Santa Cruz, How I Love Thee

Myself, my youngest daughter and a friend of hers packed up the car and took a road trip to Santa Cruz, CA.  We went through the Redwoods to get there and it was truly beautiful.  I had no idea how old those trees were.  Crazy old.  I mean some of them were here at the time that Jesus was here on the earth. That is really old.

When we arrived Heidi's friend Sidney ran out to greet us.  Eliza was hiding under some blankets and in gasps of words because she was so excited, Heidi told Sidney some story about how we picked up someone off the side of the road.  When Heidi said this Eliza popped out from underneath the blankets and to all of their delight Sidney's face beemed and she said, "ELIZA!!!!"  It was a great moment.  Sid knew that Heidi was coming but we kept the fact that we were bringing Eliza too a secret.  From that moment on it looked like this:

I was also happy to see Merilee.  I have really missed her.  My life has really changed since she has been gone.  Not in a dramatic way but in small ways that are noticeable to me.  Like for instance, I have nobody to call at the last minute to do things.  I have tried a couple of times to call different people and I just get the, "well, i'm busy right now but maybe next week" answer.  But what they don't understand is that I want to come over to their house and have them make me lunch NOW. Not next week.  I mean, is that too much to ask?

I would post a picture of Merilee and I together but, yeah, don't have one. Never took one. I'm kind of in an anti picture mood at the moment. And Merilee never wants her picture taken so I avoided that. 

What I loved about our Santa Cruz Vacation

The boardwalk with the rides, I felt so California-ish

The beach in Carmel

Finding Sea Glass in Monterey

Watching the porpoises in Monterey

The sun on my face

Making strawberry Lemonade with the girls

The fairytale houses in Carmel

Lush

Merilee's house

Seeing three sweet adorable girls reunited 

Watching Mason on the skim board

Spending time with Merilee

The fruit stand

 Phil's Fish Shack

As I mentioned in a previous post, I got a new camera.  I've been desperately trying to figure out how to take good pictures with is.  This was my best one of the week.  I like how it turned out.