We came down from northern California and into San Francisco via the Golden Gate Bridge. It was twilight, and it was foggy, but we were still impressed by that beautiful structure. We went over to Daniel and Dia’s house the next day and hung out with Daniel until Dia got home. The decorator in me really liked what they had done with the place to make it “home.” Of course, that first day was our accident, which put a damper on things, but eventually all that was sorted out and we were able to go on several outings together.

One day we went to Pacifica on the coast, had coffee and doughnuts on the beach, drove down to Half Moon Bay and even farther, had lunch at Sam’s Chowder House (YUM!), and even got to hear Dia play one of her original compositions on a “roadside piano!” Another day Dia arranged for us to visit Apple headquarters, where she works, and have lunch with her in the cafeteria. It is a lovely campus, but we weren’t allowed to take photos. The center of the complex was composed of two large lawn/garden areas with the outer walks forming (appropriately) an infinity loop. We also ate in several of their favorite restaurants, everything from Krispy Kreme to Mongolian Grill. In most of the ethnic restaurants, we were the only patrons who were not of that ethnicity, so you know it was authentic!

Another day, while Dia was at work, Daniel took us into San Francisco to get an overview of the city. We started by looking at the skyline (and Alcatraz Island) from the shore of Treasure Island, which sits in the middle of the bay, halfway across the bay bridge. Then we visited several of the highlights of the city (all free!) shown in the photos above. We crammed a lot into that day! The city is really as hilly as you see on TV and in movies! Art did a great job of driving the rental car, and Daniel was an excellent navigator. I’m really glad we didn’t try to do this on our own!

I was really in need of some shoes, so one afternoon Dia and I had a “girls’ day out” and went shoe shopping. We got some great deals, then decided to add TJ Maxx to the agenda. I ended up with three new outfits, and Dia got a stunning yellow handbag. It was great fun. After we got back (to a delicious meal cooked by Art and Daniel) we had a fashion show.

But by far the best part of our visit was the spiritual fellowship, both at home and at church. We were delighted to be able to attend Westgate Church three times, hearing excellent biblical sermons each time. And the last Sunday, Dia helped to lead worship in the auxiliary worship center, called the Theater. It was a first for her, and a blessing to all of us.

Even after being with our “kids” for nearly three weeks, it was still hard to say goodbye. But we left feeling that we knew both of them a lot better, and with thankfulness to God for their new life together. It’s hard to be separated by so many miles, but that is more than compensated by being one in spirit.