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We headed to Colorado on July 5th for the Stevenson family reunion; we arrived a day earlier than the reunion and took advantage of the opportunity to visit our friends the Gardners and the Amoses. Tom and Alanya welcomed Sidney into their family the week before and we couldn't pass up the opportunity to hold a new baby. Sidney didn't disappoint! He was a handsome guy and it was fun to meet him. 

We celebrated our first 4th of July in Danville and it looks like we have some good traditions to look forward too. We started our morning by biking to the Danville parade where we met up with several of our friends from church including the Thompsons and Wiersdorfs. The parade was lengthy but the kids had a great time. Apparently the parade was a little long for Chris...  Rowan wasn't a fan of the guns and took advantage of watching them sans ears We joined the Peronas at their house for a cookout and swim party. Later that evening we attempted fireworks but the results were a little lackluster. Apparently there aren't many shows in the area and to seeing them is an effort. With a flight the next morning to Colorado, we didn't make a huge effort to go and tried to find some that we could see from a distance with mixed results. There's always next year! 

The Greenbrook pool has become a steady fixture in our summer routine. It is two blocks from our house and regularly manned by several lifeguards who very dutifully keep the rules of the pool. Davin and Rowan have "G badges" which allow them access to the pool sans parents but Ellie and I usually tag along as she usually wants to swim too. When we aren't traveling or otherwise occupied, most summer days involve grabbing towels, the IKEA swim bag from the garage, and walking up to the pool where we hang out for two to three hours. We often meet friends there and it's a great place to hang out. Sometimes we bring dinner with us and cook using the outdoor grills. The boys love jumping from the diving board; Davin's gig this year includes shouting "Here comes the water buffalo!" as he plummets into the deep end. The kids did two sessions of lessons this year as well at the pool and they all improved in their swimming abilities. Rowan and Davin strengthened t...

One of the highlights of June is celebrating Father's Day and we are so lucky to have many great fathers to celebrate including Chris. Ellie had a rare moment of singing for the camera and this one needs to be saved for the ages: We sure love our Ellie Boo! She smooths out our rough edges with her feminine charm, effusive praise, and sweet kisses. She makes the funniest face when we ask her to "smile for the camera." There's nothing like a fast scoot around the backyard to bring out the natural smile; our Japanese Lantern tree was in full bloom and she kept coming in with her hair covered with yellow flowers as she scooted under it. It was a lovely combination with those golden curls!

It was lovely to come back to Los Angeles and find our house in order and our children still alive. They had a great time with Uncle Matt and it we really appreciated his willingness to help. I don't think the kids missed us too much either. Matt spoiled them with trips to the Lego Store, eating out at their favorite places, swimming at the pool, and playing video games. Fortunately Matt didn't have to rush home as soon as we got back and we were able to spend a little more time with him before he left. Matt served his mission in our area and so coming back to visit has added bonus. We planned a day trip to Monterey and Carmel-by-the-sea to check out some of his favorites. Our first stop was at a chocolate factory called Lula's. Matt's roommate's family owned the factory and we got a special tour of it including many delicious samples. The kids (and adults) were delighted to say the least. After chocolate we had pizza at Pizza My Heart and then checked out Can...