Crashing California

So the last two day's in San Diego have been good, busy with running around and stuff. Jay and I got cell phones today (signed a contract for two years...so you know we'll have to be here awhile) it was sort of our statement of claim that we're going to try to give this a shot. Our host Bardy drove us around yesterday, and took us up to his old 'digs' where we snapped this photo of the San Diego Skyline We drove to the beach today in the Del Mar area (one of the many), VERY 'fat' (if you know what i mean) but we hung out by the water with the hard core surfers(those who still surf in Nov.) and made another 'claim' -- see photo =) San Diego is a very beautiful city...I'm having issues with the palm trees, kind of not used to seeing them EVERY where, it's nice, but I keep expecting it to be a dream or something. I'm posting some photos of the home we're staying in, our hosts are amazing (I'm sure I've said that before) but they...

So, today was our last day of hard core driving into our 'promised land' called San Diego. We started the day in Gilroy, and immediately got lost trying to find our hi-way, however, we made it to the 152 which took us over a small mountain pass to intersect with the I5. And then we drove ... and drove... and drove... (Jay's dad: you were right, California does sort of look like Sask....) and when it seemed like we could drive no more... about 90 miles outside of Los Angeles there were mountains, and all of a sudden, four more lanes of traffic, and it was scenic, and fast and non-stop through to L.A. and beyond. (Downtown L.A. skyline) We made it into San Diego County around 5pm and we thought we were doing really good till we proceeded to get lost (again) trying to find our 'home' (which will be our home for the next little while). It took us 40 mins and a phone call (just one) to get to our destination and now we are here. Our hosts are wonderful (I cannot stress ...

Jay's request to post these pics =) This is the famous 'drive-through-tree' in the Redwood Forest, I didn't think the car was going to make it, but, it did -- thank goodness for compact cars...

'Avenue of Giants' the name given to just one of the routes that winds through the amazing California Coastline. We started our day of MASSIVE driving in Grande Pass, OR. and quickly arrived in California. As we headed on south we passed majestic coast lines and patches of pouring showers and wove in and out of lush dense green forests that streched to the sky... breathtaking beauty thousands of years old, trapped in time. It's super easy to feel really small in this amazing landscape, truly one of the most beautiful places on earth I believe. The trees are over 300 feet high and can easily be centuries old, even as old as 1000 years!! It blows my mind that such gentle giants exist in almost serene solitude on the coast. I'll let the pictures tell the rest of the journey.... After the Redwoods it was alot of California 'back country' (for lack of a better descript.) till we got pretty close to San Francisco...it was dark by that time, since we drove for a grande...

Yesterday, the Saturday, was a total driving day. We drove the I5 from Everett (leaving Smith, his wonderful house and the ducks behind) and headed through Seattle, Tacoma, and beyond south, through Oregon. Oregon is a beautiful state mosaic of stretching farmlands, rolling fields, and blue mountains in the distance. I have only ever before been as far as Newport (a little less than halfway down the state) so roundabout the southern stretch of roads it starts curving into a maze of mountain passes and gigantic pines. (if anyone wonders what it's like driving with Jay through Oregon Moutain passes...) We stopped for the night in Grande Pass and are headed now today to the Redwood Forest in California. I'm excited at the thought of trees that are as wide as roads and hundreds of feet high -- I can't even imagine! But as we charge up our batteries (camera's and phones) and get ready for the drive today, I feel truly free, I think, for the first time. It's ABSOUTELY POU...

Veiw of the Island over the Puget sound, from the Ferry Us on the ferry =) This is the little Whidbey Island town of Langley

So, as our stay here in Washington state comes to an end (I will miss Smith, but NOT the cold wet ... ) we spent our day 'sight-seeing' the Puget sound. Smith graciously took us on the ferry over the water (my first time on a ferry btw) and we docked and bused around the island, Smith's old home. We visited a little town called Langley (not like in B.C. but spelled the same) -- totally picturesque -- it seriously looked like the little 'American' coastal town in the movies, with the little historic stores of Antiques that smell of must and 'old spirits' and then the new additions, ice cream parlours (I was freezing the whole time btw 2) I bought a "Chocolate Flower" candle, which TOTALLY smells like chocolate, and I found some amazing artwork (the whole town I guess is know for it's artsy-fartsyness, it's also known for it's high gay population but whatever....) Anywhoo, it was wonderful, allbeit cold, and we rode the ferry back in the ...

My 5 untold truths... So, my friend Emily has 'tagged' me into this thing where we must tell, 5 things about ourselves that people don't generally know -- and I must admit, I am not happy about it, I think only because it'll make me look into myself and disclose the things which we work so hard to keep silent from people =) 1) I thrive best with one or two really close friends to share EVERYTHING with, as opposed to a bunch of people who know just snippets about me... 2) Having my own business has made me a work-aholic, which I hate, but I can't help because I consistently over-commit myself with the fears that I will have nothing to do, and hence don't earn money, and hence, starve to death (or somthing of that nature....) 3) Being married to an amazingly talented musician, has cultured me into exploring my 'musician' side, I think actually a few people may know that, but one of the things that I really enjoy now, would be just to sit down with an acous...

WONDERFUL WASHINGTON! (sidebar) hey, em, doesn't that totally sound like a LLN 'retreats and getaways title - heehee anyways, we arrived in Everett early yesterday morning with only one 'almost' wrong turn, otherwise, directions were great! (thank you Jason!) We're staying with Jason Smith, Jay's old college buddy, in this really cool, older house, in a beautiful part of the city. Everett is pretty small I guess, but everything to me seems inflated...tonnes of stores, tonnes of cars and people, even the trees are HUGE (and beautiful). We toured around Everett a little yesterday and drove to the ferry dock that travels commuters to Whidby Island (was beautiful, but a little chilly) I now have FULL comprehension of the 'cold wet, I'm never feeling warm' feeling that all my sister's (inlaws) talked about in Vancouver. Then we took a loooong rush hour drive (bless Smith's heart) to downtown Seattle, where we went to this crazy market, it's su...

Jay and I leaving Hazel street...forever =) Today can best be summed up in 4 little words Mountains in the Winter K -- were we insane? I think Blessed can definetly be the word.... when people say that mountain driving can change suddenly, they are not kidding. We started the day in Jasper, staying with some friends that Jay had through the store, and amazing family to say the least, amazing courage -- Jasper had snowed the night before and was absolutely gorgeous, winter white wonderland. and the weather cleared pretty quickly, but then proceeded to diminish...then TOTALLY cleared up, then TOTALLY rained, then CRAZY SNOW -- it was amazing, and you couldn't tell what was coming next, it was almost like ever valley had a different micro climate, it reminded me of life, alittle, storms coming unexpected and then amazing beauty sun and calm, and you just had to deal with it as it came. Outside Jasper... Beauty and Calm... One of the 'Hairier' moments in the 'High Mountai...

So, the exodus pretty much begins from here. We leave on Monday, so this will prob. be the last time I can write before we're on the road. So many goodbye's (had and too be had). So many things we've taken care of and are left ( but not so many of the latter) We sold the Honda on wed. to Adam, and I had photo's I wanted to post, but(story of my life lately) I didnt' bring my camera cord to transer the pics, (I thought I did, but I didn't ) everything seems so up in the air! Anways, tomorrow (Sat. ) my mom comes and picks up the last odds and ends, Sat night and sun. we do our last worship at church (which I am really looking forward too) and then we'll celebrate one last 'Huzil birthday' (Jaci's), then our last Glimpse, which has been such a treasured time of worship, it's almost the hardest thing for me to leave besides family ... before we head home, have one last hot tub and crawl into bed for one last sleep in the den we've lived in ...

There are times when there truly is a "hush" in the world when the night is soaked in silence the stillness steeped in comfortable quiet Tonight is just that The sky that warm dark amber-grey hue that whispers of winter snow just on the doorstep, soon snow will start falling I'm sure feathering down from their frosty heaven to plant on planet earth God's little messengers sent to our terrestrial ball covering our ground and hugging the dirt in humble humidity Tonight is one week from our last night here One week till our last sleep in this 'house' that is no longer a 'home' all of our things piled and packed on our living room floor every possesion in it's place it's been hard for me to give-up my hold on some of my 'things' been hard to throw away stuff, lock stuff up, all these things, bearing memories gone mouldy, but I am deciding today to start to get excited, to start to think of what will come (and it will) and I just sit back an...

What we will be leaving behind... It's Eleven days till we leave -- snow cover, cold encased city a frozen fortress of industry and insanity a province in the midst of a 'boom' in which people 'bust' their lives trying to keep up with the 'Jones'' the cold is not welcome in this warm heart we will drive away soon, to a place only imagined, to a culture that's sure to shock us into leaning more, and clinging to an extraordinary God

I had originally posted this on my other blog, but I thought it seemed appropriate to document here ... ------------------------------------ Yesterday Please remind me shadows and suddenly no one can stay we all go away So leaves fall southern sun calls my breath fades and we wait pack our things everything life brings tumble into a box heart shaped locks and leaves roll on southern sun strong my breath stays life matters this way my soul looks forward as days grow colder mystery makes history leaves soon gone southern sun beam on Fall on me my councellor, my father (father) fall on me my holy living water (water) Break your care it aint gonna be hangin forever I gotta get myself together take a stand, get the my plan take the stage stand for what Ibelieve theres a hungry world in need

We went to the 'new sidetrack' last wednesday to see a crazy jazz band called 'Audiosquad'. Jay, (white shirt) myself and Adam, (our amazing drummer friend, who is also going to be purchasing our car! Yay!) Some photos for Emily =)

Feel like I had a VERY long day today, but I think it was because I had one of those nights that didn't really feel like it ended. I spent the majority of last night putting price tags on all my stuff, (and Jay's stuff) in prep. for our Move sale next weekend. It was an interesting perspective, trying to figure out how much all our crap is worth, and what we exactly have in our house and stuff. Hopefully it will be a success. It's pretty crappy weather wise here...snow and cold (-5, which I know is nothing in comparison to our winters of -30, but when you're not climatized it FEELS cold) I'm going to post some pics later...prob. Monday... but yah, the roads are bad, it's very 'gloomie' looking out, just all together kind of depressing, if we weren't going I think Jay would be about ready to go nuts, it's one of the things keeping us going, knowing we're on the doorstep to the next part of our lives. Most of the comments we've been gettin...