… more and more in love w/ our fine city! (“America’s Finest”, they say? We believe!)

Though the weather doesn’t fluctuate a whole lot, we are enjoying a bit more crisper temps with it technically being autumn. First time @ Pumpkin Station in Del Mar.

“Won” some swords. They generously gave 2.

Kylo Ren goes trick or treating @ the International Cottages in Balboa Park. Each one was so unique to their own countries.

Kylo @ costume day @ school.

The boyz gang.

Mao Laoshi’s class.

It was like a block party on Halloween in our neighborhood. Everyone was out. What a blast! “Woody” is his best friend on our street.

The haul, sorted. Believe it or not, he ate like 5 pieces max? The Daddy tax, on the other hand, was quite high… ;-P

Fantastic Beasts event at a new to us library.

With some wildlife outside… The owls were quite interesting to meet up close.

He touched that sssssslitherin’ reptile behind before this photo. Ewwww! :D

Scootered by the boardwalk to get to the Carlsbad Fair. Parking was atrocious! Think it’s the largest street fair in the nation so gotta visit at least once, right?

Worked up a hunger just getting there.

Daddy wanted to try a supercharger on the way back so we refueled at a healthy cafe inside an Equinox, which was right next door.

Finally got to visit the Mission Trails visitor center near our place.

Legoland on a day off from school. Decided to get the season pass as E is a zealous, budding master builder. :)

The Star Wars displays weren’t there the last time we came (still as tourists!).

So really, we can come as many times as we want until 2020? He fo sho will be back!

Stumbled across a new snow place, after running into some neighbors over lunch. Full circle story — we met them while house hunting back in April. They were looking at the same community as us. We ended up buying and moving in before them as they just closed not long ago and then the day we ran into them, found out they lived in Singapore for the past several years.

The chalk mural was very well done.

When school’s out and the kid wants to play but you want to stare at the waves and appreciate a sunset… :)) And the weather is still perfect.

A fireball of creation, indeed. ;))

And kinder, semester I photos. (Cheeeeeeeezzzzee!)

“…Every painted sky
A canvas of Your grace
If creation still obeys You so will I…

If the stars were made to worship so will I
If the mountains bow in reverence so will I
If the oceans roar Your greatness so will I
For if everything exists to lift You high so will I…”

Seeing and feeling and experiencing nature stirs our affections for Him and beholding these things on the regular now still awes us. Don’t think it’s gonna ever get old.

Air show @ Miramar (yes, from Top Gun … apparently, Cruise was spotted recently in SD while filming the sequel).

Nothing like being on a tank on the grounds of a real marine air station, eh?

A “soldier man”!

Another {ex} soldier man (aka Daddy).

Ventured up north to the town of Poway for their rendezvous back in time to the Old West.

Witnessed some living history encampments of life during CA’s civil war eras.

Watched a gun-fighting demonstration! Can you spot the cowboy?

A steam locomotive train runs through Old Poway Park.

The small museum in the square was open.

This translated to something a tad larger. ;-P Like son, like father. But it’s worthwhile when gas is like 4 bucks a gallon and our house’s solar can run the car charger. :)

First official build @ the Lego store.

Nursery on a farm in the middle of the city? Interesting! Went to get ideas for our landscaping… All the houses in our whole development came with zilch landscaping so we’ve got like a couple of months to submit a plan.

This one was more interested in the animals than the plants.

Huge tortoise alert!

Don’t think they consume twigs, son. ;-P

Flying Ford Anglia buiid @ a local toy shop called Geppetto’s and a new acai place grand opening.

This pink ice cream parlour with chandeliers was just calling out to these boys, hehe.

Lakes close to our place. You can actually see our house in the distance.

Went to check out a fall festival at Point Loma Nazarene University. The parking lot had an awesome view!

Found another kombucha place we hadn’t tried out — they don’t make their own yet but carry many of the local brands.

Writer’s night @ school. Packed!

Farm 2 School Collective picnic — great initiative. Don’t think anything like that existed in TX.

Finally using our new Star Wars beach towel he had picked out in the summer.

So starting kindergarten and moving into our new house the same week wasn’t exactly planned — we actually were supposed to move in the week before school began but due to a flooring error, it got delayed. This whole process of uprooting our life has really made us more adaptable and to just roll with the punches. Still not incredibly fun but we trust that we are stronger as individuals and as a family because of it.

First day of elementary! So grateful to have gotten into this Mandarin immersion school. LOVE the mascot! :)

This one will live by the mountains and go to school across from the ocean. So very blessed to get to soak in God’s creation on the daily.

Day 1 assembly. They have one every single morning with announcements and a chinky hip hop dance. :)

Room 5, Ms. Lowe’s class.

Our extrovert already got invited to a b-day party — from someone we just met at a beachside playground weeks ago.

Oh yes, you can just show up to reserve some tables and have a birthday shindig by the bay here. ;p

B-day boy is into dinosaurs so the kiddos got to work on a neat excavation/dig.

He and Zander have become fast friends.

If you feel like seeing some waves after school on a Friday, you CAN! Especially when it’s 5 minutes away from your school. :)

Batman Day at a local library.

One of the reasons we chose our new place was its incredible proximity and easy access to the most extensive open space preserve in SD and one of the largest in the U.S. With all the unpacking and settling down, we took a break to explore one of the trails. They have a 5 peak challenge and this is one of the peaks.

We didn’t make it to the top as it was getting dark but Daddy did complete it another day and said the views are just fantastic! We’ll be back to conquer this one and the other four! Mommy also made a new runner friend that took her through a overview running “tour” of many of the trails.

Slime making @ another library. So many libraries, so many activities!

New BFF @ school: John.

The Museum of Creation and Earth History hosted an Open House so we checked it out. Interestingly, it was started by the Institute for Creation Research which is now headquartered in Dallas.

Moon Festival performances at Balboa Park. E’s school had performers in the line-up so we went to support.

Ice cream social in our new ‘hood. Loving all the neighbors and community so far.

And for once, it already feels like fall in September. :)