Our Last Day in the City by the Bay

We began the day by going to walk around the Oakland Temple.

After that,we headed to the San Francisco Zoo.  It is a nice zoo (but pricy).  We really loved seeing the chimpanzees because we came as they were feeding them.  The zookeeper was there to talk with us as well. She said that they do different things each day to feed them.  That day they gave them grocery bags with their food.  They get a special food that contains the necessary nutrients, and they get some additional foods that provide additional nutrients as well as variety and interest.  There were 3 chimpanzees and each seemed to know what belonged to who and they would grab their containers and then separate to eat.  They drank water (or some liquid) out of a cup.  One had a box of cereal.  It was really interesting to listen to the zookeeper.

There were lots of the typical animals but also some we don't have at our local zoo:  wallaroos, koalas, lions, and others.  It really was a fun zoo to visit.

We loved watching this baby monkey swing and play.

After we finished at the zoo, we got lunch and then headed to Ghiradelli Square to get some ice cream and also to wander around to do a bit more souvenir shopping.  Such yummy ice cream treats!  Michelle and I got some unique, handmade shirts.  Suzy bought some jewelry as did Michelle.  Alfredo got a really beautiful set of photos of San Francisco.  Gabby got a keyring and a shirt.  Ella had bought a shirt at Muir Woods and decided she wanted to save the rest of her money.

Then we took the kids and Suzy back to the hotel.  We did some of our packing and got a lot of things ready to leave the next morning.  Then Suzy stayed with the girls and played games in the hotel room while Alfredo and I went out for our anniversary.

Alfredo and I went to Jack London Square in Oakland.  We walked around for a bit to see the square and to decide where to eat. Finally we decided on a restaurant that served seafood.  Since Jack London Square is right by the water, we decided to get some good seafood.  The food was delicious!  Seriously so delicious.

A statue in Jack London Square...the plaque above describes the statue.  There was also a reconstruction of Jack London's cabin (made out of the actual wood and materials his cabin had been made out of.)

I got sea scallops because our waitress suggested them.  I was so glad I did.  They were so delicious.  I don't know what type of sauce they put on them, but it was wonderful.  I was tempted to lick my plate because it was so tasty (but I refrained).  

Alfredo got lobster mac n cheese.  It was quite tasty too.  He also ordered 4 oysters. I tried one but didn't care for it, but he really liked them.  We sat outside where we could see the water and feel the breeze (which got quite chilly, but they did turn on heat lamps which felt nice.)  It was a beautiful evening, a wonderful location and delicious food.  Quite a nice way to spend our anniversary evening.

14 Years of Marriage!  So grateful that this guy makes me laugh, works so hard, takes such good care of our children, buys me thoughtful gifts, supports me in my church callings, encourages me to work toward my dreams, and does so much to make my life better and easier.

This is totally not romantic, but I realized something on this trip.  I've been on 3 other trips this summer (Nauvoo with Michelle, youth conference, girls camp).  For the past couple of years, I have noticed that traveling tends to do weird things to my digestive system.  I tend to get an upset stomach, gas and just feel very uncomfortable...sometimes downright miserable.  I've tried several things and while a few have helped, none have solved the problem.  But on this trip, I never felt that way.  Just having him there calms my nerves enough that my digestion doesn't go all crazy on me and make me feel lousy.  And for that, I am grateful.  It made this trip so much more pleasant.

On Tuesday, we headed home.  The girls did really well again.  They played, talked, watched a movie, slept, sucked on ring pops and mostly had a pretty good time in the car. Alfredo drove and drove and drove.  So grateful that he likes to drive because I really don't like to. 

When we got home, our cute friends/neighbors who had been caring for our dog and fish, had written welcome home messages on our carport with sidewalk chalk.  They also left this cute note on our front door.  Grateful for them as well!