Hello Hawaii

Visual souvenirs of paradise 

Big Island:

Mendocino County Visit

Since moving to California I've hung out with a couple relatives out here, but recently I was contacted by one of my cousins who was coming to a small family reunion in Mendocino County, about three hours north of where I live. My husband and I figured it's a good opportunity to see/meet some more family but didn't really know what to expect.

After a scenic drive past wine country and through a gorgeous redwood forest, we found our cousins chillin on a small farm. I guess it's more of a large property with a lot of flower and vegetable gardens, and a few dozen farm animals and land for their grazing; it's pretty self-sustaining. I did not wake up that morning knowing I would get to pet newborn goats, have a cute little pig ignore me, or eat freshly picked vegetables, freshly slaughtered chicken and freshly caught abalone, but sometimes God just has great things in store for us:

This was a great environment for enjoying family bonding. Our group ranged in age from pre-kindergarten to late 60's! My dad really encouraged me to go visit (this is his side of the family) but even he wasn't sure who would be there. We all came from the Bay Area, SoCal, Chicago, and the Philippines. I had hung out with some of them before, but not in years, so it was so great to discover and rediscover parts of the extended family and learn who was where. We stayed until nightfall and drove home, excited for our next visit.