaza,
was crushed and nursed back to health.
All the other trees at the Memorial
are swamp white oaks, so this one stands out
...as it should.

WTC Tridents can be seen through the unfinished museum scheduled to open next year.

(click here for part 6)

our D.C. excursion, part 4: the Big Apple

(For the beginning of our trip, click here.)

Monday (Sept. 19th) we rose early and scooted up to New York City, hopped on the ferry to cross the Hudson (the same ferries that rescued Sully's passengers), and --like the tourists we are-- boarded the double-decker red sightseeing bus to tour the Big Apple.  What fun and fascinating information.

On our way across the Hudson

From the 2nd floor of the bus,
you get a good view of stuff like this.

Eeeeeeewwwwwwww.
That's gum with coins stuck to it on a lightpost.
Sorry, should've warned you to bring your barfbag.
Hey! Be thankful I didn't post the closeup.

Tobi and Rich

Flat iron building 

Nathan Hale.
"I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country."

Mayor Bloomberg's welcome to all conservatives.
What?  Don't you think so, too?

Waiting for N.Y. pizza in Little Italy

May I back up a moment?

As I write, it seems that I allude that our trip was smooth sailing.  Though it was VERY fun, it was filled with bumps, wrong turns, and much laughter.  My sister was the navigator...   ummmmm.....let's just say that if anyone would like to pitch in to purchase a GPS for her, I'm taking donations.  For the sanity of her husband and anyone who travels with her, this is very necessary. :)  (Just playin' with ya, Tob...but not really.  ha!)  We all had SO much fun on the drive to, from, and through DC, New York, and Pennsylvania.  There was much laughter, conversation, and delight.

After we left the Memorial (will cover that in my next post), we attempted to make our way back to the tour bus for their nighttime tour but misunderstood the boarding location and ended up missing out on the excursion.  My sister -who had orchestrated the day- was heartbroken over disappointing us all.  Though we were a teeny bit bummed out, we also understand the absolute sovereignty of the God of the universe who cares even about fun trips to NYC, so we lifted her spirits, jumped on the subway and finished our evening in the bright lights and bustling busy-ness of Times Square.

Armed with my pumpkin spice latte and my sweet hubby, we were happy campers indeed.  One of Tob's fave restaurants, Junior's, was nearby, so we popped in there for a little (I mean HUGE) cheesecake dessert and then waddled rolled back to the ferry and our hotel.

It was c-c-c-c-c-c-oollld-d-d-d-d-d-d on the way back.
(btw...do you like my new NYC sweatshirt?)

I know these aren't your typical NY shots, 

Yoos got a problem with that?!

(Please say the above line with a New York accent.)

Our main destination:  THE 9/11 MEMORIAL at Ground Zero.  That's next.

our D.C. excursion, part 3: the Preston wedding!

(This is a series on our recent trip to DC.  For the beginning, click here.)

My sweet friend Marian just returned from a month long trip to the east coast seeing everything imaginable.  One of her facebook posts said, "If you ask me my favorite part of this fabulous vacation, I will say FAMILY!!!"

I agree.  When we took our month-long trip 2 years ago, my very favorite part was the 3 or 4 days we stayed with my Aunt in New Jersey.  There's just something awesome about family.

Tobi and Rich (my sis and bro-in-law) scooped us up from D.C. Saturday afternoon and we made a beeline (actually this be may have been a little confused) to Doylestown, PA, where Jamie and I attended the rehearsal dinner for Kyler and Vanessa's wedding.  The long car rides were hilarious!  We laughed and laughed until our sides ached...but I digress.

Uncle Glen, Aunt Toby, and Cody

It was so wonderful to see my beloved Aunt.  How desperately I love her...so much so that to think of her right now makes my eyes a wee bit watery.  The dinner was at Slate Bleu, a lovely and cozy little French restaurant in a really endearing part of Doylestown.  A novel area lined with charming boutiques. ---We entered the restaurant and were directed upstairs where I saw my Aunt as soon as we rounded the corner.  She is so gorgeous!  She wore the most beautiful cargo-style floor-length golden silky skirt and an elegant silk blouse.  I do want to be her!  (...and not just for her clothes.  heehee.)  She is so beautiful inside and out.  Her taste is impeccable and so earthly and fun.

Me and Aunt Toby during our visit 2 years ago.

Hope you don't mind a little diversion here:

Uncle Glen and Aunt Toby

A month or so ago, the boys and I stopped in a little dress shop and I found the most perfect dress to wear to the wedding.  I bought it and took it home.  The next day I got on my Aunt's facebook page and was so impressed with the 100-mile bikeride she did that I commented on her wall, "I want to be you."  Later that day, I sent a picture of the myself in the dress with my boys to my Aunt's cell phone.  Shortly after I received a reply from her.  It said this: "That's MY dress!  Except I don't have 2 boys hanging off it."  Well, you can imagine the text message exchange that flew between California and New Jersey the following few minutes.  It is so awesome that we had the same dress!   ...except for the minor detail that I absolutely could not wear the same dress as the Mother-of-the-Groom.  Needless to say, my dress was returned, but we have so enjoyed the fact that we both picked out the same dress.  After all, I did say that day that I wanted to be her.  Maybe I really meant it. ;)

We had quite an enjoyable evening visiting with family.  It was disclosed that my Uncle Troy, Aunt Karen and their daughter Rachel had driven down from Canada and were staying at the Preston home (my Aunt Toby and Uncle Glen's house in NJ).  After weeks and maybe months of debating whether or not they would be able to attend the wedding, God made a way for them to come!  What an exciting time!

Sunday's wedding was perfect and beautiful.  The church was so pleasing to the eye with its tall and pristine white steeple and red brick walls.  I tried to get a nice shot of the building before the wedding - attempting to not have any people in the shot.  But a man standing on the steps was unavoidable, so I took the pic, lowered my camera and realized it was my Uncle Troy I was so rudely trying to cut out of the photo!  How fun is that!?

Uncle Troy, Aunt Karen, and Rachel

So blessed was I to have been asked just a week or so earlier to read for the ceremony.  Vanessa chose the most beautiful passage:

Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness and patience, bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you must forgive.  And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.  And let the peace of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God.  And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.  (Col. 3:12-17)

I couldn't get to the church in time for the rehearsal the night before so I was a little nervous about the order and timing of the ceremony ...especially since it was Catholic and I'm not so familiar with their very formal way of doing things.  Thankfully, another reader was much help and set an excellent example for me to follow so all was well.  It went beautifully and I am so honored to have been able to love on my cousin and new cousin-in-law by reading God's perfect Word to them (which I love) on the day of the beginning of their marriage.  May they have a long, prosperous, God-blessed, and beautiful marriage committed to Jesus, the Savior of our souls.

Vanessa & Kyler Preston

The reception was a blast!  Vanessa found the most gorgeous venue and we had a ball dancing, eating, and watching the Charger game.....yes, that's right.  They had the decency (lol!) to provide a special room with a big screen t.v. and foosball table so that avid football fans could have the best of both worlds: wedding festivities and the NFL!  Let's just say that many trips were made by various fans (who will remain nameless) to the aforementioned secret football location to report back to the Charger fans the score.  Sad news, though:

THE CHARGERS LOST.

Ho hum.

Though nothing could possibly put a damper on the elation and fun time we were having with family and new friends; and watching the beautiful bride and groom.

Richard and Tobi

It was so nice to be with my sister and Rich; my other new cousin-in-law, Emily; my Uncle Troy and his fam; my Uncle Glen's elusive brother, Paul; and the occasional interaction with family occupying the other table.  Being.  Existing in a place with loved ones.  Not a lot of conversation 'cause it was just too darn loud for it.   However, being in the presence of these I love and get to be with so rarely was so precious to me.  I wish the time was longer.

My cousin, Peter, and his gorgeous wife, Emily.  Baby boy to come for Christmas!

Jame and I in the library...of course.
I love books!!! :)

Next up:  NYC and the 9/11 Memorial.