Dear Derek,

      The boys and I are missing you.  Especially at bedtime when you would normally read stories, help bathe and dress Luke, and give hugs and kisses before tucking him in.  Seamus seems to know you're missing too and keeps saying, "Da da da da da da", which we are pretty sure means, "Where the heck did my Dad go and how come he didn't take me with him?!" 
       Today we went to the beach with my parents.  We all squeezed into Mom's corolla and hit the road around 9am, which I thought was quite an achievement considering we were only out of bed and blinking around 7:45.  Well, except for Dad, who was up earlier to go to Shafter and help Phil and Carol with an alternator thing...I don't know what all.  We managed to make it to Tobin James in Paso Robles before we needed a stop.  Bad timing I know, to need a bathroom break just when we get to Tobin James.  But we decided to make the best of the situation and taste some wines.  Look up the wine Barberra.  That's the one I'm coming home with.  The merlot I also purchased will not make it home I'm afraid.
        We made it to Pismo just in time for a bread bowl of chowder from Splash and a walk on a very windy and sandy beach.  Poor Seamus, I set him down on the blanket on the sand for about TWO seconds and the blowing sand got all over him.  We'll be finding sand in his crevices for weeks (and my camera's crevices!  ick.).  He was brave though, no tears, even though that had to be strange and uncomfortable.  We had stellar weather.  We were all peeling off layers of sweaters, and long sleeves.  Luke decided to streak while we were trying to get his swim trunks on...I have some pretty funny pictures of that to show you.  If not for the wind, it would have been a perfect day to play in the water.

         Anyway, we ended up in Arroyo Grande Village to have ice cream at Doc Bernstein's and then at a wonderful antique store just up the way and when we left the antique store it was 4pm!  We had planned on driving up the coast towards Ragged Point to let the boys get a nap, but we only got as far as Morro Bay before the sun set and it was dinner time.  So we watched the sun set over the bay, enjoyed a spectacular show put on by some hungry pelicans (they were truly amazing circling and then DIVING into the water with a mighty sploosh!  Luke laughed out loud and shouted, pointing.  He would have jumped up and down but we were already buckled back in the car when we noticed them), and drove up to the rock to watch some waves crash against the breakwater.. 

         Then, in true California fashion, we had supper at Taco Temple where we met Santa Claus and Luke got his photo taken with Santa next to his plate of half-eaten burrito, and Grandpa told Luke all about the poor forgotten shiny-tailed reindeer George, who is the reason car's tail lights are red, and who everybody ignored once Rudolph turned up with his glowing red nose to steal all the glory.  And we drove home in the dark, whispering over the warm, sleeping heads of our two wonderful sons.

           I sigh when I think of today because it was such a splendid, beautiful, warm, sunny day after four?  five? days of dark cold fog.  And I sigh when I think of today because it was so incredibly wonderful to share our boys with my parents, and see them together, and think sadly of all the time we don't get to spend with them (an unhelpful exercise, I know, but I can't help it).  And I sigh when I think of today because it was so close to perfect, if only you had been here.

xoxox,

laura