Where Have I Been?

 It's been over a week since I blogged.  I've been on a much needed retreat!  Every other year our church staff goes to Mission Ranch in Carmel.  We do a little Bible study & official stuff but most of it is catching up with each other, eating, having fun, and relaxing.

It's a beautiful place.  This is our main meeting place -- The Farmhouse.   It really was an old farm.  Clint Eastwood bought it, restored it, and turned it into a resort.  Our youth pastor even met Clint Eastwood while he was working out in the gym!  Sorry, no pictures of Clint...

 But I do have a picture of us on the beach.  Yep, this is a Northern California beach in May!  I think it's a little colder and rainier than usual.  It was really windy that day, too.  We walked the whole stretch of this beach one day and hiked in sand dunes the next day.  Even though I walk every day my legs were SORE from these walks!

This is the view from the front porch of the Farmhouse.  Even though you can't see them, the field on the right has sheep in it.

And below is the whole church staff before we went out to eat Monday night.

I was going to say, "now back to normal life" but Lauren will be here in a couple of weeks and Jo's finals are this week.  I've got to figure out what to do with everything in the "craft room" and turn it back into "Lauren's room."  lol...

Carmel

We got back from our staff & wives retreat in Carmel this afternoon.  We stayed at Mission Ranch again.  Here's the main farmhouse where we have our meetings.  We have stayed in the farmhouse before, but this year we stayed in the "barn".  During our free time Monday we went to Asilomar Beach.  
It was very windy there so we went to Monterey & walked around, then went to another beach.  I think this was called Carmel River Beach.  It's very close to Mission Ranch.  I think Glenn looks like he's on a deserted island here.

On our way back we decided to drive up Highway 1 instead of the way we came.  We'd seen this lighthouse before but didn't realize that it was a state park & hostel.  

Saw some artichokes:

Jordann's favorite flower:

Happy Anniversary to Us!

22 years!!!  Hard to believe.  I looked back through my photo files to find an old picture of us but even with all the scanning I've done I haven't scanned any wedding photos or pictures of us while we were dating.  Need to do that.  Have an idea for those photos, too.  

We had our family portrait taken for the church directory last night.  I can't tell you how much I dislike formal portraits.  I don't think I ever look real.  So, family, I know you want pictures of us, but you won't be getting Olan Mills version of us this year for Christmas.  Maybe we'll get Angie to take pictures of us in a more natural setting.  Maybe playing guitar hero or with scissors & glue stick in hand.  That would be more "us".  In fact, I told Glenn last night that I like the picture we take of ourselves better.  You know, the ones where you stick your heads together, hold out the camera, and push the button.  That's how we took the one above and it's one of my favorites.  

We're celebrating 22 years today by heading down to Santa Cruz.  We'll have our girls and an extra today but we're going to the beach while they go to the Boardwalk.  We're planning a beach picnic and Maryanne's ice cream on the way home.

And, in keeping with the beach theme, I pulled out some pictures of me on the beach.  Glenn took the one above.  I think this was at Carmel.  We're planning another trip to Carmel in the spring -- no girls going then.

The one below is actually at Santa Cruz.  It was two summers ago when a friend tried to teach me how to surf.  lol... not happening!

And that water is COLD!!!