Summer Vacation....

.....comes to an end.

While I come to terms with the end of the summer, Chase, in our typical Griswald fashion, is loading the U-Haul, and preparing to drive back across the desert to home.  In the center of the country.  Gosh, I hope it goes well.

He will be leaving the lush tropical settings of the oceanside community that he has called home for the last three months.  And he will be heading straight back into the stark reality of Oklahoma, where it is about 100 degrees EVERY DAY.  And as a bonus, he will - after only a few days - return to school, where the humidity is 100 percent, most of the time.  Poor guy.  The acclimating will be hard. 

He will have to say goodbye to things like this --

And say hello to scenes like this --

 And this --

 And even this --

And get ready to go back and spend lots of hours here --

I think he is secretly looking forward to it.  Deep down, I think he has learned a lot of cool things that he is going to be able to pull out of his hat when necessary.

more pics

More pics need to be taken...  Chase and Sheena will be home in about a week or so.  I am emptying the memory cards and charging up the batteries due to the impending arrival.  We have seen him so rarely this summer.  We will have to make up for lost time with lots of pics when they finally get here.

Now here is a perfect example of why we will need to take a lot of pictures.  Sheena = looking good.  Eyes open, perfect smile.  Perfect head tilt.  Chase = eyes almost closed.  Still a cute picture and would probably work for some things, but if we took, say 20 more, we might get a really good one with his eyes open a little more, or something spontaneous, like a funny moment or something.  He will love getting this news.  Shhh..... don't tell him.  We can just surprise him when he gets here.

He loves his mom.  Surely he will indulge her.......

Big Day

It was a pretty big day.  We knew it was coming, but it still was a really big deal. 

First of all, these two were the people at the center of all the excitement. 

They were in Southern California, making plans for the rest of their lives.  He knew, but she didn't.  I don't know, ... something about the beach, a picnic basket, champagne and a ring.  We really haven't heard all the details yet, but everyone seems really excited.

He said he was super nervous.  They have only been seeing each other for about seven years.  How could he pull off a surprise?

So they go to this quaint little area on the beach where these restored beach houses are located...  I think it is called Crystal Cove Beach Park.  Again, I am speaking out of turn, because I wasn't there, and I don't know how it happened, but our cousin, Katy, was there to take pictures -- so maybe we will have some of those to post later along with more details.

This is Mike and me at the restaurant on this same little beach about two years ago.   So when he told us this was where he was going to take her, we knew exactly where he was talking about!  It is such a unique place.

Everyday is pretty exciting and different in Lily's World... but this one, was really special.