FROM SEA TO SHINING SEA....

We arrived in Hayward, California late Tuesday evening, to a warm new home full of love! There was delicious crock pot chili all ready, yummy bread, and most all, warm hugs from our kids...seeing them was like a breath of fresh air! Their new apartment is very cozy and spacious..they are on a second floor in a gated complex about 30 minutes outside San Francisco.

The apartment has two bedrooms, two full baths, and they have already set up their whole kitchen, and are anxiously awaiting the arrival of their new furniture. Chris and Shawna Peterson, who live only 3 1/2 hours north of them, gave them an extra sofa-bed and chair for their spare room, so they had a space for us to stay with them, all ready and waiting. Mary has displayed family pictures everywhere, candles lit...they have already made a home for themselves, for sure!! It was wonderful to finally see where this new part of their lives will be lived...

Christopher's chiropractor school, Life West, is only a few blocks down the road--we went to take a peek Wednesday morning. Very nice!! He starts classes in October. The rest of the day we ran errands, and helped them get some things organized around the house. Craig built shelves in their little storage closet out on their deck.

They cooked dinner for us again that night, in their new cookware--so much fun to see them work together as a team...it was great! The next morning, Thursday, began our one day of sightseeing with them. Chris and Mary had not been into San Francisco yet, so we set out for the Golden Gate Bridge. It was SOOO beautiful!!! The fog just spills over the bridge and bay like something poured out of a pitcher.

Next, it was off to the Presidio, which is part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

"The Historic Presidio--For 218 years, the Presidio served as an army post for three nations. World and local events, from military campaigns to the rise of aviation, from World Fairs to earthquakes, left their mark. Come enjoy the history and beauty of the Presidio. Explore centuries of architecture. Reflect in a national cemetery. Walk through an historic airfield, forests, or to beaches, and admire spectacular vistas."

We had such a nice hike around the area...we explored Fort Point, which is directly underneath Golden Gate Bridge. It was spectacular!

After the Presidio, we headed to Golden Gate Park.

What a beautiful place! Free parking, museums , gardens, restaurants, playgrounds...there was even a buffalo paddock!

We walked around the Queen Wilhelmina Tulip Garden, which has an actual historic windmill...

and then down the street to Ocean Beach...

This was an amazing moment for all of us. This was the fruition of our whole journey
across the nation. I call this moment, from sea to shining sea!!

The water was sooo cold--that really surprised me! You could not see past a few hundred yards because of the rolling fog. We DID see a playful school of dolphins swimming across right in front of us.

Next, we headed into the beautiful city of San Francisco, with its rolling hills and beautiful architecture. We ended up at Pier 39 in Fisherman's Wharf. What a fun place! Right away, we were captivated by the sea lions...Mary loved them!

We had a delicious dinner at Pier Market restaurant, wandered around for a little longer, and then headed back to the apartment. It was a most amazing day! The only rain on my parade was that my camera broke first thing in the morning, before we even reached the Bridge. My cell phone saved me a bit from the total disappointment of having no pictures of this wonderful day with the kids. I am so thankful for the time we had with them, for the blessing of our loving family...
The next morning was extremely hard. Saying goodbye is awful. Parting is definitely sweet sorrow--bittersweet, and painful. I had put off dealing with it until that very morning. When it hit, it hit hard. I will be counting the moments until we can be together again...

We are sooooo blessed....