One of the great joys of my life is my son, Eden. There are so many things I appreciate about him from his sense of humor to his sensitive spirit. Overall, I just like spending time with him. He has been working very hard juggling work at Starbucks, 3 AP classes this semester. He is involved with his High School church group as well as regularly volunteers with a homeless outreach in downtown Long Beach. He is a dedicated athlete and has been playing rugby for many years. Recently he had surgery on his shoulder and has been going to Physical Therapy to recover his mobility and strength. With his 18th birthday around the corner I wanted to do something very special for him. I can’t describe the fun and excitement I felt in planning all the elements of his birthday weekend November 22-24.
Part 1: Santa Cruz, Ca
We started the weekend off by going to Santa Cruz, Ca. We stayed at Beach Street Inn and Suites. It was fantastic-if you are planning a trip to Santa Cruz check this place out.
This is the room and the view from the parking lot. We were walking distance to the boardwalk and the pier.
The weather was perfect and the beach was beautiful. We went to the surf museum and learned that Hawaiian princes brought surfing to the mainland in the 1800’s.
Marianne’s Ice Creamery is a staple in Santa Cruz. I had pumpkin and Lavender ice cream-it was amazing.
Next we stopped off at the Mystery Spot: a gravitational anomaly. It was beautiful to see all the redwoods as we went a couple miles in from the ocean.
We also walked around UC Santa Cruz. The campus is huge. We went by the sports complex because it’s known for it’s fields that overlook the ocean. A rugby game just happened to be going on so we stayed and watched the game.
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Part 2: The Surprise Party
While we were driving back on Sunday, Nov. 24th my family was setting up the surprise party. When we arrived home, Eden’s friends and family gave him a very good surprise! He had no idea.
We got Long Beach Taco Cart to come out and make all the food for us. They were amazing!
Food, Cake and gifts followed. My parents brought a giant paddle board for Eden.
Next we had a silly photo booth with props so that we could have some great pictures for memories. Here are a few of my favorites.
We all had a great time and as Eden stated later, “He felt loved”. I guess as a parent you can’t ask for much more than that, that your children know that they are loved. Mission accomplished!
