Half Moon Bay

Who could have known how much I would love our trip to San Francisco? About 5 years ago, New York City captured my heart, and I couldn't stand to go anywhere else, but now I've fallen in love with California.

On August 10, Scott and I celebrated 25 years of marriage. I have now officially been married more than half of my life! I knew the minute I saw Scott Smith that I wanted to be with him, and 25 years later, I am still so thankful for him.

I love him.

At the end of a very busy summer, we flew to San Francisco to spend some special time together, just the two of us. It was hard for us to leave Jon Scott, Jordan, and Claire, but we were so blessed to have the opportunity to spend some time together, remembering why we chose each other in the first place.

A few of my favorite memories of our trip....

The Half Moon Bay Ritz Carlton where we stayed in Half Moon Bay (don't you love the name?), California - 20 miles south of San Francisco. It was like stepping into a dream.


The rugged beauty of the Pacific Coast. I could have sat and watched the waves all week and never tired of it. The breeze off of the water was heavenly.



The beautiful hydrangeas everywhere, some of my favorites. It was as if God had picked this place just for me. I believe he did.


Lombard Street in San Francisco - such fun!




The beauty of San Francisco Bay.







I loved every minute and hope that God will bless us with at least 25 more years together.

School started at the academy on August 11. This is Claire on her first day of 3rd grade. I still can't believe that she is already in 3rd grade! Aunt Laura helped pick out her book bag, and I braided her hair...She had new shoes for the first day (she LOVED these shoes), but they hurt her feet all day and she was so upset when she got in the van...She hasn't worn them since!


I visited Laura on the day before her first day of school. I took some pictures of her room. She is changing her reading instruction to more of a reading workshop approach, where she encourages her kids to read "real" books instead of reading out of basals. She is loving what they are doing...Her classroom library is below, stocked with lots of books, comfy pillows and a fun rug. I love her room~

More pictures of Laura's 4th grade room..

This was actually on the wall of the 3rd grade room. The art teacher last year had the students color and decorate their hands and then decoupaged them on a board. I love the symbolism of having something like this in the classroom. It says that although we are different...together we are beautiful. I love that.

More of the Cabin

There were so many great pictures of our cabin getaway that I thought we would post a few more.....

After the first post, Scott looked at the pictures and said "Where are the fish?", so in his honor, here is a picture of just one of the many trout he and the kids caught while we were at the river. Scott has always loved to fish, especially for trout, but doesn't get the opportunity very often.

Fog on the river at dusk

A view of the dock from the cabin. I definitely want to go back to this peaceful place.

Another view of the bridge and dock at sunset. It felt so good to trade the sights and sounds of town for the sights and sounds of the country. God blessed our time there together.

Welcome to Sunsets and Serendipity

This summer, I have been a bit "blog obsessed" after starting to read some incredible blogs that have made me laugh, made me cry, and challenged me to think about my life differently. Sunsets and Serendipity is first of all an opportunity for me to showcase the photography talent of my son (all pictures on this blog will be his unless credited otherwise), and secondly as a way to share and remember special times with my family and friends. The pictures below were taken on our last "get away" vacation before school started at a cabin close to Heber Springs. It was the only time this summer that all 5 of us were together on a vacation. Claire, Jordan and I went to New York City in May, Claire and I went to Maine in early June, Scott and Jon Scott went on Trek together in June, and Jon Scott went to Maine on a mission trip in July ~ all great times, but we weren't all together. So it was nice to sit down to the table with all 5 chairs full.

Jordan took some great pictures while we were at the cabin. We would usually go down to the dock around dusk and watch the sun go down. Even though the weather was really hot, down by the water it was bearable. The sunsets were beautiful, and watching the fog settle on the river was a peaceful way to end the day.


Claire turned out to be quite the fisherman! She loved to just cast over and over from the dock.



One of the things that I love about Jordan's pictures is his gift for finding different perspectives on ordinary things and places. This picture of the hammock at the cabin is a good example of that. Jordan and I named this blog Sunsets and Serendipity as a reminder to look for the beauty in everyday things and to help us be more aware of the unexpected surprises that God sends into our lives in unexpected ways. Thanks for reading!