California reunion trip - part 1

The week of our California reunion trip started with Monday at the mission office and a visit from two of our favorite missionaries - McKaden Packard (l) and Tyler Hatton (r) - back for a few days from their homes in Florida and Utah.  And, since Mondays are mission office meeting days, they posed with the whole group of us.

back row:  President & Sister Collins, Elder Wall, McKaden, Tyler, Sister & Elder Harris, Steve & me, Elder Williams
standing in front of back row:  Elder & Sister Poulson
kneeling:  Elder Shad Johnson and Elder Cade Richardson, our APs

And, then TUESDAY and we were on our way to San Diego....


where we had to relinquish our oranges at the Arizona / California border - but not our grapes or apples.  I had completely forgotten about this process because I remember going through the inspection any time we drove to California when I was a little girl.



We drove by some pretty cool sand dunes out in the middle of the California desert.  We spaced out and almost ran out of gas in the middle of nowhere.  Happily, there was a Chevron station in the teeeeny berg of Ocotillo where we were got gasoline at $4.79 per gallon!  We were NEVER so happy to pay that ridiculous price!



We arrived in San Diego in the mid-afternoon and had time to rest and catch a quick dinner at a nearby McDonalds before heading to the San Diego temple for an evening session.   Even with remodeling scaffolding, it is a beautiful structure.  Elise had arrived in town earlier in the day and she and her friend, Rachel, joined us.

WEDNESDAY morning, Rachel brought Elise to our hotel where we ate breakfast and then Elise, Steve, and I headed to Cabrillo National Monument at the tip of Point Loma.

As we drove there, we passed by thousands of graves in the military cemetery.

After Cabrillo, we went to Old Town and to the Mormon Battalion Visitor's Center.  I have been to numerous church visitors centers in my life and this one is exceptional.  It is more like a Disneyland ride as we went from room to room following the story of a few of the members of the Mormon Battalion.  In the end, we became "honorary members of the Mormon Battalion" and then we got to pan for gold.  It was really a fun experience.

Then, we drove up to the Los Angeles area and checked into a hotel in Costa Mesa.  My high school friend, Susan Lyon, and her husband, Russ, met us for a picnic dinner at Newport Beach.  It was so great to catch up our lives and to realize that, regardless of time and distance, our friendship was still the same.

THURSDAY

Another day, another temple.  This time, the Newport Beach temple for another session.

After the temple, we drove to Hacienda Heights to pick up Beckie.  She had flown to California on Monday and had spent a few days in Santa Barbara with her good friend Tracy whom she worked with in Hawaii.  After a nostalgic trip to an Aldi in Whittier for food and by my old home at 641 Ryan Street in La Habra, we drove to Burbank to the AirBnB we had rented for the night.  Beckie cooked a delicious dinner and another high school friend, another Susan (Lendroth this time) came over to dine and she brought her daughter, Kyla.  Again, lots of visiting and gratitude for long-time friends who keep in touch.

That evening,  we added the Merrills and Steven to the increasing family group.  Kirsti, Ryan, and Alice joined us from their long drive from Utah and Steven was picked up by Steve and Elise from LAX.  

FRIDAY was The Wizarding World of Harry Potter day for Steven, Elise, and Emily and Noah (their family had arrived in California on Wednesday and they were staying in Torrance with good friends)

and it was to the Santa Monica pier day for the rest of us. But, first, we picked up Julina from the Burbank airport. 

Friday evening found us in a different AirBnB, this time in Palmdale.  And, our family was made complete when Sarah drove in from Ogden. 


Hooray - we were now all in California for the Ike and Florin Young reunion the next day (and next blog entry)