Like life, we sometimes have to take the sour…

Along with the sweet.

First time at a mall since the pandemic shutdown… There were limited patrons allowed at a time in every store. Then we grabbed to-go at DTF SD — a bit underwhelming but maybe it just wasn’t the usual DTF in Asia experience.

Trading (a la Pokemon cards) floor is open.

Mommy and son hike when the dads were both injured.

Trolls in the trunk. :)

And then we saw this unfurl from our windows… huge wildfire east of us.

Oh 2020, how many blows can you throw at us?

The fires raged for days and the air quality was pretty bad…

Rescue copters…

Turned the moon reddish.

Footprints in the sand… He is still carrying us all through this, right?

Our non-Asian friends reminded us it was Mid-Autumn Festival. :P Time somehow has almost become irrelevant.

Haven’t been here since we were tourists! Pinch us again that we’re residents now.

Children of the corn. :D

Fun little outing at a quaint pumpkin patch.

They were more into the bison than the pumpkins…

And rock climbing.

And role playing.

At least they wandered through the patch?

Oh and sat on the pumpkins, haha!

Check out the driver.

And we survive through to another season…

Life goes on through a worldwide pandemic…

Rocks won’t cry.

More tidepooling. Our SD friends who have lived here for 15 years said they’ve never been.

The waves still know His name…

Watching cliff jumpers. :P

Spot the people.

And then school started… a bit different this year. It’s distance learning until further notice. Bummed that we can’t be physically with our classmates but making the best of the situation like rolling out of bed a minute before class starts and learning in our PJ’s. :D

Lots of Lego building time has opened up.

Art and PE class on a beautiful day. There are perks to virtual school, especially in a lovely city. :)

We’ve been exploring some treasure troves within driving distance and taking some day trips… meeting with a few friends in the outdoors that have become sort of our quarantine “pod”.

We stopped to admire this magnificent bird for quite awhile.

They discovered some tidepools — little bodies are much more nimble than the parents on this rocky terrain.

Stumbled upon a new spot for more tidepooling.

Anything for a shot, haha.

SD, after 2 years, you still haven’t lost your charm for us.

Eyes wide shut. :P