perfect.

what an incredible day. it started out with this:
which included torrential downpour (some of the LARGEST raindrops i have ever seen), huge thunder and brilliant lightning. i sat in the wicker chair on the front porch and soaked this in as i drank my coffee and read my Bible. there are so many sounds to experience in a rain like this. each element the rain strikes rings out a different sound and the chorus of it is satisfying.

after a morning/afternoon of laziness, we dragged our relaxed bodies out into the rain and into Fayetteville, which is a fantastic town...santa cruz meets old town pasadena meets austin. we explored quite a bit...just drove around aimlessly discovering different things. one stop was the library -- phenomenal. i got to sit and read Chris VanAllsburg to the girls...my favorite children's author. they liked him. that makes me happy.
how many libraries that you know of have a coffee shop and live music in the lobby? there were quite a few people gathered around to experience this.
some of whom took the experience to another level.
coffee, music, old people dancing, and books. coolest library so far.
let's see, loisa. what could we possibly do to enjoy this day even more? i know! let's go find an old cemetery with moss-covered headstones, crows, and a tree-arched dirt road.



the girls loved it and played hide-and-seek among the headstones. my mission to make them just like me is almost complete.




we met Mike for dinner at AQ chicken. you would never, never find such a restaurant in OC. they fry the chicken and THEN grill it...i'll go ahead and admit that it's pretty amazing. afterward, we went to play on the playground behind the restaurant. as usual, i headed straight for the swings. i was just getting going when, midway through the backswing, the chain came apart and i flew backwards through the air, landing on my back, still assuming the swinging position. after laughing until we couldn't breathe, further inspection revealed (to my inexpressible relief) that i did not actually break the iron chain i was dangling on...nothing, in fact was broken. the hook that connects to the swing had come loose. it was, however, a perfect ending to a perfect day.