Day 3 found us driving toward San Diego. We were going to celebrate my birthday Melita way: sightseeing, what else :).
Our fist stop was the San Diego temple with its fairytale-like castle architecture surrounded by the constantly beautiful sky. It is a tradition of mine to visit a temple on my birthday. In my twenty years of living in America, I've seen a lot of temples. Everywhere I've been, each temple holds a special place in my heart always connected to an event or stage of my life that made that experience really unique. However, the princess in me was really attracted by this temple, especially having my prince with me, and my four gorgeous and amazing little beings that have made my life so preciously sweet. So, this day my experience was one of peace, of contentment, and of joy. Gratitude poured out of my heart for all being right with what's important in life: my family. At moments like this, you don't see and feel the turmoil that the world is in; you don't worry about money or material things; you don't care about trends or others' expectations. Your heart is so full with a joy that transcends this world, a joy that includes a clear understanding of your Heavenly Father's love for you, a pure love for your husband and children, a gratitude for extended family, and excitement for the friends we cherish. It is a moment when you truly see life for what it is.
The next stop was The Mormon Battalion Historical sight. We took the tour that was very interactive between characters in the video and us the tourists. The kids enjoyed learning about the Mormon Battalion and their faithfulness, their hardships and their gratitude to God for saving them.
After the tour, the kids loved "looking for gold," and Elijah and I enjoyed the peaceful view and the interesting conversations with the missionaries, who by the way thought I was way too young to have those kids be mine. Ha ha ha, that was a fun birthday present for a woman turning 39 that day!
Our last stop for the day was La Jolla Beach with its upscale shops, fine dining, and amazing coastline. But the beach was what interested me. If I miss anything from my childhood, it is the warm waters of the Mediterranean Sea, the absolutely beautiful sunsets, and the boat rides with friends. Well, the Pacific tried very hard to make my birthday memorable. The sky, the ocean and the land created the most stunning panoramic view that I truly couldn't have enough. I didn't even bring my camera with me because I felt that capturing that heavenly tableau was quite impossible. (The pictures below were taken by my phone :( ) There were several coves covered with sea lions and seals who were bathing with their young, accompanied by myriads of a diverse kinds of gulls, pelicans, and cormorants. There was a foul odor coming from that area of the beach, but what they lacked in good smells, they made up in beauty.
We ate, played tag and catch, enjoyed the sand and the water, and thanked the Lord for the beauty that surrounded us. My birthday celebration was a hit!
Next stop, home, and with it, plenty of celebrations - James's birthday, his baptism, fun outings with Mama and Papa, Rebekah's arrival, Christmas celebration, and New Year's Eve partying. Wow, December is a really fun month...
