Tahiti: Sofitel Moorea

We stayed at the Sofitel Moorea for five nights in an overwater bungalow, number 2012 while the kids stayed in a beautiful lagoon view bungalow, number 323. This is the same resort we stayed at on our honeymoon while on Moorea and we were curious to see how it had changed. It was lovely then and it is lovely now. As always, photos first and then our review. The Sofitel Moorea is located just a mile from the Moorea Ferry port as well as the airport, and a taxi costs between $15-20 USD,… Read More
New Zealand Through Danny’s Eyes

Hot water beach On the second day of our journey in NZ we went to…Hot Water Beach!!! As we walked to the beach from our camper van, we saw a very big black eel in a lake about 30 meters from the beach! None of us got pictures I think because we hurried to the beach. When we got there, there were jacuzzis already dug up for us! The water under the sand was warm and hot. The first jacuzzi we got in was a little too cold so me moved on… Read More
Day 159: The Day Our Passports Disappeared!

We knew we’d get robbed at some point. Thank you, Playacar, Mexico. We can now check that off our list (though we realize it may happen again!). We also knew we’d lose important things that would remain gone. Two days after finally finding an available iphone 6 in CA, it also went missing while hiking in gorgeous Idyllwild! That’s another story, another blog post. But the one thing we dreaded most, apart from anyone’s safety being in danger, was losing our treasured passports! We’ve been fairly obsessed about keeping track of where… Read More
Chefs in Training – La Farfalla, Escondido, CA

We arrived into Los Angeles late Tuesday night, on Nov. 4th. We made our way to the rental car agency, picked up our van, and headed south to San Diego. What should have taken about two hours took us about three, and we arrived at our friend, Terry’s home at 1:30 am. Instead of sleeping, she had insisted on staying awake to greet us. We have not seen Terry for over ten years, so it was wonderful having the time to catch up. Terry is an amazing chef as well as gardener. Below is… Read More
When the Storm Sweeps In

We spent several hours exploring every nook and cranny of this spectacular stretch of coastline in Puerta Aventuras. Tide pools and craggy coral rock formations were mesmerizing and I could hardly put my camera down. The kids were equally absorbed in their explorations, diving into the natural pool, navigating the rocky coral, and discovering all sorts of new creatures. We found this colorful crab bathing in a tide pool before scurrying away from us, looking for protection. He was gracious enough to let me photograph him for a few moments, but… Read More
Day 141: Saying Adios to Playa

It’s hard to describe what we’re feeling tonight as we pack for our late afternoon flight tomorrow. It is a mixture of sadness and joy. Sadness to be leaving dear friends who have welcomed us into their hearts and homes for the past almost five months and joy to be heading toward another church we similarly left ten years ago, when we moved away from CA. Sometimes God allows a church to open their arms, their hearts, and their homes to strangers on a journey…and blesses them richly as they leave not… Read More
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