Griffith Park exploring including Big Boy Bob's and Travel Town

For anyone who has undertaken going through seminary or is currently in the process of getting through it, you will know exactly what the 'last month of the seminary semester' means! It is a busy, busy time. It involves Izak often being at the library until it closes and not seeing very much of him. To be fair, this can be all semester long, but it is especially apparent at the end of the semester! I am sure that there are many other students with far heavier loads and I am so thankful for how much we still do get to enjoy Izak! 

The Lord is so gracious and kind. I love Him so much! :) There are so many treasures in my life that reveal His grace shown to me, one of which is my dear friend, Jen. She goes to Grace Church too and I met her at the Bible study that we attend. She is such a gentle and kind person and has been so intentionally kind to us. (Her husband and Izak get along really well too.) 

Well, she does such sweet things like takes me to get my hair cut and takes me shopping for some things that we need etc. It is amazing to see someone who loves the Lord so much and has a heart for others... like her and her husband do. We often thank the Lord for them. 

Well, this was going to be such a very busy weekend for Izak in terms of school work and Jen took Jonathan and I out to explore the Griffith Park area. The below pics will hopefully help you feel like you came along with us! :)

First, she took us out to lunch to 'Big Boy Bob's restaurant', which is a very old establishment in LA, a landmark really. There were photo's of various actor's on the walls who have frequented it. And there were scenes shot there from a couple of movies. It was a fun experience! They also apparently first created the 'double-decker burger'! 

Here is the sweet Jen and Jonathan in front of the restaurant:

 Jonathan being very creative with a crayon! :)

 After lunch, we headed out to 'Travel Town'! It was so much fun! Jonathan like most boys seems to enjoy trains and it was great to see him look at them etc. It was also amazing to see that the entrance was free and a train ride was only $2.50 per person. PLUS Jonathan could go on the train ride for free. I think it is free for children up to 2 years old. 

 Here are some pics from the Travel Town Museum:

 Somebody say "TRAIN RIDE TIME"! I think I was more excited than Jonathan for this one! hehe. It was Bean's first train ride too. 

You can see evidence of the bump in this one. :) Bean at 17 weeks.

 This was so sweet, Jonathan was enthralled with the little stones on the railroad track. He kept going to get a few more and his little fists were filled with them! It is always the most unexpected things that amuse him!

You can just see the delight on his face specifically pertaining to the little rocks in this pic!

 And then, as if lunch and Travel Town weren't enough, Jen took us to the Griffith Park Merry-Go-Round! Jonathan was very intrigued and making his excited sounds right up until I placed him on the horse and then he began crying his little heart out... so we sat down on one of the benches on the merry-go-round instead, and he pensively documented the whole experience in his head. :) 

You can't tell, but I was trying to persuade him that he did actually want to be on this horse and did not actually want to cry his little heart out... but maybe next time!

Well, as usual, I hope that you enjoyed exploring with us! It was a beautifully warm day and one that we all enjoyed so much! Like I said, it is so encouraging to have experiences like this in the midst of the final section of this semester.

It makes me think of that passage in 2 Corinthians 12:9, where the Lord reminds us that "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness...." His grace really is enough in these harder times and it is amazing to see that if you trust Him, it almost makes you laugh to see how He undertakes for you despite how circumstances appear!

I hope that you are well, and would love to hear from you!

Lots and lots of Bakkes love!