Family Fun in Balboa

        On Saturday morning, my family and I went to the Balboa Fun Zone. Sadly, they will be removing their 1930's carousel from the area and replacing the space with more of the museum. This is a huge disappointment to see a piece of loved history being taken away forever. But it was great to see so many Orange County locals come out to have one last ride. We had such a blast riding the ferris wheel, taking pictures, riding the carousel, and eating cotton candy. I had to get a balboa bar since it's always a must when you visit the area. Chocolate dipped and rainbow sprinkled goodness on a stick. What could be better? Though fall has begun and the weather was pretty gloomy, it felt like an official end to summer beach days. I'm ready for the new season and the fun activities that come along with it. I have a lot of things I'm hoping to do before Thanksgiving arrives. Sounds far away but it always sneaks up so fast before you know it. 

I absolutely adored the time I had with my family at the fun zone. Such a simple, old fashion joy.

A Week of Celebration

Last week was totally blog worthy. I feel like I just haven't made the time for sharing all that's been going on in life lately. But here I go!
So last week was my sister's birthday, my birthday, and Nathan's birthday! Branyn is now 21 years old and she had a lot of fun celebrating with her friends. Nathan and I turned 17. to add the the fun we're all 2 days apart. Branyn is the 20th, mine is the 22nd, and Nathan's is the 24th. Pretty cool. But it was an awesome week to say the least. Nathan surprised me with the sweetest birthday gift. (That kept going on and on it seemed.) He came to my house to take me on a picnic. He picked up a bunch of Italian food from Claro's Market and some Stewart's orange creme and grape sodas. To top it off, he got me a chocolate eclair. It was like heaven to sit in the sun in the park and enjoy all the goodies. His parent's gifted me with these wonderful olive oils and balsamic vinegars from the store "41 Olive." So to tack on to the meal, we tried them all with a fresh loaf of bread. Oh my goodness, so good! Then we just spent hours at the park chatting and enjoying the quiet. We were even privileged to meet a sweet German man who introduced us to his dog Winston. His name was Sieggy. But we chatted with him for about 15 minutes and he told us a little about his life in Europe. He enjoyed a grape soda as well with us and we were so happy to have met him. Nathan also gifted me with the cutest card and the most beautiful journal that I wanted from Barnes and Noble.
Just a short time after getting home from the park, I opened my door to find the most amazing and thoughtful gifts from my friend Elizabeth. She dropped them by and it was just the sweetest thing. A gorgeous red and yellow topiary for fall (which she made with her mom with love) and the most incredible and huge book of Life Magazine Christmas ads from the 1940's. She knows me so well, it's crazy. That book was so fun to look through and her card was just so heartfelt. I am so blessed with her as a friend.
With family, I decided to switch things up and skip the cake this year. What I really wanted was just a nice evening out with them having lattes. So I got a pumpkin spice latte from Peet's and with our goodies we walked around a fantastic shopping center. The air was nice and the center was lit with lights. We talked and enjoyed each other's company. Then....I found my homecoming dress in Anthropologie. On sale, floor length, and sweet heart neckline. I'm so excited to wear it and it was a blessing to find.
So that was my birthday! And on Saturday, I had the honor of having dinner with Nathan. It was so much fun and since he knew a sweet waitress there, she surprised us each with ice cream sundaes with a candle in both. It was so nice of her and it really made the night even more special. We had coffee, walked around, and looked at cute kitty cats in Petsmart. It was grand!
The week was full of fun and blessings.

And She's Back!

Branyn got home yesterday from South Africa. It was such a blast going to LAX to pick her up and see her shining face again after all these weeks. She looked so cute and it was so awesome to hear a bit about her trip. She definitely had a lot of highlights...she has a huge heart for Africa and being on mission there. One of the things she mentioned is the fact that everywhere you turn, there seems to be a need in that area.   I'm so glad she got the opportunity to visit and serve. She also went on a safari, where she had an amazing encounter with a rhino just feet away from her. She drank coffee in whimsical cafes all lit up with strings of lights and got to eat some fun food popular in the culture.
It always amazes me to see where God takes His disciples. I have yet to go on a mission trip, but I'm really looking forward to that day. Branyn's stories really inspired me to seriously start praying about mission opportunities. (except the stories about the huge cockroaches and spiders the size of her hand...) But aside from those things, what could be better than sharing the Gospel to nonbelievers or meeting fellow Christians on the other side of the world? I really do think that Branyn will return to Africa this upcoming summer and stay for a longer period of time like she hopes to and is now planning. Maybe my family will go along for a bit with her! We are definitely feeling the pull on our hearts to go. But for now, we're keeping it in prayer and just seeing what happens.

It's only four days into this new month and it has already been such an awesome September!