At the table

I'm pausing updates from our trip up north (see Monterey posts here and here) because I keep meaning to post these pictures since they were taken almost a month ago when Serene first turned 8 months; now she is about 9 months. Mealtimes at the table have become more interactive, fun, and exponentially messier as Serene grows. Obviously, obligatory photos were in order!

The loveliest 17 miles ever driven

I don't think I've snapped more pictures of natural beauty than during this 17 mile stretch of scenic magnificence, which stole my heart for the loveliest land and sea along the Central Coast. We had lofty plans to bike around the Monterey Peninsula on a surrey, but we're Angelenos who underestimated NorCal's freezing summertide winds. We opted to drive instead, which worked out blissfully. We stayed nice and cozy inside the car, and Serene napped during the first leg of the drive, so Alex and I took every opportunity to marvel, ponder, and photograph (of course) at every rest stop. Serene woke up right when we spotted some deer, which was the highlight of the afternoon. It was our favorite rest stop and first time sharing space with wild deer. The succession of whirling winds, misty fog, slate-colored seas, dramatic coastlines, rugged terrain, jagged rocks, majestic cypress forests, and wild beachside flora dotted intermittently with bougie estates was hauntingly beautiful. I always love coming up north because the topography is more raw and untouched, as opposed to its southern counterpart, where palm trees line tame beaches. Plus, we encountered hardly a soul during our gallivant, as opposed to the crowds at the aquarium and on Cannery Row the day beforehand. Nearly surreal, really, that we were able to witness the pristine natural splendor of His handiwork.

Marine life up close along the Central Coast

We braved our inaugural road trip with Serene last week up north, primarily for a dear friend's baby shower last weekend, but also for a much awaited family vacation. We were apprehensive about how nearly 9-month-old Serene would do during the 6 hour drive, particularly since she is as curious as ever, not wanting to be confined to one space (i.e. her car seat) for too long. I perused as many "travel with a baby" articles as I could find beforehand, probably packed enough for every natural disaster known to mankind, and fervently prayed that we would rejoice always no matter what ensues. We left at 4am when she woke up for her early morning feeding, with hopes that she'd sleep until 8am per her usual wake-up time during the drive. That didn't happen, but with just a few meltdowns mediated by rest stops, we arrived at our first destination a tad bleary eyed, but all together thrilled to spend quality time together.

Fortunately, Monterey Bay was a sight for sore eyes. I hadn't visited since 8th grade and recall nothing about that trip but ice cream sundaes at Ghirardelli's, so exploring the Monterey Bay Aquarium and Cannery Row during the first day with Alex and the baby was a brand new adventure. I found it fascinating that the waterfront district comprised of sardine canning factories back in the early 1900s until the 1950s, when overfishing brought the canneries to extinction. Now in the 21st century, we get to gawk at marine life up close at the aquarium (which is located on the site of a former cannery) and along the coastline. To be in the midst of such beautiful creation was humbling and awe-inspiring. So much so that Alex has a hankering that God may be calling us to be missionaries in Monterey Bay now - haha!