By the next morning, my heart was already pulled toward seeing the places my boys actually live their lives… but first, we had a birthday to celebrate. Christian was turning thirty! But even with the birthday excitement, the desire to see their everyday places was still there. I’m a visual person, and what I wanted most wasn’t the attractions; it was the coffee shops, the gym, their apartment, the grocery store. When they tell me about their day, it helps to see it in my mind. It makes the distance feel smaller.

Abbie and I were up before the boys, so we wandered out and found the sweetest little coffee shop near our hotel, a courtyard with a fountain bubbling in the middle and colorful tile everywhere. The boys had never been there, but it was a perfect little spot for the two of us to sit with our lattes and start the morning.

Later that morning, the boys joined us, and we kicked off the day with something special, a trip to Disneyland to celebrate his upcoming thirtieth. I’ve been to Disney World several times, but never Disneyland, and honestly, I wasn’t sure it could compare.  It’s the original park, and we ended up loving it. Truly such a fun day. The best part, for me, was when we sat down in the afternoon to take a coffee break. Right along the walking path, a five-member band began playing catchy tunes and singing. I watched my kids enjoy the music and chat with each other while sipping lattes. I remember thinking to myself, “I will never forget this moment.”

And I haven’t.

The next day, we found ourselves at yet another coffee shop, this time with my husband joining us. I was so excited about this day because, for the first time in a long while, all five of us would be together in one place. Travis, my youngest, had asked his coworkers where he should take us while we were visiting, and they recommended the Huntington Botanical Gardens. Oh, my goodness, what an amazing place. Gorgeous grounds and more museums than we could possibly see in one visit. We strolled the gardens, ate lunch at the cafeteria, sipped Cokes, and talked nonstop.

It felt like a dream.

That evening, before heading up to the Observatory, we drove over to Los Feliz because Travis wanted us to try a place he’d been once before, Figaro Bistrot. With all the vintage charm and fun décor, it felt like stepping into a little pocket of Paris tucked inside LA. It wasn’t fancy, just lively and full of character, and we had the best time sitting there together, all five of us, before the night carried us on.

After dinner, we headed to the Griffith Observatory. The recommendation was to go at sunset, and we had no idea that most of LA had the exact same plan. We spent the better part of an hour inching our way through traffic. Finally, when it looked like we might miss the whole thing, Abbie and I jumped out of the car and sprinted up the hill just in time to snap a few pictures.

It was the most beautiful view.

What we didn’t expect was the lack of cell service at the top. The guys were still parking while Abbie and I were taking photos, and suddenly we realized we had no way to find each other. There were hundreds, maybe thousands, of people up there, speaking all different languages, all trying to catch the same sunset. Miraculously, we found each other. It took a while, but we did. The museum was great, but the views were even better.

By the end of the day, we were so tired but so very happy. Travis had to work the next day, so we’d be a family of four. This was the day we’d see the west side of LA, having only experienced the east side so far.

Beverly Hills, here we come!