This weekend, Jamie, Drew, and Menalda came to visit Santa Cruz. Because Menalda just moved to America from rural Mozambique, we had fun doing all of the "tourist" things with her: taking her out to eat, visiting the lighthouse, walking on the wharf, and going to the Monterey Bay aquarium.
It was Lua's first trip to the aquarium, too!
Highlights for Mena included looking at the sharks, watching the sea otter feeding, and seeing the penguins. She was astounded by the size of the tanks. Highlights for Lua included getting carried haphazardly by Mena and sleeping through nearly everything.
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| Jamie, Drew, and Menalda at Lighthouse Field |
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| Jamie and Mena |
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Mena is enchanted by the sea lions. "What are they?" She asked. "Dolphins? Dogs?"
Just minutes after this photo was taken, she used binoculars for the first time in her life. |
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| Dan and Lua under the wharf |
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| Lua in her big sun hat |
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| Sea Lions under the wharf |
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| A view of the Santa Cruz beach boardwalk |
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| Dan and Lua staying out of the sun |
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| Mena and Jamie at the end of the wharf |
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| A family photo |
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| Mena and Lua at the Monterey Bay Aquarium |
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| Lua likes being held |
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| Lua and Dan at a seabird exhibit |
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| Mena is awed by a wall of sardines. "They sell these in Mozambique!" She said. "I've bought them in the market." |
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| Dan and Lua looking at jellyfish |
"Tia Mena" is 18 weeks pregnant with her first child, so she just loves to hold Lua and play with her. We can't wait until Mena has her baby in February, so that Lua will have a little friend to play with!
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