CG's Friends

We are usually in California for so short a time that we don't get to meet CG's friends, but we have wanted to meet her friends for awhile and apparently she has told them enough stories about us that they wanted to meet us, too. We arranged a time to just go to a local park for popsicles and just hanging out. Only a couple of friends were able to come because it was very last minute, but it was so fun to put some faces and names together! CG really seems to have a great group of friends!

Sweetheart loved the playground, and CG was just as wonderful of a big sister as she always is, carrying her around and helping her play.

In this picture it's me on the bench reclining, CG's friend Sam in the yellow shirt, CG in the purple shirt, and then Molly is just behind her in the blue, with Sweetheart in the front. Behind me is Sam's mom Michelle. They are all the nicest people! Marquis and I are rather boring people and were nervous about trying to entertain a bunch of teenagers, but we really had a good time just talking and watching them play around.

They even played on the playground equipment, too, but in a much more teenagerish fashion.


There was plenty of playing to go around, even Marquis got in on the action.

Here is everyone again. Sweetheart got lots of love that day.

After Michelle and Sam had to go, we walked across this really great covered bridge in the park to a horse ranch on the other side. That is where CG's friend Lucy spends most of her days, so we hoped to find her there.

Our camera's batteries died at this point, so we have no pictures of cute Lucy, but she was just as cute and fun as the rest of the girls. CG, Lucy and Molly are sharing a room together on their trip to the East Coast that CG is on right now. Lucy loves horses just as much as CG, and we spent quite a bit of time going around and saying hello to all of them.

After we left the park and took cute Lucy home, we went to Santa Cruz to a restaurant we had found online called Cafe Mare. It was an Italian/seafood place that looked good, and their menu online mentioned that we could split plates and share the dinner, which sounded great to us not only to save money, but we didn't have a fridge for leftovers. It was a great place, but it was the first time I had ever been to the type of restaurant that serves teeny portions. It was funny to see them bring out one plate with two cannelloni on it, and one plate with five ravioli. We had an appetizer and the bread that came on the table, too, so it was enough, and very tasty, just weird. Next time I think we might go to the Woodstock Pizza next door and share one of their pizzas instead.

The next day was not very exciting, we went to sacrament meeting with CG at her ward and then left right after for our long drive home. After such a bumpy start I am so glad that we went! I only wish we could have stayed longer. Like years, longer. But someday soon Marquis will get a job out there and we will be able to see her all the time!