Rai is 66 Months Old

At this age, for some, life may be hitting a dead end. For Rai: it's just the beginning! Happy "birthday", Rai -- keep up your amazing ways and keep being that wonderful big brother for Ko!

Camping in Samuel P. Taylor State Park

How many times have we driven through Samuel P. Taylor State Park while heading for the coast along Sir Francis Drake Boulevard?  Hundreds!  How many times have we hiked in the park? Zero. How many times have we camped in the park? Zero. After this weekend, however, we can change that "zero" into a "one". For the first time, we camped at this beautiful redwood park. It was an incredible evening and morning. We haven't been this relaxed in quite some time. All our worries and thoughts about work melted away the moment the tent was up and the campfire lit. In the morning, Ei Ei, Chris, Orion, and Freckles joined us for the Pioneer Tree loop hike and we spent the rest of the afternoon at Chimney Rock in Point Reyes. A perfect weekend.

The End of the Land

Minutes from our home is the edge of California, a place where the waters of the Bay intermingle with the waves of the Pacific. Rocky, natural cliffs offer trails, beaches and forests instead of driveways and backyards. The views are stunning and, if you pick the right spot, you feel like you're many miles from the city rather than still inside it. This amazing place is called Lands End and you'd think we would be taking a walk there daily. Unfortunately, this weekend was our first Lands End walk in quite some time. I guess that speaks to how spoiled we are. There is so much natural beauty around us that this awe-inspiring walk is just one of dozens of choices we have to choose from.