After Christmas with Collin's family we said good-bye for now and headed back north. My mom and dad met us outside of LA and we hit up some California missions. We toured nine missions (out of 21) and once you saw one you'd pretty much seen them all. Yet there were some distinctive parts of each one. We attended Mass at Santa Barbara. We ran wild on the lonely grounds of La Purisima. We admired the gardens and fountains and decorative paintings in the chapels. We spotted the bells marking El Camino Real. It was a fun way to spend time together and slowly wend our way home.
The kids were able to get wiggles out in some way or another at each of the stops. I don't remember what Abba and the boys were laughing at here, but probably something inappropriate!
We spent one of the nights at Solvang and I enjoyed a little break from Spanish American history. There were cute buildings and fun window displays and yummy aebleskivers. And a mission just outside town!
The colors of the desert and the missions just sang in my soul. I loved the dusky pinks and the bright whites and the hazy greens.
It was fascinating to see which missions are now in busy, bustling city centers and which are out in the middle of nothing much. By the time we got to Carmel we were nearly home and rather ready to put missions on pause for a while (though we still fit in three more!).
We visited the aquarium and Nana and Abba helped us get a membership so we could go back a few times in the next year. Those gifts are my favorite! We were mesmerized by the jelly fish and all the other swimming things.
Sunset at the beach was wondrous. I am grateful to live in a world full of beauties--God made and man made.
