Thanksgiving!

Thanksgiving here at home is not the same as it used to be when there were like eleven people in the house to celebrate. And that was just when the immediate family was here. When other family came in or friends... yeah, that's a lot of people! But today it was only six of us. A quiet time right? Well, maybe some of the time, but girls can get loud!

 It was a good time though! Even Lydia helped cook! Her sweet potato casserole was amazing!

 I love aprons....

 I made a heavenly pie and thought it called for too little chocolate chips so I, ummm, doubled the chocolate.... It was good! More like a chocolate pie, though....

 Elisabeth made wassail! It was sooo amazing!

 And what else do you do on Thanksgiving but move the furniture?!

 "What? A shirt on my head? I meant to do that. Its a new style!"

 Though I felt like I was going to bust after our huge meal, it seemed as if we had hardly eaten anything! Boys make a difference! We need them back. Maybe for Christmas?! *fingers crossed*

We sang Christmas songs, too, because we can. : )

And we looked at OLD slides. I want this shirt. 

In case of rapture, this shirt will be empty.

In This a Passing Storm.

Rain beating on a sturdy roof

pouring down

sounding like a rushing river

in the sky

lightning bursting bright, sudden

flashing in the sky

thunder booming after flash

scaring me.

Wind whipping through the trees

parting black to see the light

gray, dimly lite, noisy

in the room.

Leaves stripped off trees

landing on the ground.

Gutters overflowing, water pouring

off the house.

Sudden seemed the lively storm,

but now

quiet. Calm

only slowly

dripping from the sky

leaf flutters down to earth

water slowly trickles off.

Black trees stark against a

gray sky,

soaked by passing storm.

it draws me in

this poetic trance

it makes me tremble

at the power

of this my great Redeemer.

He shows His wonder

He shows His might

in this a passing storm.

California, Day 11

Flying home was not quite as exciting as flying to CA. Except for the fact that we were FLYING HOME! 

 I was so tired, but I would open my eyes long enough to take a few pictures every once in a while.

 The sunset was AMAZING!

And when we got home, the house had been broken into and food was in the fridge and one the counters and there were notes and gifts and all sorts of welcome home things! Balloons, ribbons! It was so amazing to come home to that. We had friends at home who missed us. Makes a body feel loved, don't it?  

 And guess what else we came home to?! A colorful Fall! Leaves were everywhere!

Yes, its good to be home. But I do miss my people in California. I guess life is like that. We meet new people, we bond, and then, before we even realize what's happening, we don't see them every day like we have been and something inside just aches. So to you, my sisters. My brothers. I love you. I miss you. I hope to see you soon. Cause I had a blast! And I wish it could last.

Wow. That sounds like a sad ending.... Sniff.

This post is dedicated to Cindy, who I dearly love.

California, Day 10

The day before we left for home we went back into San Fran. It was a lovely day to be out. 

California, Day 9

Sunday we left early to head over to Cindy's to get last minute things done for the afternoon wedding. It is Chinese tradition for the parents of the bride and groom to bless the bride during a Tea Ceremony. A really neat tradition, I think, and very meaningful.

See all the photographers in the background? 

 Then we all headed over to the park! Hannah and I got there late and therefore missed the family pictures (but not the wedding, thankfully!) so everyone was teasing us that we were not longer in the family. I cried bitterly and tried to run away in grief, but there was too much to do and I loved my people who were not my family anymore too much to let them down even though they were being so mean to us. Haha! Just kidding! I knew they were teasing! There was a lot to do still, though, but finally the time came for the ceremony to begin. Josiah and Cindy were getting married.

 After Cindy's Dad handed her over to Josiah, they stepped into a ring of roses.

 I don't really know how to describe the emotions that were going through me as my brother got married, nor do I really care to tell. Maybe some of you have already been there and know what I mean, or maybe you will be there in the future. But it was one of the most amazing weddings I've ever been to. And guess who was at the center of it? No, not Cindy. Nope, not Josiah. Jesus. That was the best part. :)

The wedding party. All except for David, :( He was farther to the right than my camera would go... :P

 It's official!

 This is my family.

Left to right: me, Mom, Dad, Gabe, Lydia, Jesse, John, Hannah, Josiah, Cindy, Elisabeth, and Bethany

California, Day 8

Saturday morning a huge cat came by just to make me sad and miss my little Quilla. Haha! I know that wasn't really it's intent. But it was so friendly and cuddly!

 When we got to the park for the rehearsal, I was amazed at how tall the relatively young redwoods were. It was a dazzling place to have a wedding.

 I didn't take many pictures at the rehearsal and those I did take were mostly blurry. But at one point we saw a fox or wolf or something. Different people had different ideas at to what it actually was. :) It was soo cool though!
On our way home the sun was at just the right place so that the hills and buildings were silhouetted against the sky....

See the kite skier?

California, Day 7

So you know the drought CA is in? Well, I guess we brought a little of our rainyness from NC, 'cause on Friday, it rained. All. Day. But it was still really pretty. I mean, we'd only been there seven days. We hadn't gotten tired of California yet! :)

And, yes. The sprinklers were on....

California, Day 6

Thursday we visited a beautiful old college I forget the name of, and then we went to the beach again. It was gorgeous but slightly cold, though this time the sun wasn't shining so I didn't have the problem of the brightness causing a head-ache! Woop!

 I found a rose that someone had tossed to the sand. I don't know what it is, but there is something about roses that are unique and so timelessly beautiful.

 The cliffs against the water....

There is some beauty in even the blackest and angriest looking of God's creatures....

California, Day 5

Wednesday was Mom's Birthday. Cindy's family invited us to have dinner with them, so we didn't want to go too far. It was a relaxing day. We caught up on some much needed sleep (am I still catching up? ;) ) We took a walk in the afternoon and then at some point headed over to the Chinese restaurant they had picked out. 

 It was delicious!

 They chicken brains are a delicacy, apparently, but they were too dry this time, or so my Sis tells me. I kinda wish I had tried it, though... :P

 They surprised Mom for her birthday by buying her a cake! It was soo good!

I love you, Mom!

California, Day 4

On the fourth day of our trip we visited Yosemite National Park, about 3 ½ hours from San Fran. It was a lovely day to be traveling and the scenery just kept getting better! The hills, the valleys. The cows, the squirrels. 

The lakes, the streams....

 Below was our first good view of the dazzling rocks. Does that ground look easy to walk on? Welp, it wasn't. I'm thankful I didn't turn an ankle!

Elisabeth took this one.   : )

See the little seed flying away?

 The trees are sooo tall!!!

 Since California is in a three year drought, the creek was not full.

 And the poor waterfall was rather tiny compared to what it usually is. This was our first glimpse.

Finally, after about 800 steps, we got to the top!

There was a pool at the top (as well as the bottom). The water is SO clear! It was freezing cold. So cold it hurt.

 Going back down, the sun had passed one of the peeks and was finally shining on this portion of the trail. It was gorgeous!

  After that hike, we walked down so see the Giant Sequoias. All along the way we saw the scared and damaged trees from the last fire in September. BTW, By this point in the day, almost every part of me was protesting the extended walking. "Can't you please give your body a rest?!" But it was all worth it!

The path we walked on was actually a road way back in the day. I think it was built in the late 1800's.

 Aren't they HUGE?!

 So way back in the 1880's some people in CA wanted to attract tourists, so they carved an opening in this dead tree (yes, it was dead way back then and yes, it is still standing, dead as it may be) big enough for a buggy to fit through. It's still attracting tourists! Though now we have to walk through it instead of driving. :)

That's it! I'm sure I missed something though. Oh well! You won't know the difference!    : )