Bodega Dunes

We are settling back into real life after our week of vacations. The kids are crazy tired, and last night I fell asleep before my head hit the pillow. Our week was amazing, and I am feeling so incredibly blessed and protected as I think about our times.
Following our week in Tahoe, we came home for one day, did loads and loads of laundry, repacked the bags and car, and headed off to Bodega Dunes for a weekend of beach camping.

Friday, when we arrived, we had great weather. Sunny skies, no winds, and the fog gently rolled in after our campfire was started. We met up with the group of amazing young couples that we lead from church, and got ready for a fun filled time of campfire stories and smores.


Saturday, the sun never came out, but it just gave us an excuse to keep the campfire going all day. The kids rode their bikes around the campground, people took walks together, made meals together and enjoyed time away from work and busy life.


Sunday morning, we cooked up the food that the raccoons didn't manage to get, and packed up the campsite to leave. Of course, the weather was amazing, and some of the group decided to head to the beach to enjoy the beautiful weather.
Our trip home is where I really felt Gods' protection. Our trailer was hitched and the surfboards were strapped to the top when we headed out. About halfway home, cars started honking at us to pull over. One of the tie downs had come loose, and Rich's boards were flapping dangerously around. We quickly pulled over, and Rich had to jog about 2 miles uphill, on a narrow shoulder to get the strap. I just quietly prayed that all cars would be able to see him from a far distance, while I kept the kids entertained in the car on the side of the road. 15 min later, he was back, and told me that some bicyclists had picked up the strap and given it to him. 30 min later we were on the road again, boards safely strapped to the trailer again. 35 min later we hit a huge bump and the trailer came unhitched. Rich handled the situation like a pro! He slowed down calmly while we felt, heard and watched the trailer skid around behind us, slamming into our car and sliding around on the asphalt. When it was all over, we just sat there dreading what we were going to see when we got out and looked behind us. Amazingly, by pure grace, our car was undamaged, and the trailer only suffered a few dents and dings. A few minutes later, the same bikers who had helped Rich before rode past us again and stopped to help. About 30 min later we were back on the road, nervous - but at least driving home. I can't say enough how lucky and protected we were.
After all this, a quiet week at home filled with laundry, chores, and regular schedule sounds pretty nice!