California Happiness

Well, it was exactly a week ago today, that we made the decision to travel the long journey home back to Idaho, from California. The thought of that still hasn’t resonated with me, and although our home is home, it feels like we have just moved in after three years living here. It’s amazing how time flies, but a month and a half seemed like a long time that we were away. Much to my dismay, it has been more of a struggle for me to adjust all over again, and I know it will take some time to accept our move back. Unpacking, in and of itself, has been a bit overbearing, and in the process of it all, I find myself ‘Spring Cleaning’ at the same time. I feel though, that this will help occupy my mind and de-clutter my life, so to speak. I would like to take a moment and re-cap on the past few days. Before traveling back home, we made the decision to fully enjoy our last days in California, as we do not know when we will go back. We had the chance to meet my sister Amanda in Palm Springs and go to Knott’s Soak City Water Park, where we enjoyed many of the slides, the river, and the all popular wave pool. There was one type of slide in particular that was a steep, straight, long shot to the ground, and might I add, was one I refused to go on. So, I had the pleasure of taking a couple pictures of both my sister and my husband going down that slide, while watching them fear for their lives at the top of the slide, as they looked as though they were going to plummet to their death, as they thought. The looks on their faces were priceless, but in the end it was like the ride of a lifetime, a rush like no other. The big grins on their faces, as they slid to the bottom of the slide, indicated that they had fun. My husband and I had the opportunity to go to Hollywood, and visit both the Guinness Book of World Records Museum and the Wax Museum. It was interesting to see and read the facts about people, places, animals, and objects all over the world that stand out among the ordinary. We even had the chance to look into a unique mirror that emulated our body figure to look like that of a dwarf. It was very cool! The Wax Museum was captivating to me, as it had many displays of characters and actors that have played a part in movies and films over the years, all made out of wax, and very life-like, portraying the very appearance of that actor. I can only imagine how many hours went into the production of such displays like the Wizard of Oz, Star Wars, Pirates of the Caribbean, and many others. Just when we thought we were ready to pack everything and go, we just couldn’t say goodbye, without the Disneyland adventure. I guess you could say that choice was made on a whim, but it was easy to justify, because we were only 15 minutes away. Our last day in California was spent there, and the sights, sounds, and the whole experience that day will be unforgettable. Space Mountain, Splash Mountain, Pirates of the Caribbean, and the Indiana Jones ride were among our favorites. The attention to detail, character animation, and the livelihood of the Disney scene was spectacular, and more than I would have remembered as a child. We bought a couple souvenirs at the close of our fun-filled day, and here we are, back home to the majestic beauty of Idaho and our lovely home. I’ll miss California, but I’m grateful to be home close to family and friends. Below, I have posted pictures for your enjoyment.
Have a spectacular day!
Knott's Soak City Waterpark

My husband, my sister, and me


My husband down the steep slide


My sister down the steep slide


Guinness Book of World
Records Museum



The Unique Mirror


My husband as the "Fat Man"




E.T. and Cats


Superman


Mario


The Biggest Lite Brite Pegs Display


Hollywood Wax Museum






Men in Black


The Matrix


Star Wars




James Bond 007/Charlies Angels


Forest Gump


Beverly Hillbillies


Shanghai Noon


Bonanza


Spiderman


Celebrities




Star Wars


Charlie and the Chocolate Factory


Ace Ventura Pet Detective


The Wizard of Oz


Cast Away


Pirates of the Caribbean


Hannibal


More Celebrities


Disneyland Photos

Buzz Lightyear's Astro Blaster Ride


Splash Mountain Ride


Daytime picture of the Disney Castle


Star Tours Ride






Tarzan's Treehouse

Jane and Tarzan




Night picture of the Disney Castle


Jungle Cruise Ride

Final Realization

The time has come. We have been juggling the idea of staying or leaving for awhile now, and the decision to move back to Idaho has been made. For almost two months, we have ventured on this journey here in California, with many struggles that will not be overcome during the summer here. Many of these struggles and misunderstandings were unexpected. My husband has given great effort in his job with APX Alarm, humbling himself time and time again, only to realize it was putting him in a depressive state of mind, as he discovered his strong adamant dislike for the job. I certainly give him kudos for his honest efforts, as he is so committed, and such a hard worker. It would not be easy to be in the mind frame he has been in, and he is strong for his perseverance. As for myself…well, I was sad to give notice at work that I would no longer be returning, since we are leaving on such short notice. I really enjoyed my short-term job at Chick-Fil-A, and it taught me many great values and the principles of going over and beyond the expectation of customer service. I will certainly take that with me back to Idaho, as it has been instilled in me. I do believe there is a silver-lining to even the worst of circumstances, and we know that this experience has been filled with good things as well. In our minds, this will not be viewed as a failure, but rather, a success. Our opportunity to live here in California opened doors to other possibilities that we would not have, otherwise experienced. My husband learned the sales techniques that will further assist him in another chosen career pathway, serving people with their financial matters of business, in the field of life insurance and financial services. He strongly believes that is what he should be doing in his life. I have learned to keep a positive mindset every day, and become more supportive of my husband, no matter how rough life gets. I have developed more love and patience for him, and I feel we have grown even closer. We both have learned that money is not everything, and ultimately, we just want peace, joy, and happiness in our lives. So, we’ll do whatever it takes to achieve those things. With a lot of thought, we have set goals, of which we will pursue and achieve when we return, so that we can continue on the road to success. With much prayer, we have determined that this is the right decision, and although temporary, this experience has served us well, despite the unwanted past circumstances. The best for us is yet to be, so we look forward to seeing all of our family and friends when we return to our home sweet home in Idaho…about three days in counting.