this time it’s for real (maybe)

We’ve had a really great time these last few weeks in San Diego (more about our shenanigans in a minute), but we’re eager to start our next journey, so we broke the RV out of storage this afternoon and started the long process of packing up.

After finally finding some fabulous fish tacos at Momentos Café and enjoying a delicious matzoh ball soup + liverwurst sandwich lunch at DZ Akin’s, and a prime rib dinner at Texas Roadhouse (not all in the same day, of course), Momma Schutz was truly ready to start heading home to Italy (with a semi-lengthy pitstop back in Northern CA), so we said our goodbyes on January 5th.

Just a few days later, we held our annual Chappy Fun Day, this time at the San Diego Zoo (thanks to free tickets from the wonderful Faith, who left her position at the zoo to take the administrative assistant job I was temporarily filling). It was a blast! My nieces and nephews were all in great moods, and so were all the animals! My sister-in-law and I both said we’d never seen the koalas so active in all the times we’d been to the zoo in our lifetimes.

That same day, Laura arrived from Chino Valley, AZ, for a whirlwind weekend of wandering through Liberty Station with our bestie Cassie, enjoying church service at Foothills, goofing around at my nephew Britt’s birthday festivities, savoring authentic lobster rolls at Lobster West in Coronado, and then attending the Legacy Celebration to honor our senior pastors as they transition into retirement.

The house felt a little empty with both Momma Schutz and Laura gone, so despite the crazy rainstorms (PNW weather preview, I guess), we busied ourselves catching up with several friends at Rana’s Mexico City Cuisine, Sammy’s Woodfired Pizza, and a few visits to Rob’s BrewPoint, and then we celebrated the very same Rob (of Rob’s BrewPoint fame) at a birthday dinner at Denny’s (so he could order from the senior menu for the first time).

Deron and I were blessed with some gift cards, and so enjoyed a couple just-the-two-of-us dates as well, at Outback Steakhouse and Momento’s (yes, again… can’t get enough of those fish tacos!).

Our friends Alison and Jim were so sweet to volunteer their home to host an anniversary party for us (another excuse to gather with our friends and family before we leave), and we had so much fun! Great friends, great food, great fun – what more can one ask for in a party? Cheers to 19 years!!

The final event we were privileged to enjoy was the beautiful wedding of Jon and Ali. Such a fun venue in Little Italy, such tasty street tacos, so much dancing and celebrating! We are so happy for them – they waited a long time (like we did) to finally find their perfect mates.

Our adventure continues Monday morning when we start heading slowly back up the coast. We’ve chosen the curvy, bumpy 101 (even with portions washed out during the recent storms) over the snowy passes on the I-5, so we won’t be arriving in Hoquiam, Washington, until February 4th, where we’ll be looking to put down roots in the near future (and hopefully open our home to friends and family who want to come visit and enjoy the beauty of the PNW).

But of course, we’ve been wrong before, and we could be wrong again… we’re learning to be so flexible as we wait for the Lord to direct us.

In the meantime, so long, San Diego, and thanks for all the fun!

for the foodies…