July 2009

We went to LA to visit my sister Marilee and my niece Falene. She had just had her 2nd son Gavin 13 months after her first son Aiden. Neil is holding Gavin on Marilee's back porch.

This is house my dad built. It is probably one of the ones he is most proud of, though it cost him 3 months in the hospital. He was carving a road out of the hillside when the tractor rolled over and took him with it. He suffered a dislocated hip and spent a lot of time in traction. I was in the 8th grade at the time.

Neil and Elaina are under the Berkshire bridge on the horse trail. This was one of my favorite places to go hiking and mountain biking.

Next is Venice Beach. The crazy scene isn't as appealing as it once was, now that I have a family.

Karissa Thompson's baptism. The Thompsons have been Neil's surrogate neices for years. We came directly from Venice Beach to the baptism and afterward we went out for Thai food.

The month of July was quite warm, especially for a woman 6 months pregnant in a house with no air conditioning. We went to Mission Beach one Saturday just to cool off. Here you see Neil and Elaina walking toward the surf.

A highlight of the month was going to see the Pageant of the Masters in Laguna Beach. I had heard about it for years, but have never been. The amphitheater was truly impressive and it was fun to be on a date and hang with the artsy crowd.