the perfect day

our kiss at sunset

we made it to the lighthouse

what? this is totally normal!

on the rock mountain in the middle of the ocean. really... the very middle of it.

trying on nice sunglasses at Monterey Fisherman's Wharf

Look out point on top of the restaurant

Tuesday of my week of PTO Tom and I decided to go to Monterey and Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. Like Monday, this day was a fun filled adventure. Tom and I left early in the morning, and started off our day in Monterey. It was gorgeous. I love cold chilly weather. I love blustery winds and clouds. I think it's the most romantic kind of weather. Tom and I started out our day at Fisherman's Wharf. It was fun. We walked up and down the wharf, through shops and stopped to eat at a fancy little lunch place. Tom and I both had the clam chowder. He really enjoyed his and I had a hard time keeping my mind off of the clams... don't really know why!! Normally I love clam chowder, but this bowl was hard to swallow.
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Tom and I went to look out point at the top of one of the restaurants at the end of the wharf. We watched the seagulls and the boats sailing in the bay. It was a little breezy but I loved it. I loved standing next to Tom and feeling so safe and secure. I love our little chats we have about "what ifs" and "one day this or that" I love that I can talk to Tom about anything and everything on my mind or in my dreams or worries. Tom is so patient and understanding. I truly never thought there was someone who I would get along so perfectly with. I have already learned so much from him and his example. He is so great.
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We left Fisherman's Wharf to go to the tide pools. This was such a funny funny part of our day. We parked across the street from this part along the beach where there are tall rock islands.. we climbed these rocks and sat at watched the ocean crash against the rocks time and time again. As we were sitting there watching the power of the waves we just started coming up with the craziest of scenario. "Tom, what would you do if all the sudden a whale got tossed in between the rocks with the next waves, got stuck and couldn't get out??" and instead of coming up with a creative come back or detailed explanation of what he would do in that circumstance, he made this amazingly accurate.. or what I can only imagine as being accurate - sound of a whale getting tossed into and plugging up the rocky rocks . It was a "thoomp" sound that made us laugh for a couple minutes - and by a couple minutes I mean a good ten minutes or so. As the day went on randomly he would again make the "thoomp" sound and we would again be having fits of giggles. Tom can make me laugh harder and longer than I think anyone. It always makes for a good time.
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We decided to head back to his car and I seem to have developed a magnet for little accidents that don't hurt very bad but seem to cause a bit of damage!! As we were crossing from one rock island mountain to another I stepped on a little slippery part of the rock. As my foot slid forward on the wet rock, my shin came in contact with the rock mountain very abruptly. It hurt. I have a bruise that is large in stature on my right shin. It's kinda not pretty. It truly doesn't hurt that bad, but it sure looks lovely. Too bad I can't join an ugly bruise contest. I might when 4th place! Tom and I walked back to his car and we just kept laughing and laughing. I wish I could remember details of what we were talking and laughing about. I would like to type it out to always remember our silly little conversations ... I can just remember my stomach cramping from laughing so hard. The kind of laughs where you feel like you just can't help but let out a booming laugh over and over.

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After we left the tide-pool area we headed over to Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. This is such a fun place. I'm not much for the "carnival" type feel, but this place is just pure fun. We didn't ride a single ride.. we walked along the boardwalk, watched people play silly money eating games, walked in and out of shops, took a couple of goofy pictures, walked to the Wharf, watched the seals - even got to touch one cause it was laying so close to the fence. Tom and I heard this boy talking about how you could walk down the stairs on one side of the wharf down to water level - they have a fence put up, but you can see tons of seals. It was so funny to watch them interact with eachother. I decided that in no way would I want to be in the ocean swimming with these "little" guys, and in no way, if given the opprotunity, would I ever choose to be a seal. Gross. I would really hate it.

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Tom and I really wanted to pick out matching sweaters to have and remember our time.. we walked in and out of about 15 shops before we came across the cutest and comfiest sweaters. I love them and I'm excited to wear them when the weather is cooler. To wear it now would be sort of dumb. Tom and I walked back across the boardwalk, and across the beach. By this time it was about 6 o'clock. The beach was basically deserted and we just held hands and walked barefoot along the waters edge. It felt like something you see in the movies. We started to talk about our futures and about them being together. It caught me off guard to feel so comfortable talking to Tom about this.

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We walked to the lighthouse a little distance away and sat on the "ocean made" boulders set up against the .. lighthouse ground? I don't know what you call that. Okay story: Tom and I were climbing up some rocks to the lighthouse, and along the walkway where the lighthouse is, are some massive sement "jacks" shaped rocks. And by massive I mean massive. They are put there to break up the waves as they come crashing against the lighthouse to protect it and the land it sits on. As we were walking past them I asked Tom if the rocks were "Ocean made". Tom just looked at me and without missing a beat said "Oh yeah! They have this neat little factory out there (pointing out into the far away water) that spits them out for us." What a sassy!! I obviously knew the ocean didn't make them, but I guess it's my fault for not posing the question right. It was pretty funny and we laughed for a while over that.

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Tom and I sat down on one of the "ocean made" sement protector rock things and started taking pictures of the sunset. It was so magical and romantic sitting next to someone that I love, holding hands, watching the sunset, a slight breeze, seagulls flying around, ocean waves crashing every couple of minutes... it was better than the movies - that's all I can say. Hollywood's got nothing on us. We again talked about our futures, and as the ocean swallowed the sun into nighttime Tom kissed me and -oh.my.heart.- I love that boy more than I ever thought possible to love someone.

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We walked slowly back to his car, hugged, and went on our merry little way. What a fun two days our week started out on.