Never Enough Luff: Back Where I Come From

Scott and I had a chance to go to San Diego this weekend to attend the wedding of one of our flower girls from our wedding! Her Mom is one of my favorite people ever!

{I will do a separate post on The Beautiful Wedding tomorrow}

We flew from Redding right into San Diego (via Los Angeles). What a treat to skip the 2 hour drive to Sacramento to fly out!

We walked into our hotel room and this was our view:

Breathtaking, beautiful San Diego, my hometown!

The very first night we ate at my most favorite place there (well, maybe my favorite after Roberto's Taco Shop #10~yum!). We took the trolley a few blocks to Little Italy.

To go to THE BEST Italian restaurant....ever, Fillipi's! If you ever go to San Diego, you MUST go to Little Italy on India Street near the airport and have the lasagna!! Yummy!!

Scott and I both ate until we were nearly sick. We were so full, but it tasted sooooo good!

It is very authentic too. You walk right past the deli with meat and cheese displayed to get to the restaurant. We met a girl from Alabama {Roll Tide!} who had just eaten and LOVED it, she had the cutest accent!

My parents and I ate there often while I was growing up.

Our hotel was right next to Seaport Village, so we enjoyed walking around the little shops and eating breakfast at a cute place outside overlooking the Marina.

Scott loves to watch the ships coming and going...and it is an extra treat when the Naval jets are out flying.

We sat for a while in the beautiful breeze just relaxing.

Then we walked over to the USS Midway, the aircraft carrier that was the flagship that lead the invasion of Iraq.

It was absolutely fascinating. They give you a radio type thing and headset and as you come to certain markers, you press in the coordinating number and you listen to the information about that place or thing. It was done so well, and was even interesting to ME!

Scott really really enjoyed it. Here he is in the room where the F-18 pilots got their assignments. Oh the egos that must have walked into that room!

They let you see every square inch of the ship, and we saw every square in of the ship.

Here is the storage under the bunks! They sure couldn't bring much with them!

It is crazy how they fit over 1400 people and everything they need to stay out at sea for a year at a time on that vessel! It is VERY meticulous and so organized.

Scott is trying to figure out a way to build bunks with storage under the mattresses for his dorms at camp. He was very inspired!

I am not kidding, he was in earth's version of Heaven all day long. He is a History buff and he has always had such respect and gratitude for those who serve in our military.

On board there were retired military guys all over, explaining different things about the carrier. We met a man that had been on one of the other carriers in the fleet during the invasion of the Gulf.

But the highlight was meeting Bob. He is 90 years old and served in World War II as an 18 year old boy. Oh the stories he could tell. We stood in awe listening to that sweet, humble man tell of his experiences as a pilot flying from and landing on that very flight deck of The Midway.

Here is Scott in "the situation room" of the Midway. This is where the invasion on Iraq was being executed and monitored. They had the actual CNN newscast playing on a TV, what a sobering place that must have been. Still is.

Here is my pilot checking out the cockpit of one of the transport planes. {told you, he loved it!}

Just to the side of where the ship is docked stands a familiar statue. It is HUGE!

{wonder if anyone has ever posed like this before~boys will be boys}

We spent all day at The Midway and when we went to dinner that night there was a cute boy who had just graduated from Marine boot camp celebrating with his parents and grandparents. He looked so young! That must have been how those guys aboard that ship looked! He was so polite and sweet with his family who had come from Texas to honor their graduate. We thanked him for his call to service (and I thanked his Mama!). It almost made me cry to think of the possible sacrifice that family may be asked to make. But it also made me so proud to live in this country.

We had a chance to go over to Coronado Island the afternoon after the wedding. I have always loved Coronado! I think it is even more charming now.

This is the view from the bridge on the drive over. The skyline of San Diego is so pretty from this vantage point.

While on Coronado I came to a conclusion. If Scott won't move us to "the south" then I will settle for Coronado Island.

I even did a little house hunting and found a few possibilities! Look at this charmer, can't you just see us sitting on the porch having some lemonade with Lindsay when we are retired? {like he will ever be retired.}

Or we could go with something a little bigger if we move there before Anna grows up.

I really really think this one suits me just fine! It already has the rocking chairs and look at the upstairs porch, if the sun is too bright, I can draw the curtains!

The driveway made me love this one even more! Precious! I think I am going to have Scott do this to our driveway here in Redding. (wonder if tiny strips of grass can survive in 115 degree temps?)