We found our-self with time to kill last Saturday waiting for our flight to leave San Diego.... just enough time to check out the USS midway and a few other shops around the area.
The USS Midway Museum is a maritime museum located in downtown San Diego.
Just a little date...before heading home. (wait we are empty "nesters"....we are always on a date.)
Happy Day
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I haven't spoke of Danny's cancer a whole lot on this blog...if your life has been touched by cancer, you will understand how cancer can be all you think about...once it enters your family.
When we received this in the mail today...I just felt like I needed to say something.
Cancer is in your face but it can also be a very private battle...we have had to rely on each other in many ways. Some ways that we never thought we would have to do at our age.
Something I've learned- Whether in health or in love, trust the spirit. It will point you in the right direction, always and in all ways.
During this time we were presented with the most real of life's lessons.
Are there things we would of differently...perhaps. When Dan became a patient...it became very personal for me. I had to learn to care for him emotionally, mentally, physically and spiritually. the learning curve was incredibly steep . What I know for sure is that pain is pain. We are all recovering from something.
(some of us more than others.... My sister in law just lost her daughter to cancer- age 32 with 5 children age 10 months to 11 years ....cancer is not nice and it doesn't care! Read her story here.)
I took turns caring for my Father as he battled cancer. He passed away in 2012
Cancer is not nice.
Please allow me to say I know that there are people who are going through cancer right now who face particularly challenging issues ....so hard that I can't even image...so hard that perhaps their loved ones will not be blessed with a cure....so hard.... Hugs to you.
This marks year 4 for Danny...more testing in Aug. We can do this! He has been blessed and we are so very thankful.
Much to be grateful for!
On a Happy Note....
Something awesome is happening today-
Preston is getting baptized! Happy Day!
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Tuesday was our 37th Anniversary- we had planned to be driving the coast in a VW van, but due to tons of stuff happening at work...we had to cancel our trip....but not to worry we plan on still going later this summer.
Danny was feeling a little bad that he had to cancel...so he put together a one day quick trip.
We headed to San Francisco to check out Exquisite Surfaces a place I have been wanting to visit for some time. We found a few treasures.
Thinking these tiles will make their way to the floor in our guest bath. (smile) and I spy some black and white tiles that may end up somewhere. We were so drooling over their stone fireplaces... (most of the tile and stone are imported from France.)
Kind of in love with the stone from Exquisite surfaces
So much fun dreaming-
After leaving there we decided it would be fun to take Hwy 1. The round about way to home. We have never driven from Half Moon bay to Santa Cruz before .... so, here we go.
(a little warning...tons of pictures coming your way....sorry, this is my journal too)
First stop- Half Moon Bay....beautiful drive from SF. We drove around town...quirky but fun.
Had lunch at It's Italia- best lunch I've had for a long time! If you ever go- order the Broiled Brussel sprouts with pear and bacon...to die for!
After lunch it was hit the road time-
Pomponio State beach was our first stop where we got -out -and- walked around- (up to this point it was just -pull over and look =)
Pomponio State Beach was beautiful- Caves and drift wood
The next stop was Bean Hollow State Beach
This beach was so different than any other beach I have ever been to....almost "unreal" ....the main reason-
Tafoni- stones that have been sculpted by the weather-
On The beach there are tiny little stones...that look like beans.
You could spend hours here looking at all the shapes in the stones-
Looked a little like a dragon fly to me.
I think this is a great little beach to bring kids to....not only are there amazing stone sculptures but also the mother load of tide pools.
and so easy to get to...right off Hwy 1...down a few stairs.
After a little exploring...we were back on the road.
Made a little detour off Hwy 1 to visit Pescadero....tiny, tiny but they do have a goat farm and awesome fresh berry pies.
Back to Hwy 1
Pigeon Point Light House was our next stop-
There is even a Hostel there....if you up for that kind of adventure =)
I kind of love light houses. (smile)
We had a beautiful day...driving Hwy 1 it really isn't too long a drive from SF to Santa Cruz, I would so do it again!
We ended the day with dinner in Gilroy and wait for it.....
A trip to Lowes. What would a date be without visiting Lowes or Home Depot.
The only picture I got of us together,I love this man! (and I truly do not like taking pictures of myself.)
Beautiful day
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Danny put me in charge of coming up with something fun to do for our Anniversary Trip- His only request....lets stay close to home.
Here is my idea-
Drive Hwy 1 along the coast in a VW van.... come what may!
This will be our ride for our little Anniversary getaway. We were married in April of 1978....and how fun that our rented ride is a 1978 VW camper van.
and she also has a name Nalu lm'i.
We are planning a trip from LA to Big Sur and back on HWY 1....I've been pinning away so we don't miss anything. (if you know of any place that we shouldn't miss, please let me know)
Here is my "Adventure" list of things to do
Our little vintage VW has an ice box and stove....so I see us using that a lot.
I also plan to bring back a little 70's style- (wish I had saved some of my things...oh, wait....maybe not, I was a lot smaller back then =)
I want to dress the part, I mean really, if you are driving around in a 1978 VW van you don't want to miss that opportunity ... I don't want to go all 1970 hippy crazy....more of a chic 2015 boho style
(by the way I have these pieces to wear =)
See the links on my pinterest board here
Plus I ordered a few maxi skirts from my Daughter. Lularoe by Shannon
Yep, I'm pretty excited.
Half the fun is in the planning, right?!
hoping to see our VW parked there. =)
So tell me...where should we stop, what should we do?
Share your favorite places.
Note to our son Kent- We will not do drugs =)
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When you decide to change one room...somehow it always "snowballs" into several rooms. I wanted to re-arrange the living room at the Mill house....I was getting so bored with how it was. (very small space, not many layout options)
Well, when I started moving things around in the living room...things starting spilling into the kitchen. See the before here. I liked how it was before...this is just something new for the kitchen.
This is the new arrangement for the Mill house living room. Here is a little look at the way it was before. I liked it that way too...but was getting so bored with it.
I had never thought about doing the arrangement this way....well....because Danny's special chair needed to be front and center. Two things I dislike hate to decorate around... are....
ceiling fans and
Man Cave reclining chairs
But lately the bond between Man cave chair and Danny has been going south. (sad smile..ha-ha)
So, I thought while they were having difficulties I would change things up a bit.
(Still a couple more things to add to the room...like a side table by Man Cave Chair....and then I think we will give the room a run for awhile.)
I would like to know...I'm I the only one that doesn't like Man Cave reclining Chairs?
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We had one last long weekend before Nut Season starts....so, Danny thought we should get away.
The Question that we asked each other for this trip.... can we....
"Go/do one thing different than what we have done before"
so adventure hunting we went.
First stop- Villa Montalvo with its formal Italian garden ....the garden was representative of the classical Villa gardens of Italy and the Mediterranean. It was like we went to Italy without a passport.
They were getting ready for a wedding so we didn't get to see as much as we would of liked. But it was fun to go/do something new.
To the Sea
To the sea....we love the sea. We drove up Hwy 101 to Big Sur....looking for a 80 foot waterfall. (the stream heading to the sea looked like melted marbles.) Beautiful!
On the way.... we just had to stop to explore.
We finally made it to McWay fall- (picture below from their website)
But.... so did everyone else in the state of California- no parking for miles...to even get to the park. Located at Julia Pfeiffer Burns State Park...big time bummer! (Danny's knee was giving him fits so the miles to hike were not in the cards)
We made a plan right there to come back in February during the middle of the week!
There was so much beauty on the drive there....we didn't feel too bad about not being able to get in the park.
So....we turned around and headed back.
Stopped for lunch at the Coast Cafe that looks like a Tree house- with front rows seats to the "Sea"
Kind of a cool interesting place....we had a salad that was awesome!
We had a wonderful relaxing time together....and we actually saw/did three new things.
With this reminder
"The Questions that we ask- shape the path we take."
My challenge to you..."Go/do one thing different than what you have done before."
Happy Day- Dating Dan is always fun!
Don't forget to enter my blog giveaway ...link here. It ends Friday!
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We have a new Robot at the Nut house (we call our Nut processing Plant...the Nut house. =) she is getting a lot of attention lately!
Sam even went to "Robot" school back East this summer to learn how to keep her up and running.
She is going to be a hugh help...but more on that later.
I stopped in at the Nut house today to see what the guys were up to... each year they take apart the equipment clean it and then put it back together....a BIG project!
Today...still working on putting things back together....
They also do a lot of building and fabricating to get things to work just right.
Everything is starting to come together! Which means.....Nut Season is just around the corner....Planning to start in September.
Some may think that our work ends when Nut Season is over...but really...it never ends....just slows down a tiny bit. (love seeing these men work together.)
And a lot of his work is done in here too!
Nut Season is almost here....CRAZY!
A Few Nut house links-
Thanksgiving from the Nut House
MVI 4738 from teresa andersen on Vimeo.
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Wonderful Happy Day...I miss these people....all but 7 have left us.
Time moves so quickly.
Danny and his best man- Ben
For Christmas I turned my wedding dress into gifts for my daughter, daughters in law and granddaughters.
"Sweetheart I love you, I love you my dear"
(quote taken from a poem Danny wrote for me on our wedding day.)
Happy Anniversary sweetheart.
Note- we were married in the Manti Temple in Utah- We have 5 children who have all married in the Temple.
We have been through much- death of parents-sibling and Friends , cancer and illness, financial difficulties, disappointment and sadness .... but more than that
We feel blessed because....
We have 5 beautiful and kind children, 9 soon to be 10 grandchildren that are the cutest and smartest grandchildren ever.
Our Children have jobs and have married in the Temple and each hold a calling and have a strong testimony.
(I say this not to boast...but to show forth and express my gratitude...to remember in times of difficulties}
We know that we are blessed and are so very grateful for this life.
"Sweetheart I love you, I love you my dear."
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At the end of our stay- view from our villa.
With just a few more days left we headed out on our last adventure-
Wild Willy's Airboat tour at Lake Tohopekaliga in St. Cloud, Florida.
It was awesome fun! Their boats go really fast...it's hard to tell in this video...but believe me, they are fast!
If you are in the area check it out....they are so nice there.
We enjoyed our stay at the Sheraton Vistana Villages
Just what we needed a week of rest and fun...
(a few little details...for my scrapbook)
Front entry and main pool-
Our villa was around back....with a smaller pool ( I think there were...5 or 6 different pool areas}
This was the small lake that we looked over from our room.
Other than crazy airline stuff (lost luggage, broken planes, crazy landings and behind schedule} also being ran into by the resort staff in a golf cart was not all that fun. =)
All in all ....
We had a wonderful relaxing time.
Now it's back to work and real life.
“When he worked, he really worked. But when he played, he really PLAYED.”
-Dr. Seuss
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Danny has always wanted to visit Kennedy Space Center...so off we went. Kennedy Space Center is a working spaceflight facility....with tours, films and exhibits.
Our day-
During an actual lift off...you have to view it from 3 miles away...any closer and you die. =)
We really enjoyed all the history and artifacts....plus it was not crowded and the weather was great...just a little over-casted.
So many movies have been filmed here it was fun to see that.... and Remember "I Dream of Jeannie'? a lot of that was filmed here too.
Since we were so close to Cocoa Beach (Jeannie's home} we headed there after our stay.
We spent time here just walking and holding hands...ahhhhhh =)
We ended our day with dinner by the beach.
The Next Day we ....slept in until 11am....yikes haven't done that for like...35 years =)
But this trip was all about resting-
When we finally pulled ourselves up... we headed to...
Winter Park-
to take a scenic boat tour- around the lakes and through the canals. Mainly so I could enjoy all the architecture. Dating from 1880 until now.
The oak trees were amazing...some older than 300 years.
This home was build around 1920...Oh, how I wish I could of toured the inside.
This was built in the early 1900's as a gentleman's poker club house.
Several homes were built in the 1950's...this home was Mr Rogers....now I know why he always sang ..."It's a lovely time in the neighbor...won't you be my neighbor"... yes, oh yes I will.
The canals date back over 100 years.
We had a wonderful day!
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