Costumes

We went to the All Hallows Fantasy Faire, where Ediza dressed like a fairy (she ditched the wings to ride a mechanical bull and make giant bubbles).

For Halloween, she was Little Bo Peep and little brother was her sheep.

Augustus

Baby was born in August and named Augustus (Augie or Gus for short). We recently returned from his first trip to the coast to celebrate Ediza’s 9th birthday. 

 There was a magical sunset the night we arrived.

We returned to Monterey, where we had lunch overlooking the water before making our way back to the Monterey Bay Aquarium. 

When the baby was born he looked like an old sailor named Gus so I think he really enjoyed his first encounter with the ocean breeze. 

Central Coast

We recently escaped to the cooler coast for our last trip before the baby. Our first stop was Capitola, which can be summed up in last Sunday’s L.A. Times Travel piece: A train depot B&B, family-friendly beach, and moonlight cliff walk in Capitola

Breakfast in bed(room)

We then continued down the coast to visit a friend in Monterey. Along with the beach, we returned to our favorite thrift store, playground, bakery, and of course the Monterey Bay Aquarium.

 

Summer fun

Granite Dome

Here are some photos from a trail run/hiking adventure through the Emigrant Wilderness over Fourth of July weekend. 

And here are links to recent Weekend Escapes for L.A. Times travel:

What's shaking in San Andreas? Plenty of California history

Unwind naturally at Yosemite National Park

Snow in July!

Lake Ediza (last year as a trio)

For our ninth annual backpacking trip to Lake Ediza, we had to modify the journey due to Amber’s pregnancy. We set up our “base camp” for two nights at a campground before the climb up to Shadow Lake.

Ediza and I were still able to make the trek up to Lake Ediza the following day.

                                          

No llamas this year, but Ediza's stuffed llama Peak made the trip again.

Once we caught the shuttle back to Mammoth, Ediza tried her hand at some bungee acrobatics. As always, she is flying high! 

Update

Well, the year is almost half-way over and this is my first post of 2015. So here’s the quick update: I got promoted at the local newspaper, Ediza just finished second grade and we have another baby on the way — nine years later! Here are some photos from the past two weeks:

Amber (and baby) and Ediza in Yosemite for a friends wedding.

My friend Sarah (we first met studying abroad in Australia, then worked together at a summer camp in Missouri before she moved to the Bay Area) got married at Sentinel Beach along the Merced River. Their reception was held at the nearby Yosemite Bug Rustic Mountain Resort and featured great food, live music and even a tea lounge. Ediza got an early start with some costumes (props from the dress-up photo booth, of course).

The day before we hiked around Pinecrest Lake with her class.

And here she is with a cat she knitted for her end-of-year puppet show: Meow!