Caleeeeefornia, Day One

April 30, 2021.  We were supposed to be leaving for Ireland.  We booked the trip last fall, never thinking that COVID would still be a problem seven months later.  Two months ago, when we realized that traveling to Ireland wasn't going to be possible, we switched gears and bought very cheap airline tickets to California.  We also invited the Core Kennedy kids to come along as well.

Everyone was on board immediately, and each had different requests for the trip.  Glo wanted time visiting her mission, Mark wanted to spend time in downtown San Francisco, Johannah wanted to visit as many national parks as possible, and Ethan wanted to go to a baseball game.

Done.

Actually, it took some serious planning on my part to figure it all out, and John took it on himself to work some extra weekends so that we could afford to pay for everyone, but we figured it all out.

The girls, John and I flew in Friday night after work.  Poor John and Hannah--a full day of work, and then a five hour flight (albeit a non-stop flight, thank goodness).  We landed late but thankfully I had reserved an airport hotel so it was a short drive.  Only $64/night for the hotel room.  What a surprise when we woke up in the morning and discovered that we were right next to the water!

I gave Glo two whole days for a mission tour.  She thought it was too short, but when we only have eight days total, I like to think it was a gift ;-) She contacted all the people she wanted to see, she arranged all the days and times (like a PRO, I might add), and we were off!

We crossed the Bay Bridge from San Francisco to Napa.  What an adventure THAT was! At one point, a highway patrol car flew past us, and all of a sudden started swerving over four lanes, back and forth, with his lights on.  He brought all of the traffic to a stop while another patrol car came down the highway from the other direction.  Our GPS had told us that there was a "hazard" ahead, but we couldn't see anything.  A female cop got out of her car, headed over to the wall on the left side, kicked what we thought was some ONE, and then grabbed the legs and started dragging.  We seriously thought it was a person....but it ended up being a deer.  We had a good laugh, thinking that traffic comes to a halt and policemen come to the rescue when someone hits and kills a DEER.  Yeah, in Michigan, the carcass just gets pulverized over the highway until it's just a big red smear for a good quarter of a mile.....

We met Sister Edwards first.  There were several members in Napa who were life savers for Glo and Hermana Assumpçao when COVID first hit, and they were in quarantine.  Sister Edwards was one of them.  Glo and Hermana A would go over to her house and help her garden, and would go on long walks with her through her beautiful neighborhood.  She would let them pick her oranges and she would make fresh orange juice from them.  She's a widow so I know she appreciated the visits.  It was no different today.  She was a bit hesitant to welcome us into her home because she gets sick easily, but we were courteous, and it wasn't long before we felt like we'd known her forever. We did all the wonderful things that Glo remembered--we picked oranges, and admired her beautiful garden, and ate lunch outside on her patio in the glorious California sun.  And as payment, we played music for her which she loved (yes, we came prepared with instruments and music).  We were there for several hours, keeping her company and thanking her for all she did for Glo.  And it was sweet to see our Christmas card hanging in her home along with the painting of the Oakland temple Glo had made for her while on her mission.

Next was Brother Nelson.  Brother Nelson was one of the few members who would still have contact with the hermanas during COVID, and he asked the hermanas to help him with family history.  Thankfully, and I mean that FOR REAL, Glo had spent many hours with me working on family history, so she was well-prepared to help him.  And he was so grateful for it.  He shared with me how life-changing her help had been to him, and as a result, he's now taken his family back 300 years...and he continues to meet weekly with the hermanas for help with his family history.  He provides the snacks, and they provide him with help.  From that introduction, Glo discovered that he played guitar, and the two of them would get together to play music.  For that reason, we headed to his house.  Glo had never actually been there before, but what a surprise to discover that he had invited Sister Brock!  (She and Glo made the "I'm Trying to Be Like Jesus video that has now been viewed thousands of times online.)  It was such a sweet and touching reunion, and it was fun to see the four of them making music together (Hannah was seriously such a good sport).  I am SO PROUD of my girls.  They are completely flexible in any musical situation.  They could sight sing, sight read, perform, do anything they were asked to do.  They really are professional musicians now.

And Brother Nelson LOVED it.  He never really had the time to discover Glo's full capabilities, and of course he never had Hannah.  He just couldn't get enough, and he's trying to persuade us to start our own YouTube channel ;-)  It was very tender to see how touched he was by the music--I seriously love musically sensitive people.  And like Sister Edwards, he had a beautiful California home, with flowers, and the windows open, and delicious snacks of veggies and vanilla Oreos.

There were fruit stands everywhere.  It was so nice to stop and get some fresh cherries that certainly could rival Michigans!

When we got in the van (which we have christened Clifford), I could tell there was something going on with Hannah.  She got super emotional when I asked her what was up, and she told us that it's just really sad to think of her own mission and to think that there wouldn't be good food, or nice couches, or an easiness to return there.  Yeah, Glo definitely hit the jackpot with missions as far as baptisms, companions, and location <3

Next, we drove to Petaluma, Glo's first area after the CCM, to meet up with the legendary Hermana Assumpçao! Earlier in the week, Glo had called the mission office, pretending to be an hermana in the mission, asking for the Petaluma hermanas phone number (I was seriously SHAKING as I doubted she could pull this off....but she did.)  She then called Hermana A a couple of nights ago, and oh my gosh, the SCREAMING as they talked to each other, just to make plans to meet up!  And when they saw each other, they ran into each other's arms, and Hermana A just started crying.  They must have held each other for several minutes--it was very, very sweet, especially for our pretty non-emotional daughter.  We went to a Brasilian restaurant (considering Hermana A is from Brasil), but we could've taken her to McDonald's for all the care she took about the food--she and Glo couldn't stop talking and laughing and talking and burping and talking and singing.  I do believe if Glo has a best friend, it would have to be that hermana.  Hermana A goes home on Monday, and I suspect there's going to be a lot of texting and phone calling for those two for the rest of their lives ;-)

We had to laugh because Hermana A looks, as Glo said, "like a lost puppy" sitting in the back seat ;-)

Afterwards, we did a little drive through Petaluma, and it was amazing how much Glo remembered about the area, including driving directions.  We stopped for some of the most delicious ice cream I've ever tasted