The growing Roza family: Santa Barbara angel trip

Several months ago, my angel mommies and I agreed to meet in Santa Barbara in mid November. We all met online through a support group after we each had a stillborn child. We transitioned from the support group to Facebook where we all remain friends. This group of women is amazing. They are all extremely strong, supportive, uplifting, and full of good advice. I'm so thankful to have them in my life. A lot of us have gone on to have other children after losing our angel baby. Avalon is my angel. And Lilah is my rainbow. Before I go on, I will define rainbow for those that don't yet understand:
"Rainbow Baby" is a term used to describe babies born to parents who have lost a baby. It is the understanding that the beauty of a rainbow does not negate the ravages of the storm. When a rainbow appears, it doesn't mean the storm never happened or that the family is not still dealing with its aftermath. What it means is that something beautiful and full of light has appeared in the midst of the darkness and clouds. Storm clouds may still hover but the rainbow provides a counterbalance of color, energy and hope.
The weekend of November 12-13th was reserved for our trip down south to meet all of my angel mama's in person. I had been communicating with them online for over 2 years now, and had even talked to one of them on the phone, so I was really excited about meeting them and giving them all big hugs. Edward, Lilah and I packed up the car and headed to the Bay. We picked up Edward's mother in Brentwood, and then set off for the long drive south. We invited my mother-in-law along for the weekend. She really needed some time away, a weekend to re-energize and to enjoy some new scenery with us. We somehow managed to fit everything into my Honda Pilot, thanks to Edward's great packing skills! Lilah did pretty well in the car, considering it was about a 5-6 hour drive. Almost an 8 hour drive when considering stops for breaks and food. She got pretty fussy towards the end, but overall, she was quite a trooper!
I had secured a vacation rental in downtown Santa Barbara, only blocks from the beach and wharf. Some of the other angel mama's were staying in the same block of vacation rental condo's, so that worked out really well. Our condo had 1 bedroom, and the living room had a fold-out couch for my mother-in-law. It had 1 bathroom and a small kitchen where we were able to eat breakfast and snacks. It wasn't the most ideal place to stay with a crawling/cruising baby, but we made it work. The location was fabulous though! So close to fun little restaurants, the beach, the wharf, and lots of great people-watching.
I met several of my fellow angel mama's in person on Saturday night when we arrived at the condo. They were returning from dinner and were walking back to their condo. We were unloading our car and I recognized them from their online pictures. We all greeted each other with big hugs. It was so wonderful to meet them in person! The following day, the Roza family checked out the beach and the wharf. We had a great time seeing all of the sights and the beautiful ocean.
Then we headed over to the apartment complex where our angel mommy gathering was to be held. Edward and Rose Marie dropped off Lilah and I, and then they headed out to go visit and tour Mission Santa Barbara. Lilah and I spent the afternoon visiting with all of the other angel mama's and their rainbow babies. It was so great to see all of these wonderful women, hear their stories, and meet their rainbows. Lilah had a fun time playing with the other rainbow babies, including little Juliet who is just 1 week younger than Lilah. After the Roza family dined at a seafood restaurant for dinner, I met up with several of the angel mommies and we all went out to bar, had some drinks, and played darts. I'm pretty terrible at darts, but I did somehow manage to hit the bulls eye once! Late that evening, I said my goodbyes and headed to bed.
The next morning we had a long car ride home. Yuck. It was hard to say goodbye again to 5 of my fellow mama's, who were all heading out for breakfast when we left. Santa Barbara was a beautiful town and I'd love to travel there again. But preferably not in the winter next time! And I hope that my angel mama's and I can get together again, maybe once every year or two. That would be great!