our 15th anniversary

We returned from our Mexico/L.A. mission trip on Sunday, June 16th, and after a couple days of rest, Terry and I went away for our 15th anniversary. We were pretty low after the mission trip due to exhaustion and also just the shock of not being around the team for the first time after two solid weeks of constant companionship. We were lonely and missed our mission trip family. I wasn't sure I was up for leaving home yet, but months before Terry had reserved the cabin that we stayed at on our wedding night, and it ended up being very restful. It was a wonderful time away, thanks to our families for taking the kids yet again.

I brought our wedding album and we remade my very favorite photos that we took of each other once we got to the cabin.

 First we went to Culvers and got lunch...sort of. Cheese curds.

Then we went back to our favorite wedding photo spot to reenact photos once more, the tree across from the old church. We had done the same thing the year before.

Again just like last year Terry awkwardly put his nose in my eye (remaking a cringy wedding photo).

Some silliness.

Smiles.

Our cabin!

Once we were inside we went to work remaking those wedding day pics. 

What's funny about this is Terry lost that Tungsten ring just a couple weeks after this on the tubing trip. It lasted just over 15 years.

We went for a short drive while we awaited our dinner reservation. We hadn't been up to this spot on Iron Mountain Road since our 2016 staycation. 

Prime rib and salmon. A friend saw us enter and paid for our food! So so generous.

There was a thunderstorm that night and it was just magical sitting in the hot tub while it poured and flashed all around us. The following morning we went to Colonial House for breakfast and then back home. I *love* their caramel rolls. I can never get mine to taste like theirs.

Once back at home we watched our wedding video. There's so much that makes us cringe, but it's still precious. 

Mr. and Mrs. Terry Biers!

Taking off for the cabin. 

Fun to see that old trusty, rusty Malibu that we sold to our friends just a couple months before. 

The day after our wedding we went back into town to say hello to all of the out of town family who were having a picnic (why did we do that when we had just been married for goodness sake?!). Shari interviewed Terry when we first got there and it just blew our minds to see how much different Terry looked and sounded. Shari interviewed me too but it's my blog and I don't have to include it. Man, it made us cringe. Still fun though. Thankful to the Lord for how He's grown us up. 

{Mex/L.A. 2019} Day 12, 13, 14 - BEACH DAY & driving home

Friday, June 14th was the last official day of our mission trip. We went to the beach! Santa Monica beach. 💙💚💛💜

Just arriving at the beach and a little bummed that it was so cloudy and chilly. 

That didn't stop Noah and Evie and around half of the group from immediately jumping into the ocean.

That's a very happy Noah.

Evester examining a rock?

There he goes!

Someone had a boogie/body board which Evie snatched in no time to ride in some waves just like two years ago on sabbatical when we visited Terry's cousin. We plan to do that again this coming 2020 summer. 👍🎉

Even though I was cold I couldn't resist the waves. Thankful someone took my picture too!

Noah jumping up in the waves.

There goes Evie.

So much fun.

After a bit we sang a few songs altogether.

My vantage point.

Finally got a shot of all four of us. 

Selfie smelfie.

Terry went in and found some kelp to play with. 

The kelp was attacking him. He was cracking me up. 

I got video of it too! Hahahaha!

Evie riding another wave.

Later that afternoon the sun finally came out!

Terry had to make his traditional huge sand castle. Most of the group joined in to help him. It was at this point that most of us got severely sunburned. Well, that might have probably started as soon as we got there. In all the excitement of being at the beach, no one put any sunscreen on. That, and it was cloudy so we didn't think of it. A bunch of whities from South Dakota should've known better.

He loves to make sand castles. He even made one all by himself on our honeymoon. 😂

Evie was in the water most of the time, despite how cold it was. My hands and feet turned white so I only went in once.

Noah helping the boys with the castle.

It was a pretty big castle. 

They called that tall part TAST tower, Tall As Sitting Tori, since she help make it. 

Terry put a PJ Max character on top of the tower and timed how long it took the ocean to take the whole thing completely down; about an hour!

Evie liked the warm water.

The littler houses were taken out; there had been one for everyone in our group.

Evie and Noah covered themselves in sand while they waited for the surf to take down the sand castle. 

Caught the killing wave that took out the sand castle town.

Evie always went back to the waves.

From there we all walked up the beach to the Santa Monica Pier for dinner. 

The other side of the pier. 

We made reservations at Maria Sol at the very end of the pier. 

Hey there's me this time!

So. Many. Freckles.

Behind the restaurant the kids spent some of their money on these custom made signs painted out of oceanic images.

Beautiful sunset as we left.

That night we went back to Azusa and went to bed early (after slathering up with aloe) since we had to get up at 3am once again to leave by 4am. We wanted to beat the heat of the desert since it was supposed to be over 100 degrees. We definitely didn't want our bus to die again! The sun was just beginning to rise when we got to Barstow, where we had got stuck 12 days before.

Beautiful desert sunrise. We did beat the worst of the heat. 👍

Everyone was fried so badly by the sun and very uncomfortable on the bus. Cade was probably the worst since he had several large blisters on his back. My feet and legs were SO burned. They were super swollen, which had never happened to me before. Usually my Birkenstocks were loose on my feet, but they were too tight because of the sunburn. 

We drove all the way to Provo, Utah and after dinner at Chuck-O-Rama (delicious), we sat around the pool and gave out the remaining necklace charms. There were a lot of us left so it took a long time. 

Evie floated in the pool for like an hour while we all talked and shared. 

I finally got my charm. It really was a good idea. It felt so nice to be encouraged by the group.

Sandra, Dan, Terry, and I. We've known them since 2008ish in Gothenburg when Sandra and I were both pregnant at the same time (with Evie and Julia)

Evie and Julia. 

We all slept so great that night after getting so little the night before. The following day was a huge one on the road. We ate in Rawlins, WY again, where we had been 14 days before, but this time at McDonalds. We had to say goodbye to Dan and his family since they were separating from us and going to Laramie.

Bus time. Check out Terry's red raccoon face.

And the final picture of the trip is Noah and Evie together on the bus. 💕