Joni and Friends

 Earlier this year the boys and I took a tour of Joni and Friends with our homeschool group. I found out that you can even schedule private tours, so when my mother in law visited I knew it was a great place to take her. My mom and mother in law love Joni so we all headed to Agoura together to take a tour.

On this tour we actually got to see her office and step into her little studio.

We were shown the paintbrushes that have teeth marks on the ends.

What a creative woman!

This year Joni celebrates a very special anniversary. 2017 marks 50 years since her diving accident that left her a quadriplegic. Most people wouldn't celebrate this type of anniversary but because the Lord used that accident to draw her to Himself she is happy to celebrate it. Joni and Friends does so much for the disabled community. It's quite humbling taking the tour and seeing all the ministry that takes place through Joni. I often find myself complaining about the smallest things, yet her life is so convicting. She's used this lifelong trial to glorify our Savior.

Silverstrand Beach

For some reason this summer we didn't go to the beach as often as we usually do. That may have to do with the fact that our favorite beach is obsolete now. For the last two years we have made Marina State Park Beach our go to beach but when we were there earlier this summer two thirds of the beach was pretty much gone. We're still not to sure what happened but for a majority of the stretch on the beach it was full of huge rocks. We don't know if the city put it up or if it all washed in. After a little research I found Silverstrand Beach in Oxnard. We had been there once before but only to eat lunch after our whale watching trip. If you get there early enough you can park in their parking lot. The beach is real clean and there were no rocks or pebbles as you got into the water. The waves weren't huge either but they were big enough for boogie boarding. Since Judy, my mother-in-law, was in town we hung out at the beach all day soaking up the son, enjoying the waves, and playing together.

Strathearn Park in Simi Valley

Cute gazebo for taking pictures!

We found another gem not too far from our home while Jon's mom was here in December. I've driven by this park so many times and kept telling the boys that one day we needed to go there! I'm so glad we did. It's like a little piece of California history right in our own backyard. The Chumash Indians lived in this area before the Spanish settlers. Then there are the remains of an adobe dating from the late 1790's. I copied this from the park's official website: "Our Simi Adobe was built at the beginning of the Spanish period, likely soon after the grant in 1795, as the local residents had to have some place to live while they operated the rancho. A part of that adobe still exists and is the focal point of our historical park. This was a stopover place between the Missions San Fernando Rey and San Buenaventura. In later years there was a stage stop nearby as well. There is little doubt this adobe was on the main route throughout all those early years."

Another plus is that it's free to walk around the park. There are docent-led tours for only $3 each person so we plan to do that as a family soon. Actually, in a couple weeks there will be a Civil War re-enactment at the park which I hope to go to with Josiah since we just finished our study on the Civil War in American History.

Simi Valley's first barber shop, which opened it's doors in 1958.

The Colony House

Simi Valley's first library built in 1930.

My mother-in-law with a tractor just like one her grandparents had on their farm.

Presbyterian Church built in 1902

 

Gardens of the World

One of the fun things about living in a new town is finding all the new places to explore. When my mother-in-law visited in December we took her to Gardens of the World in Thousand Oaks. There is no entrance fee to these gardens which of course is a huge plus! The gardens aren't very large either so it doesn't take forever to walk through them. The only thing I didn't like is that you are not permitted to take pictures of people while you are in the gardens. They require you call them and get a special permit. Of course everyone does it but when you're trying to set an example for your children about following rules...well you follow the rules! I would love to go the gardens by myself to read a book and just relax. Maybe I'll sneak out one day soon!