Some of Nicholas' pictures from Laguna Beach and the Mission Basilica (January 2015)

Oh look, I'm still posting pictures from Nicholas' trip out here in January....  YEP!

These are some that Nicholas took on his camera from Laguna Beach and the Mission Basilica in San Juan Capistrano...

 Laguna Beach

Mission Basilica

Uncle Nicholas' Visit- Part 7- San Juan Capistrano Mission

I could get way into the history of the California missions, but this post is already way late (we did all this at the end of January....) so I'm just going to give you some lovely pictures to view and suggest that if you are interested in learning more about the Missions, especially this one, look it up online or better yet, come visit and we can all visit together.

    

    

       

 

        

"Poppies in the spring make the Mission bells ring...."

Every time I look at these pictures that line from Tim and Nicki Bluhm's song "Always Come Back" goes through my head.  

        

    
They are looking at a butterfly

These are the contraptions they give you for the do-it-yourself audio tour.  The girls were fascinated and Kayla especially loved listening and then sharing what new facts she had learned about the Mission whilst listening on her device.  Of course, they all look like they are just talking to their peeps on the phone.  haha. 

Uncle Nicholas' Visit- Part 6- Mission Basilica (San Juan Capistrano)

Next door to the old Mission (which we also saw this day,) is the Mission Basilica in San Juan Capistrano.  It's only about as old as I am, but it was modeled after the Mission's original stone church (the one destroyed by the quake).  It was given the status of minor basilica by Pope John Paul II in 2000.

These pictures are mostly from the outside, because my old phone camera took such poor quality photos.  I love some of these outside shots though.  It was a lovely, clear day with just a few beautiful, white, wispy clouds.  No filter needed.

by the Father Serra statue

 

praying by the Our Lady of Guadalupe shrine

visiting Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament