This is so long...

We went to San Francisco Saturday. It was supposed to be really warm, so we wanted to be closer to the water.

I'm still getting used to these streets when we come here!


We got out to walk along the fisherman's wharf. It was so warm still! When we got out of the car at around 12:30 it was 86 degrees! We looked for something to eat and stopped at Boudin's. They're famous for their sourdough bread. I had a crabcake sandwich, and watched people walk along the wharf.





After eating, we walked back to the car, since the meter was about out of time. Here's the view we had as we walked back...




(see all the sailboats?)

We got back to the car and decided to drive around and look at a few more sites. It seems all of San Francisco decided to go to the parks we thought we would go to, so we drove through them instead. Here's Max on that drive...with his favorite position in the car...


We saw some cool trees in the park...including this monster of a tree...


And bears!!!


While driving through the park, Steve was following directions from the GPS, but I had no idea where we were headed. In just a few short minutes I found out though...


We drove for a while, until we reached Half Moon Bay. Somewhere I was really excited to see. I've seen it on the travel channel several times and thought it was a place I would like...
(Sam, we'll have to eat here.)

I was right! It was gorgeous in real life! We drove until we found a beach that wasn't crazy crowded and got out to explore a bit.


I was in jeans and t-shirt, and had no intention of getting in the water. Steve, however, had EVERY intention of getting in the water, and came prepared!



And got Max in it too...


And got him SOAKED...


Max didn't mind though...he just wanted more! So he and Daddy played and played and played.



Let me take a minute and explain this picture, and it's importance to me. As I watched Steve run and jump and twirl Max on the beach, I was reminded of this picture...



That was taken in February of 2004. Just a couple of weeks before Max's diagnosis. It was his first big trip, first airplane ride, first time to the ocean. He seemed so calm there, much different from his constant cat-like crying. I remembered this picture the other day, because in this picture, Max is having a seizure. We didn't know that at the time, but since knowing that's what they were, I have always loved this photo. It reminded me that the Creator of this ocean was way bigger than Max's seizures, and we would soon find that out. Shortly after Max was diagnosed though, we were talking about what this meant for us, our hopes and dreams for our son were totally rocked after diagnoses. One of the things Steve said, was how he was sad that he was so happy playing with him at the beach, and he didn't know if/how/what it looked like for him and Max to get to play at the beach, or in the mountains, or travel together. It was s dream of a father for his son that couldn't be fulfilled in our minds at that time.

But the other day, when I saw Steve jumping and playing and twirling Max, the dream was fulfilled. And I couldn't help but feel so very very small next to that enormous ocean.

(If you click on this you can see our boy's big smile)




It was their day...a day to play...and be father and son...






After he and Daddy played and played, Max came to sit by me and Steve went back out to play for a while longer. He's a big kid!







Those waves made him look very small too!


We headed home shortly after this picture, it was getting late, and Max needed his medicine. But what a day!

Yesterday we headed out to Santa Cruz, to see the water there and the boardwalk. It was not a "picture" day, as I wanted to just take it all in. It was pretty hot again yesterday, and it was nice to be around the water all day. We drove a while away from the business of the boardwalk and came to this area of the coast that the kite boarders seem to really like. I nearly lost my husband to this opening...it was sucking him in with excitement!
My guess is one of these is in our garage within the year...


After a day of walking around, and driving around checking out the different beaches, we decided to go towards the water as the sun was going down. We didn't watch the sunset, but the beaches were clearing, and we had a pretty open area.

Max and Steve sat in the beach chair while I went looking for shells.


Then we traded off and I held Max while Steve went to play...this time with a wet suit on because that water was FREEZING!


Max went to sleep here, and Steve played for a while, but this was what we were watching...quite relaxing!



And that is the end to our beach days...I can't believe we live so close to all of this! I can see that we'll find our favorite spots and spend a lot of time at the ocean now! And if you've made it this far in this post...either you are really bored or love us very much! ;)