Across the Pond...: California Vacation

When I started this blog, it was meant to be a way to keep family & friends updated on our adventures and life across the pond. However, it has now grown into my personal scrapbook, too - a way to remember this season of our lives. That said, I've decided to include updates on our time back in California here.

Our summer vacation has been off to a fantastic start... We've spent Week One in Malibu and Santa Barbara - visiting with family, hosting our annual bible study BBQ at the Ludwigs' house, making time for an Ojai overnight for John and I, and working through our "to do" list.

Oh the "to do" list... a unique feature of this vacation is that there is much to do... There are fun things - like spending time with friends, boogie-boarding at the beach and going to Disneyland. And there are just things that need to be taken care of while we are back in town - appointments with dentists and doctors, repairs to be made to the car, groceries to buy that we can't get in the UK!

In planning this trip, I have been very deliberate with the kids to say we are "going to California" this summer, not "going home." The truth is, two to three years is a long time in their young lives, and I am committed to helping them to feel safe and settled in our home in Holyport. Now that we are here, I know that it will be a little bit hard to head back to England. Mostly, because this really is a vacation and not "real life" in California. Hotels, parties, American Girl Cafe, multiple sleepovers, beaches, bounce houses and Disneyland did not round out a typical week for us when we lived here, but this is what we've come back to! That said, we are soaking up every minute of it!