Glorious Weekend

We've been planning this weekend with our dear friends the Gilmores for months.  Finally being on this side of it, I can say it was every bit as fun and life-giving as we had hoped!

Right after school on Friday we drove to the coast to meet Dorina and the girls for a hotel sleepover and Saturday at the aquarium.  We kicked off our weekend with this crazy dinner at Nacho Mama's, a random Mexican place Dorina found on Yelp.  The food was fantastic, as was the guaranteed giggle you'd get from yelling "NACHO MAMA'S!!"  We just can't hang out with Dorina without some food adventure!

  

After Nacho Mama's, it was back to the hotel for an almost 2 hour swim, followed by a pajama party!  We intentionally booked a 2 room suite, so there were plenty of beds and options for the girls.  Where they did all insist on sleeping?  Squished together in a blanket and pillow fort they built on the floor!  (By morning, everyone had migrated to various beds, which we found funny too.)

This was a great aquarium visit.  We decided to let the girls kind of dictate what we'd see and spend time on...which became us using this aquarium visit to deeply explore each of the play areas, learning games and hands-on activities we normally skip over to focus on the animals.  It made for a completely different day and a perfect opportunity to let our girls play together while we adults caught up on life.

My amazing friend is taking all she's been through this year to start writing Bible Study material about "Glory".  As Dorina ponders and researches her first chapter, how God reveals his Glory through creation, she was especially inspired by the jelly fish exhibit.  I love this moment I captured.  I can see her mind trying to wrap around the beauty of these upside-down jellies and I can't wait to read about them when her book gets published!

The girls create their own jelly fish (above) and give the sea cucumbers and decorator crabs some love (below).

 Dorina and the blondes! :)

 This one of our expressive children in the wave cave is going in a frame for sure!

 Each of Dorina's girls had moments that touched my heart, but this one is tops.  Giada brought a little cash she'd been given to spend in the gift shop.  She used it to buy a two-strand Best Friends penguin necklace to share with Delia!

After a few hours at the aquarium, we took a drive down the coast.  We pulled over to watch the wildlife up close. Then we got to watch the sky catch on fire as the sun set at the beach.  

A real highlight of this trip was hearing some more about how the Lord has been walking with Dorina in these months following Ericlee's passing.  Together we got to spend some good time unpacking how God wastes no journey and works good in all circumstances, giving us no option but to give Him Glory.

 Yep.  Nailed it. :)

Our weekend with our friends concluded with some Pizza My Heart for dinner.  We watched in delight as the dough makers tossed their crusts high in the air.  We ate unique slices decorated with bacon, sage, feta and figs.  We fired our theological questions about why God allows evil and suffering at Dave.  And we watched our girls declare their love for one another while fiercely hugging goodbye in the parking lot.  It was a glorious weekend indeed.