Our California Trip: Coastlines, Flea Markets, Pumpkin Farm & Family Time 8/2026

Our California Trip: Family, Food, and Beautiful Memories Our California trip was more than just a vacation. It was a special opportunity to reconnect with loved ones, revisit familiar places, and return to where our love story began more than 31 years ago. We arrived on August 25 and spent our first day relaxing with my in-laws. That evening, we enjoyed dinner at my brother-in-law Suav Lwm’s home. It felt wonderful to slow down, visit, and spend quality time together. The next day, we took my in-laws to the Galt Flea Market with Suav Lwm, his wife, Michael, and his girlfriend, Paj. I used to visit this market when we lived in California, and surprisingly, it had not changed very much. Walking through it brought back many memories. We bought fresh vegetables, and later I prepared a big homemade dinner for everyone. There is something very special about gathering family around the table to share a meal. On Thursday, we drove to Millbrae to spend the day with our daughter and grandson. We took them to Magic Mountain Playground at Coyote Point, enjoyed a picnic, and walked along the beautiful shoreline. Our grandson had so much fun running, climbing, and collecting rocks near the water. Seeing him happy made the day even more special. Afterward, my husband and I drove along the breathtaking Highway 1 coastline toward Monterey. Our destination was the famous 17-Mile Drive—the place where we had our first date 31 years ago. Returning together brought back many precious memories. As we looked at the ocean and rocky shoreline, we reflected on how our love story began and how faithful God has been throughout our marriage. On Friday, we took my in-laws to Marysville to visit relatives. Because my father-in-law is older and does not get out very often, we were especially thankful for this opportunity. We visited Txiv Tswb, Ntxawm Tswb, and Txiv Nom Kub. We also saw my brother-in-law Kai, whom we had not seen for more than 20 years. Although our visit was brief, seeing him again was a special and emotional moment. That evening, we enjoyed dinner and game night at Myla and Travis’s beautiful home. The delicious food, games, and laughter created even more wonderful family memories. Saturday was another fun-filled day at Bishop’s Pumpkin Farm. We enjoyed the beautiful country scenery before gathering at Suav Lwm’s home for barbecue and swimming. It was a perfect day filled with family, food, laughter, and fun. On Sunday, the men went golfing at Cordova Golf Course while the ladies relaxed with massages at Happy Day Spa. That evening, we gathered with my family for a delicious dinner at Paoge’s beautiful home. On Monday, we met my cousin-sister Sua and Txiv Hluas Choj for lunch at New Happy Garden, one of my favorite restaurants when we lived in California. Returning there brought back more memories, and the food was just as delicious as I remembered. On our final full day, my husband went fishing with his brothers, Tony and Suav Lwm, while I enjoyed exploring the Asian stores. Later, we came together and shared stories about our adventures. As our trip came to an end, my heart was filled with gratitude. This journey was not only about the places we visited, but also about the relationships we strengthened and the memories we created. We were thankful for every family gathering, shared meal, game, conversation, and moment of laughter. We treasured our time with our daughter and grandson, taking my father-in-law to visit relatives, reconnecting with Kai after more than 20 years, and returning to the place where our love story began. Being retired has given us the freedom to slow down, travel, and spend more time with the people we love. Retirement is not simply the end of working—it is the beginning of a new season of life. It gives us more time to explore God’s beautiful creation, strengthen our relationships, and appreciate His many blessings. We do not take this season for granted. We are grateful that God has blessed us with the health, time, and ability to travel. Every journey reminds us that life is precious and that time spent with the people we love is one of God’s greatest gifts. Our California trip was a beautiful journey through our past and present, filled with family, food, laughter, love, and treasured memories. We returned home with grateful hearts, thanking God for His faithfulness and every special moment we shared. “This is the day the Lord has made; we will rejoice and be glad in it.” — Psalm 118:24 These are beautiful memories we will always treasure, and we look forward to wherever God leads us next. ❤️🙏