Three Generations of Women, Together

Over the course of a week and a half, somehow the stars aligned and I had the opportunity to gather three different circles of women I love in California. Each group came from a different part of my life, with their own history and energy. And each gathering taught me something about connection, the beauty of womanhood and motherhood, and the power of belonging. I want to remember what it felt like to have these women under one roof, so I’m sharing them here—one gathering at a time. The first was with three generations of women: my mother, two sisters, and our three daughters. There is something powerful about gathering three generations of women together — the stories, the perspective, witnessing the quiet ways love and wisdom pass down the line.

I won’t go into the details of how all these gatherings came about, but I don’t think they were happenstance. I love how God works quietly behind the scenes to make things happen.

Gathering Three Generations of Women

The first group was my sisters and mother. Of course, we all missed Charity who couldn’t make it. And boy, we also missed all our sister-in-laws!

But I was so grateful for this time to be fully present with these six women I adore.

Seeing the Next Generation as Women

And also to have these three cousins, nicknamed the “babes” from the time they were little, together. I marveled at the fact that they have all grown up into such delightful women. Women with goals and dreams, and who are each maturing in such different yet beautiful ways.

And that they have grown up to be friends. There is something so special about forging strong sibling relationships, and that can extend so beautifully to cousins as well.

And to have them together with their grandma who they all adore? Such an extra bonus.

We are all coming at life from such different vantage points with these three generations of women, and I LOVED learning from them.

The Arrival

My mom and sisters came first, and it was a blustery day pouring with rain. But that led to a pretty glorious evening, albeit windy! Can you just feel the wind??

We were awed by the giant juvenile whale that had passed away and somehow washed up on the shore in the previous day storm.

A Quiet Inheritance of Art Love

We had a wide-arm welcome for our girls, and figured the best thing we could do with my mom around would be to go to the Getty together.

You see, this woman has instilled us, every one, with a love of art.

• My mother infused art into our hearts and that has power to create ripple effects.
• Those ripple effects have shown up for years in the motherhood trips we’ve taken together, which later inspired me to create my own mother-daughter art trips.
• Sisters and art in San Francisco.

I mean, just look at her art enthusiasm:

I love it so much.

The Getty is such a beautiful juxtaposition of curves and straight lines, white against azure sky. Art, beauty, and light all intermixed with conversation as we meandered around.

I think the last time I was at the Getty was gathered with my mom and sisters for a long-ago motherhood gathering to bond. But also to appreciate art.

Golden Hour at the Santa Monica Pier

Our next stop was meant to be Venice beach, but when we saw the golden halo surrounding Santa Monica pier en route, we made a serendipitous beeline to that spot.

Orange and pink sky wrapping around us out on that pier. Everyone backlit in the beauty.

There was certainly some wide-eyed pure delight on the roller coaster and Tidal Wave.

A small orange line outlining the horizon as the sky turned dark.

We had dinner at a loud, bright, delicious spot — rattan light fixtures overhead and luscious food stretched out before us.

And had a bit of stress maneuvering our quite-horrible rental van through LA traffic.

Long Bike and Boat Rides, and Slow Conversations

I loved how the sun framed so many of my favorite people on the ferry.

A Duffy ride at golden hour, and it really was GOLDEN along with my tiredness seeping in. Mama D’s and the Duffy under bistro lights.

Hazel shared some of her essay questions sitting around the table late-night watercoloring.

(Claire was a studier in the other room, trying to get ready for a test.)

Morning Polar Plunges, Church, Meals, and the Little Moments Between

I feel like these kinds of simple moments often become the family traditions that stay with us the very longest.

My sunrise walks pulled me out each morning into the world drenched in the depth that only early light can bring.

I am so deeply in love with the earth.

Being out there alone, yet surrounded by thoughts, looking for what God might want me to see — both in my heart and in the small gifts of my “petite discoveries.” In things like water droplets on flowers and the shapes of shadows on the trees, God’s character showing up to fill me with what I see and what I hear. I listened to podcasts each morning, sometimes “come follow me” ones, and sometimes things friends have sent.

One day I listened to the story of a mother learning she’s like the ocean instead of a boat.

And then I actually went into the ocean itself. With my sisters and their daughters. And we felt alive and so nourished as it swayed our bodies and reminded us that we do indeed have all we need from the inside to warm up when we climbed out.

One thing about Eyre women…well, mostly my sisters, is that they know how to whip up beautiful food:

Can you tell we liked it?

We went to church next door to the temple, lots of talking, hearts open to God.

And then had “second hour” on the beach.

We dropped off my mom and our daughters at the airport, drenched in gratitude for time with those girls. For the staccato of worry and wonder that comes with being both an aunt and a mother to the best of the best.

But also that I get to be a daughter to the woman who’s calm and goodness has woven a tapestry of gold and connection into all of us that reaches big and stretches long and can’t help but connect us all to God.

Because love is the answer for it all.

A Finale with my Sisters

And then it was down to just us three.

So we made the most of soaking in the sunset at the tide pools.

It. was. so. beautiful.

There is nothing like enjoying something you love so much with someone else who loves it as much as you do.

This is my favorite wall in all the land. I don’t know why, but it just speaks to me.

That night we sat and worked on watercolors around the table talking through shadow work. I love the security of sisters who get you, and whom you get right back. I love that we’re all committed to being and doing better.

A growth mindset.

And also, a reflection of ourselves in each other.

I walked through the next morning sunrise and then Saren and Saydi joined me to take a polar plunge in the ocean. I gloried in the shapes of pastel colors made in the ripples of the water.

We took the ferry over to Balboa.

Then huffed up the “hard hill” on our bikes to get to Crystal Cove…those pathways winding through so much beauty overlooking the ocean down below.

Had to stop to examine this little beauty that was stuck on my sister’s shoe:

God is such an incredible artist!

The best food, as always, is at Beachcomber Cafe. And of course, true to Eyre-form, we had to have a discussion about it all.

Let the sun gloriously warm us up on the beach until we popped up and realized we had to go!

Why do I adore the shadows bikes make?

I loved the small overlap with the first group of my in-law women who had already arrived when we got back. A quick turn-over and hugs to dear sisters goodbye turning to hug in-law sisters hello.

I can’t believe I get to be related to all these women I adore.

Coming up next: gathering with the family I married into and gathering my high school girlfriends.