Not Our Home

Today we are on the first leg of our trip to Haiti...

I am a lot little nervous and way excited. We will be working in various capacities at the Hands and Feet Ministry and Orphanage for the week... so I basically get to spend my days loving on sweet kiddos! Excited and grateful is an understatement.

Matt and I have talked a lot this week about our expectations - our hearts - going into this. I spent a short time in orphanages and a refugee camp in the Czech Republic right after high school with my church... I loved my time there and walked away knowing, even more so, that I would adopt one day. But this time around, despite not being a "mother" quite yet, I feel like I'm going in with a more maternal heart. I feel it. I think it will be harder this time, for me... To look at these children and know that I could really, truly take them home with me. I am no longer a teenager or a care-free college student. I am an adult. A grown woman. I have a spouse, a home, a real-life, big-girl job. And most of all, I have the capacity in my heart to love them all the days of their lives. I do. I would love them with every fiber of my being. Perhaps I'm setting myself up for some majorly-tearful goodbyes, but it is a fact that my heart can't ignore. I could do something.
My heart is already aching for these children that I've yet to meet. I have cried big, fat tears on my drive home this week after hearing the lyrics to a new favorite song of mine. 

Don't lose heart

Don't forget

This world is not our home

There's a better place where we belong

This place of heartache and strife and orphans and widows and poverty and suffering. It's not our home. Thank you for that, Lord.

Lauren

SoCal Neighborhood Tour

Since I promised a neighborhood tour of San Diego.... without further ado!

On the way to La Jolla, I stumbled across this beauty... with quite a view from the back, I imagine, considering this property over looked all of La Jolla and the Pacific. Unfortunately, Matt wouldn't let me snoop to that degree. Boo!

The following are on the coast in La Jolla....

Not much yard space to speak of...

But who needs a back yard when this is your back yard? 

Point Loma had lots of different styles to choose from. And is such a quaint little area, too!

Let's be honest, here... I would take any of these houses in Laguna Beach...

I mean, seriously.

Can you imagine waking up to this each morning? 

These cedar shakes make me cry a little. And the roof deck! Swoon.

We took a stroll along the Venice canals near Los Angeles, as well. Talk about some unique, beautiful homes!

Favorite! I'm sensing a theme, here. Craftsman, cedar, and terraces, perhaps?! 

This one is so dreamy, too! Again, with the cedar! You're killing me. L-O-V-E.

Who wants to pack up and move with me? You? Yes? 


Did I mention it's always 70 and sunny? 


Let's GO.


Lauren

A SoCal SoJourn

Well, folks. It is official!
San Diego is our favorite city in the US - hands down. I've been raving to Matt about the three short days I spent there years ago, but could never truly describe what it was I loved so much.

"The weather! Perfection!""It's clean! So so clean."
"The breeze off the bay!"
"The food! Oh the food."

"The people! So nice!"

I knew he would never understand until we took a trip there ourselves, so it made its way onto our BK List without much protest.

Matt surprised (surprised!) me on a random Tuesday in October with a mid-winter trip to "America's Finest City". (seriously, that's its nickname. and it's not a lie!)

We spent day one doing a lot of sightseeing and picture-taking. Photos of beautiful-panoramic-views-on-the-side-of-the-road taken by random-but-outrageously-nice cyclists are our favorite.

We headed to the top of Mount Soledad and had our breath taken away by the Lord's beautiful creation...

Oh wait... you wanted to see the view! :)

With the whole morning ahead of us, we made our way over to La Jolla to watch the break over that unmistakable, rocky Pacific coast.

We drove up to Mount Cabrillo, which overlooks Coronado Island and the Navy base. The trip did not disappoint. There were thousands and thousands of graves for military men and women and their families... it was humbling and beautiful. 

I felt so proud of our nation for giving this prime-time real estate to those who deserve it the most.

We also drove over to Coronado Island to spend late afternoon on the beach. So relaxing after a whirlwind of a day!

Day two took us north to Los Angeles, but we (of course) took the scenic route to see what we could see. 

We figured "Ocean Way" in Laguna Beach was a good place to start.

And just beyond what I thought would be a nice little place to sit and see the ocean...

...ended up taking my breath away. A secret garden!

...with a path down to the rocky, rough Pacific

That scenic route was a success! 

After we arrived in LA, we walked the canals in Venice Beach and hit up 3rd Street Promenade in Santa Monica for the Super Bowl with friends.

All that to say that Matt is officially convinced. San Diego (and socal as a whole) is where. it's. at.

Lauren

Embracing the Camera: Sunny SoCal

Today's Embrace the Camera is from our sunshine-y trip to San Diego earlier this month. What fun!

We made our way to La Jolla early one morning and soaked up the warm February sun... there's nothing not to love about SoCal. We even picked out our future vacation home while we were there!

Killing two birds with one stone, people.

Embracing the camera,
Lauren

SoCal

Matt and I are enjoying a be-YOND beautiful long weekend in San Diego... I have been here once before and always knew it was one of my favorite cities but now Matt is sold on it too. I see many trips in our future!


We were feeling rather tourist-y when we first arrived and hailed a bike taxi to take us to the harbor for sunset! It was a BLAST and it didn't hurt that there were awesome 90's tunes blaring from the speakers...

We got to the harbor just in time!

...to witness the beauty of the Pacific sunset. Nothing like it!

We woke up bright and early the next morning (very early... still on Central time over here) and headed to La Jolla but made a detour to the top of Mount Soledad... it was spectacular.

We hit the beach in La Jolla next and watched the tide come in... there is nothing quite like the rocky coast of the Pacific. 

Fish tacos, a must.

And the beach at Coronado did not disappoint.

Today, we are heading to Los Angeles to see the sites. Great trip so far! 


There is nothing better than traveling with my love. 


Lauren