Random Detour: Lake Piru

A few days ago Daniel and I were antsy to get out of our apartment, but we had no idea what to do or where to go. Being indecisive, we just hopped in the car and hit the road.

We stopped by a house of caffeinated beverages aka Starbucks and drove off toward the sunset. The End. just kidding...


We decided to drive up the 126 toward Filmore -which I know isn't the world's most exciting place, but it was something new. However, on the way we saw a sign saying "Lake Piru 6 miles" so Daniel and I veered off the main road to follow a broken road full of pot holes and windy S turns and WABAMM! Lake Piru was HUGE! I had no idea there was a lake of this size so close to us!

Honestly it wasn't the prettiest of sceneries, but it was a breath of fresh air to see a large expanse of water even if it was man-made! :)

Living in Los Angeles, we aren't that far away from the ocean in the grand scheme of things, but when you grow up a hop, skip and a jump away from the Atlantic Ocean, when you can smell the salt in the air and wake up in the morning to see seagulls flying above your house, the ocean is far enough away to give me water withdrawals. So, Lake Piru, it's no ocean, but it's water and I was happy to spend a few moments enjoying it.

I took a few pictures and then we got back in the car to drive the rest of the expanse of the lake. At the end of the road we found ourselves next to Smokey the Bear and a Camp Site, we pulled a U turn. Once we turned around we both looked out of the drivers side window and what did we see?

A DEER! What a surprise! It stood still staring at us for just a minute or so, just enough time for me to get a shot of my camera!!

After that we drove back down the broken and windy road back to our apartment and got home at the perfect time to start cooking dinner. It was a lovely mini adventure....

Back from Paradise

Back from Paradise...


Daniel and I just got back from a week in Paradise a.k.a. Hawaii. We could have never gone if it weren't for Daniel's parent's amazing generosity and love! What an unforgettable invitation they presented to us, we, of course, RSVPed right away!! So thank you to Bert and Carol for such an AWESOME blessing!!

We had a wonderful time basking in the Hawaiian sun rays, laying out by the pool, reading a good book or two all the while experiencing some of God's most magnificent creativity. The ocean view of our hotel room balcony was breathtaking. The Pacific what a site to see, not to mention the palm trees, white sand beaches, lush green grass, beautiful tropical flowers, and roaring waterfalls... it truly is amazing. Creation should always put people in a state of astonishment and complete awe. Just look around! Seriously, stop and smell the flowers.

Daniel and I took a road trip around the island, just site-seeing and taking photos...ya know touristy stuff. However, we had no idea we were in for such a treat! As we were driving along the coastline road we 'randomly' stopped and pulled over to take pictures of this particularly beautiful beach, but once we got down to the sand we saw a crowd gathering near the shoreline. We wandered over to check out what was going on and what did we see? SEA TURTLES! It was so cool! There were about 8 of them swimming near the shore! What an special treat!

The next day we set out to go hiking at the Maunawili Trails which leads to the Maunawili Falls! Nature is so beautiful and what a necessary experience to escape from the human element and surround ourselves with a natural setting- to hear the birds sing and the leaves crunch under our feet, to listen to the river tumble over boulders, to be shaded by gigantic trees, to watch sparkling water slide over rocky cliffs diving into a calm placid pool... Time well spent.

The rest of our week in Hawaii we spent lounging, sounds a bit disappointing, but it was greatly needed. Daniel has just finished his first year at Graduate School so, it was good for him to relax and slow down from going 100MPH with a heavy work load and finals. it also gave us an enormous amount of time to "just be" with each other and not worry about the daily, fast-paced routine of life. We enjoyed our time together relaxing by the pool and at the beach listening to the waves crash, watching the sunset and eating delicious food, and letting the sand go between the toes...







pic.#1-google search. all other pics from this post-my personal photos

Uh oh.

Hellooooooo, gosh I have really dropped the ball. Time to get back in the groove. Postings will be routine again. Promise.

Cedros Avenue-The Design District- Solana Beach

Tuesday Shmoozday....

Back in LA from a lovely long weekend in San Diego.

Last Thursday night we headed south to San Diego. We stayed with Daniel's parents in their beautiful house.

We love spending time down there.

It was so fun seeing the family, eating amazingly good food, and just relaxing. Perfect weekend in my eyes!

Yesterday my mother in law and I headed over to Solana Beach to check out Cedros Ave- the Design District.
There are some awesome shops over there.
These were my top favorite places...

The David Alan Collection

SoLo

Leaping Lotus

The creativity is bursting on that street left and right!


It's such a fun place to explore and to find numerous amounts of inspiration.

I wish Cedros Avenue was closer to us up here in LA!

Oh well, it's a great excuse to go back down to San Diego!! :)

Cheesecake and Jazz

Last night I headed out to Pasadena for a delicious dinner out with my husband... we went to the Cheesecake Factory- nothing fancy, just yummy. We dove into a slice of Dulce de Leche cheesecake. it was glorious! hehe!

After dinner and dessert, we strolled on over to The Jazz Institute. Friday night was a tribute to the famous talented Ray Charles. The band was outstanding!!! We had a blast! For the next few weeks they'll be hosting Duke Ellington tunes, songs of Billie Holiday, and the wonderful sound of Miles Davis... classic. I think Daniel and I found a new spot! We can't wait to bring friends next time!!!

If you're in the area, I would encourage you to check it out!!!


for whatever reason, it's not letting me post a hyperlink so here's the website:

www.pasjazz.org
just copy & paste


Honestly, the website isn't that great,but check out the slideshow for pictures of the lounge area!

You Should Be So Filled With The Majesty of Christ That You Could Put a King In Your Pocket

Daniel and I went to Grace Community Church this morning, as usual. However, it wasn't the usual service. Iain Murray ( from Lancashire, England. Founder of the Banner of Truth Trust) was guest speaking. He was here for the celebration of John MacArthur Jr's 40 years of ministry at Grace Comm. Church. Iain Murray preached on Colossians 1:26-27. The theme was the mystery of Christ revealed to the nations and to each individual's heart. Christ in You! Good stuff. Very honoring to the Lord.
And today's music was exceptional! Beautiful choir voices, and gorgeous classical music.

After church, we grabbed sandwiches and headed over to Griffith Park. We ate our lunch in the warm sunshine, listened to African drum beats in the distance, watched the children play tag and play ball. What a beautiful day. It felt good to kick off our shoes and feel nature's carpet of clovers in between our toes. We made plans to do the same next Sunday. I'm looking forward to laying down on a blanket, resting my eyes, letting the sun blush my face, sipping on chilled lemonade, watching the clouds drift by, and being in the arms of the love of my life, my husband. ( and maybe a little frisbee too) Summer in February, what a world, what a world.... Los Angeles, there's no where like it.

Sneeze

Daniel and I are both sick. And we're sick and tired or getting each other sick. What an absolutley ridiculously terrible cycle this is. Ugh. Achoooo cough cough sniffle cough sniffle hoooonnnkkkk (blowing of the nose) achoooooooooo. Enough!