Welcome to California

On Thursday, Aunt Leigh and I got on a plane and flew out to California to stay with my mom.

By the time we got there it was dark outside and we were exhausted.

The next day we went out to Laguna Beach and walked around for a while.  We found a charming little public park tucked away between some buildings with a view of the ocean and this poem at the end of the path.

On one side of the path there were these interesting, antique looking brass chairs complete with a small table and brass books.

After leaving the park we wandered down the beach for a while, it was a little grey out that day but it was still incredibly lovely.

A ways down the beach we came across some tide pools that were fascinating to look at.

There were some very friendly naturalists there to help people learn about the tiny ecosystems they are looking at. 

It was amazing to see all of the tiny living creatures in their colorful habitats, when you looked closely you could see all kinds of organisms moving about.

This fish is called a sculpin, it is one of the many small things living in the tide pools.

While I was wandering around taking in everything I looked up and saw this girl looking out across the ocean, she looked so pretty I had to take a picture.

I'm having a terrific time in California so far (Who could complain, it's 70 degrees in December!) and I can't wait to share more of my pictures with you.

What a Wonderful Fall

I take off for a two week trip to California today so I just wanted to post this assortment of pictures I've collected over the fall.  I didn't post nearly as much in November as I wanted to and I really have no excuse for that but I'll try to get back on track.

One thing I really like about our new home with the small backyard is that lots of birds come to visit. 

I saw this old house on the drive to my Aunt's house a while back and I just had to stop and take a picture.  It looks so intense with the grey skies and the bright fall leaves.

These are some of the flowers in my Aunt's backyard, she always has the most beautiful gardens.

For a few weeks my friend and I had to walk about a block to get to our piano lesson due to some construction happening on my teachers street and I was really grateful to have my camera with me when I stumbled across this leaf covered with gem like dew drops.

I know my birthday was well over a month ago but I really like some of these pictures I just never got around to posting them.  Isn't my mom silly? (Sorry the lighting is terrible in these we were at a restaurant for a very delicious birthday lunch.)

And look my brother actually kind of smiled for a picture!

This is the friendly guy who pierced my ears.  I'm proud to admit I didn't even cry!

Later that evening my friends came over for cake and a sleepover, we had a lot of fun, they really are the best.

My mom and I made some teacup candles for our friend Carol to put out at her tea tour.  We had so much fun making them and we we're extremely happy and excited to give them to Carol.

One chilly night in November my grandpa was singing with his barbershop quartet at a chili cook off.  I always love going to hear them sing, and there was the added bonus of lots of delicious chili!

For those of you who don't know my baritone singing grandpa, he is the one on the far left.

This quartet is a great group of gentlemen most of whom I've know since I was just a kid.  They are always so nice to me and they never forget to give me a hug before they leave.  

(Don't tell the others, but my grandpa give the best hugs of anyone.)

It was a pleasant evening to spend with my silly family, they always know how to make me laugh.

I think my cat really likes our new couch, we still need to get new pillows for it but it sure is comfortable.  It's a very rare occasion that you find the couch without at least one furry occupant.

I hope you all enjoyed these photos I've taken over the past two months.  I can't wait to go to California because I get to spend time with my mom and my aunt and I will most definitely take a lot of pictures to share.

Topsail Island

In October I went with my friend Isabel and her family to Topsail, North Carolina.

We were in a beautiful beach house that was just a short walk away from a pier and a bit of a longer walk away from the south end of the island.

It was amazing to be able to wake up to the ocean and go out on the beach everyday.

We had a lot of fun adventures and played a lot of frisbee and football.

I had a wonderful two weeks with my friends, it was so much fun getting to hang out with them (and get on their nerves) living together for a while.

We went to a unique craft fair one day called Autumn in Topsail and I got to photograph this adorable bird.

I spent my 17th birthday in North Carolina, we went to lunch and Mrs. Johnson made me a wonderful birthday dinner and cake.

The pier was just a 15 minute walk away, Isabel and I thought the fat birds that hung around there were amusing.

It was such blast spending two weeks there and I can't wait until next year.

It was so wonderful being able to watch the sunsets and sunrises over the ocean.  Every time I get to experience such beautiful things I am grateful that I can travel and see more of the world with my friends and family.