birthday tradition.

When we say that we're going on vacation for my Mom's birthday to "San Diego" what we really mean is that we're going to spend our entire time in Old Town. I've never even been to the San Diego Zoo; I think it's been more than a decade since I last set foot in Sea World, and I've never set foot on a San Diego beach. 

We've gone to Old Town at least once every year for as long as I can remember and more so for my Mom's birthday it just seems so much a part of us. It never gets old. I don't know what else we'd do to celebrate my Mom? The handmade strawberry flavor tortillas, the Mormon Battalion museum, soft acoustic guitar music floating in the air—it's magical. I may not know the names of all the stores there, but I know way around that place better than the back of my hand!

& I don't know what it is, but Texas-y things and mission references were popping up all over the place! 

like

.

.

.

We got asked if we were from Texas (okay, maybe the Texas shirt my Dad had on and the LSU shirt Ezra had on contributed to our getting asked that...)

Texas soap. SOAP. We were in California and there isn't even a California soap bar!

Spent so much time sniffing all the different bars. So random, but this is my Mom's favorite shop!

I took a picture of this owl backpack mostly because I want to sew one just like it when I have children. Of course, first I have to learn to sew, so...

the paperdoll store! (It's not called that, and really it says a bunch of other things, but really, the only reason I came into this store growing up was the paperdolls. & why yes, I do have a star wars episode I paper doll set from this little shop :] )

Since it was my Mom's birthday, we took a trip down 1962...

I lied. I also like going to the paper-doll store for the rootbeer. guilty.

frogs! TONS of them. It was like knocking doors as a missionary in Tejas again!

When I'm older, I want a Christmas tree filled with these.

Texas salsa dish. Was there a California one? No! I'm not crazy, right?

We had to stop at Pizza Bella.

(notice I somehow know the names of the restaurants in Old Town...)

best pizza you will ever find in San Diego. We tried Mushroom & Co. and the "Kitchen Pizza"

Kitchen Pizza = thin crust, mixed sauce (tomato & pesto), chopped pepperoni, italian sausage, red onion, green dell olives, jalapeños, ricotta and feta cheese, fresh basil and pineapple.

It's my new favorite

I can't even tell you how much I want those jack-o-laterns. Mexicanified everything!

Thanks for having a such a wonderful birthday tradition mom!