Lake Lagunitas Hike with the Usual Suspects

This Bay Area adventure didn't get off to the most auspicious start-- Lake Lagunitas is deceptively far away, and we were all dealing with whiny, hungry children as we wound our way up the final road to the lake.  In fact the Canadas called to say that they were turning around and going home.  They ended up making it, but only after we'd ravenously eaten their lunch!

But a little food was all it took to revitalize the troops.... and lunch by the waterfall was just the thing to get us all ready for a fantastic walk around the lake.  Fond memories include epic battles between the kids for hiking sticks, an hour of fantasy fishing in the river, several near-soaked experiences (both from the lake as well as from potty training), one very real tumble from a log for Theo, and an even more real fire truck evacuation during our hike (fortunately, no one we knew!).

A great adventure, thanks for organizing, Nikki!

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Big Island Adventure

Hawaii... what could be more relaxing?  Unless you decide to go to the big island, bring along 3 kids under 3, and eschew the fancy resorts in favor of a couple of "Westy" WW camper-vans. Then, not so relaxing. But an adventure? Absolutely.

We did actually start our trip at a resort-- enjoying a night at the Sheraton Keauhou outside Kona.  The swimming pool was nice, and seeing manta rays from the restaurant was cool, but we were here for some adventure. So off to "Happy Campers" we went to pick up our Westies!

The next couple of days were pretty memorable: we ate, slept, and played from these little vehicles at some of the most spectacular beaches around the island.  We saw huge waves, amazing rainbows, spectacular sunsets, and tremendous vistas.  We BBQ'd some amazing meals, and loved being able to roll out of our Westie in the morning to have breakfast on the beach.

There were definitely some rough moments: Tyler was eaten alive by the bugs.  Adam and Rachel would move their Westie to a deserted corner of the parking lot since Lilah was up so early.  And I don't think either one of us really remembers Volcano National Park thanks to a massive toddler meltdown in the parking lot of the visitor center.

After a couple of sleepless nights with all 4 of us in the van, Ryan took the boys out to camp on the beach.  A great plan, until a storm came through and knocked over the cheap rental tent!  Ryan will never forget ferrying the Spencer back to the Westie in the rain, and coming back to find a now-awake Tyler screaming at the rainclouds in confusion.

We even had a breakdown-- one of our Westies overheated on Easter Sunday, stranding us on a desolate stretch of highway outside Hilo.  As luck would have it, there was a charming Hawaiian church across the street that took us in for an amazing brunch and afternoon of hospitality while Happy Campers tracked down the right parts.

The grand finale?  Tyler took a fantastic nap on the flight home, only to wake up on the wrong side of the bed.  He was unconsolable for the last 2 hours of the flight.  It was horrible.

Well, you really do get to see the Big Island in a unique way from the back of a camper van.... a lot of fond memories from this trip, but suffice it to say that it took us nearly a year to brave getting on a plane again after this Big Island Adventure!

Full slideshow here....

Hiking in the Belmont Foothills

Susan (Ryan's mom) and Jim are moving to the Bay Area! We've been having fun house hunting with them and dreaming about what it will be like to have them here. Ryan took these fantastic photos of the boys on a trail just steps away from a condo for sale in the Belmont foothills. They put in an offer, which was sadly turned down, but know they'll find their perfect Bay Area home soon.

Russian River Weekend

After the crazy Dreamforce week, we were in need of some serious R&R. Eunice found us a great house to rent up on the Russian River, and we decided to escape the week before Thanksgiving along with the Canadas.

The house was great-- huge deck with a hot tub, vineyard in the front yard, and just a hundred yards from the river. We had a ton of fun with the Canadas, including some tasty home-cooked meals, relaxing in the hot tub, wandering down to throw rocks in the river, skuut excursions into town, Persimmon picking at a local organic farm, and a killer game of chess, played with shot glasses that were consumed as the game progressed (we lost by a pretty big margin, but everyone comes out a winner in a game like that!).

The house was outside of Guerneville, which has quite a reputation (which we were not aware of). Mostly, we just noticed a very large transient population... some of the happiest, friendliest homeless guys we've ever run across. We'd walk over this big pedestrian bridge on our way into town (oftentimes through huge clouds of pot smoke), and the guys hanging out would tell each other to "watch your language, kids passing through" and would let Ryan know that he's the "luckiest man in the world" to be with family.

Our last day was probably our favorite-- after a lazy morning we had lunch at the beautiful outdoor cafe at Korbel winery. We drove up Russian River while the boys napped, stopping at one of our favorite vineyards, Hop Kiln. We then headed to the coast by a little town called Jenner, where we found a path out to a deserted beach at Russian Gulch. It was a calm, warm November afternoon, and we had the beach to ourselves as we played with the boys and watched the sun set. The boys started to melt down in the car since it was way past dinner time by the time we left (complete disaster was staved off only by a raucous sing-along of popular Christmas carols), but a little restaurant in Monte Rio saved the day. It was called Cafe Les Jumelles-- totally kid friendly, great steaks, outstanding homemade mac and cheese, and Lagunitas IPA on tap. Heaven.

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Coast Camp Backpacking Trip

With Tyler now 15 months old, and Spencer now 3 years old, we decided it was time for us to tackle our first family backpacking trip with both of the boys (Ryan and Adam took just Spencer on his first backpacking trip when he turned 2). So, we packed up two huge packs, the jog stroller, and Spencer's balance bicycle, drove out to Point Reyes National Park, and trekked 3 miles on a relatively flat pathway out to Coast Camp, a cozy campsite nestled in a grassy valley just 200 yards from a pristine beach and tide pools.

Our pace was a slow mile per hour, but we were rewarded by an absolutely gorgeous sunset over the beach, a tasty dinner cooked over our trusty one-burner stove, and a surprisingly good night of sleep, packed in like sardines in what we used to think of as a 2-person tent. :)

Spencer did nearly the entire trek on bike. Tyler surprised us by doing about a third of it on foot.

With our first family backpacking trip a success, we're ready to start planning our next outdoor adventure!

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Concert at Emerald Lake

Our best night out with both boys ever? Probably! An unexpectedly wonderful night at this random place called "Emerald Lake Country Club" in Redwood City... basically a tiny lake nestled in the hills where they dammed a creek on its way to the bay.

Our good friend Corey's band had a gig there that night, and we decided to make an evening of it. The best part? The band literally played ON the dock, floating on the lake, while we all hung out on beach chairs and watched the sun go down. It was a rare balmy night in the Bay Area, and what could be better then swimming in a lake, playing in the sand, eating a picnic dinner, drinking some chilled white wine, dancing with our toddlers, and listening to some great covers of rock classics? Not much, especially when everyone is in a good mood.


The photos only begin to capture it... you've GOT to check out this video of the boys dancing. Spencer starts things off, but is soon joined by Theo and his fancy footwork. Hudson finanlly decides to get in on the action as well. Fantastic night... as good as it gets!

Click here to see a slideshow of more photos from our evening on Emerald Lake.

Overnight at Pigeon Point Lighthouse

Just an hour's south, north of Santa Cruz, there's a hostel at the base of Pigeon Point Lighthouse. They have ocean-front “family rooms” ... perfect for a Friday night getaway! We didn't get there in time to do much other than eat dinner at the picnic table outside of our room and watch the sun set over the Pacific....but we were all excited for the change of pace.


We had a room full of bunk beds and a bathroom all to ourselves, and a great kitchen and family room that we shared with a small group of girlscouts (more interested in movie night than in babysitting the boys, unfortunately!). Tyler was up at 6am while the rest of our house was still sleeping, so he and Ryan went off for a walk and some breakfast down the road at a surfer's cafe. We spent the rest of the morning on a walk down to sheltered Whaler's Cove, where the boys threw rocks into the tidepools while we all relaxed in the sand. Lunch at our favorite Chez Shea in HMB and naps on the drive home... not a bad overnight trip!

Click here for a slideshow, including a fantastic series of Eunice and Spencer playing a silly game called "I'm Spencer, You're Mama" in the midst of the flowers in front of the lighthouse...

Hiking Seal Point

Seal point might be one of the prettiest places we've never even heard of in San Mateo. Nevermind that its built on a landfill-- stroller friendly trails on a hill with drop-dead georgeus views of the bay? Hard to beat. Grandpa Nic and Abby came down to join us for a little walk.


And of course, Spencer rode his bike. Fantastic on the way out, not so great on the way back as we approached nap time.

Memorial Day in Tahoe

We talked about going camping for the long weekend, but realized it would be much more fun spending Memorial Day on Donner Lake at the Canada's cabin in Tahoe. We joined Grace, Alonzo, Theo, Phil and Gaby for a beautiful weekend on the lake. Highlights included hanging out on the deck overlooking the water, paddling around Donner Lake in our trusty inflatable kayak, wonderful meals at the Canada cabin, some killer late-night games of Texas Hold-em, our first real hiking trip with Spencer and Gaby on foot, watching the kids skinny dip in Donner Lake while the ladies got a massage in Truckee, and some fantastic BBQ at Smokeys on our way home.

See below for highlights and video.... or click here for a full slideshow!

Here's a rare shot of the adults together, enjoying some steaks off the grill after putting the kids to bed. Dinner was followed by Texas Hold'em... a late night game that ended after 1am - which we paid for in spades the next day!


We spent a lot of time hanging out in the cabin. Phil took one for the team and played "horsie", transporting Gaby, Spencer, and Theo all at the same time around the house on his back while crawling on all fours. Wall-E was also a saving grace, keeping everyone happy in that precious hour before bedtime.

The kids are old enough now to have their own play dynamic... sometimes best buddies, sometimes worst enemies. We realized that everyone was happiest out of doors! Here are the kids hanging out on the deck overlooking Donner Lake. It was a beautiful weekend to be on the water with the little ones.

We took Gaby and Spencer for their first real hike as well.... a two mile trek to a resevoir.  The kids did great.... walking all by themselves nearly the entire way.   Ryan DID have to carry both boys on his back for the last 1/2 mile (Tyler in a pack, Spencer on his shoulders), but all in all we'll consider it a success to get this sort of focus from the kids....



Best of all was getting everyone in the water. Our trusty inflatable kayak led to some memorable trips along the shoreline for all of the kids (Spencer and Theo couldn't decide if it was more desireable to be in the front our back)... And of course, throughout the weekend, the kids wanted to jump into the water at every opportunity.... whether it was the muddy water at the end of our hike or the pristine water at the little beach right outside our cabin. The guys volunteered to watch the kids while the ladies got massages in town... our secret was to strip the kids down and let them play in the water for hours. Why is it that kids don't notice cold water?




An amazing weekend... despite the brutal late night drives in both directions timed to be post-bedtime for the kids so they would be asleep in the car. Amazing how much a change of setting reminds us how much fun Spencer and Tyler can be. Thanks for the use of the Canada Cabin, Grace and Alonzo!

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Brian's Visit

Brian was out for the weekend, giving us an excuse to host a brunch in the Marina for Brian, Lee, Nara, Tracy, and Charu, followed by a beautiful walk / skuut down Chrissy Field. Highlights included brunch on the patio, flowers and kites on Chrissy Field, watching Spencer chase Brian on his bike, watching Nara steal Spencer's bicycle (just kidding, it just looks that way), and enjoying a couple of relaxing minutes on the beach before rushing off to get Spencer to the bathroom (gotta love potty training!). See below for details, or click here for a slideshow...

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The Perfect Sunday

Today was a perfect Sunday for us; a perfect "day of rest." We woke up and it was gorgeous outside. So we walked downtown with the boys to eat pancakes and omelets at Bay Watch Restaurant and then strolled over to Central Park for a morning romping in the playground. Then we walked from the park to our church (located at Aragon High School), listened to some particularly inspired music, reflected on a particularly relevant sermon, caught up with some friends, and connected with some new people. This was followed by afternoon naps, reading in the sun, and then some hang-out time with Tyler in the backyard while Spencer was still sleeping.



Spencer woke up at 4:30pm, and just when the day seemed like it could be winding down, we weren't quite ready to give up a beautiful day in the sun... so we packed up the car and within 15 minutes were on a gorgeous beach in Half Moon Bay with the boys.


Tyler explored the sand with much interest. Spencer ran around like a mad man, building sand castles, jumping in holes he dug out for himself in the sand, splashing in the ocean, and scavenging driftwood from the beach. We poured ourselves some white wine and snacked on cheese, grapes, and fresh-made bread. The day ended with sunset at Princeton-by-the Sea where we chowed down on our favorite clam chowder at Barbara's Fish Trap before heading home. It's days like this that remind us why we love the Bay Area!

Click here for more photos from our perfect Sunday.

Hiking at Edgewood

It was such a glorious weekend that we called up our trusty hiking buddies, the Canadas, and gathered at Edgewood for a Saturday morning stroll in the foothills.


Ryan and Alonzo carried Spencer and Theo in frame packs up to the top of the hill. The boys then had a great time running around, sharing snacks, playing hide and go seek, and checking out the wild flowers.


Hiking is a little different now, with each of us carrying a kid - but it's still a ton of fun and we have vowed to do more of it as the weather keeps getting better. (Pictured left to right: Ryan with Spencer, Grace with baby TBD, Eunice with Tyler, and Alonzo with Theo).

Click here for more photos from our hike at Edgewood.

Casini Ranch Camping

Tyler's first camping trip! Our community group decided to get away for a weekend at Casini Ranch, a great family-oriented campground right on the banks of the Russian River in Sonoma.



We didn't have the most auspicious beginning.... a 5 hour traffic-filled ride through San Francisco and across the Golden Gate bridge. A rest stop at the Petaluma outlets, however, gave us a second wind and we pulled into Casini Ranch to find that Tom and Amber had already set up camp and started dinner. They let us borrow their two-room tent which was big enough to fit the Nichols and Canadas, with room to spare for a nursing chair for Eunice... Let the camping begin!

When you're camping with 10 kids, you don't have much on your agenda other than watching everyone run around. Highlights of our day included watching Spencer build dirt castles with the girls, towing Spencer and Theo around the campsite in a wagon with buckets on their heads, lots of time playing on the swings and slides of the playground across the street from our campsite, and a trip down to the river bank to play in the river. We also enjoyed a surprise visit from Adam, Rachel, Todd, Chico, and Michelle, who were in the area hiking (we put Adam and Rachel to work in the inflatable kayak, towing the rest of us around the river in our inner tubes as the afternoon fog rolled in). At night we enjoyed a hay ride in the back of a tractor around the campsite, s'mores around the campfire, and a hilarious bedtime routine of brushing teeth in our huge tent.

The one downer of the weekend was Gaby falling into the campfire. She ended up being fine, but definitely gave us a good scare. Spencer still tells the story best: he pantomimes Gaby falling, says that her mommy and daddy were scared, and makes the noises of the fire truck and ambulance that came to make sure everything was OK. Gaby's a tough cookie - burned in a campfire one day, off to a big European adventure a couple days later.

Tyler loved his first camping trip - the fresh air helped him to sleep his first 8 hour stretch in the great outdoors. He's going to be ready to join the Nichols boys (Ryan, Adam, and Spencer) on a backpacking trip out in the Sierras in no time.

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Spencer's First Backpacking Trip

Before Spencer turns 2 this week , we thought (or at least Ryan and Adam thought) it was important to take him out on his first backpacking trip. Eunice "volunteered" to watch Tyler while the boys were off playing, and Adam volunteered to carry the extra weight, so we were off! We started with a late night drive to Tahoe, an early morning boat ride across Echo Lake into Desolation Wilderness, and a hike up to Lake America where we camped out for the night. What a trip!


There were a lot of really memorable moments on a trip like this-- here's a list: intensive trip prep (e.g., playing YouTube videos of motorboats to make sure that Spencer wouldn't be scared by the first leg of the trip), the horror of Spencer waking up at an 11pm gas stop on our ride up and not falling back asleep, sharing a cheap motel bed with a 2 year old, making a wholesome breakfast of instant coffee and oatmeal in the motel microwave as the jeeps rev their engines outside, negotiating to get Spencer in his sun hat at the trail head, a smooth boat ride punctuated by screams of "fast!," mounting up for the first time and realizing how heavy an extra 35 pounds can be, trying to keep my footing with a squirming toddler on my back, trail-side wailing until we figure out that its nap time, hustling all the way to Lake Aloha while Spencer is asleep, rock-hopping to our own private Lake America, Spencer urging Adam and I into the icy cold lake water (and insisting that he come along for the swim), Spencer copying Adam's yoga moves, Spencer amusing himself endlessly by moving rocks around and throwing them into the lake, overcoming Spencer's bug phobia, rough-housing in the tent, copious dinner of brown rice and split pea soup, sunset over Pyramid Peak, frisbee at dusk, early bedtime for all, midnight thrashing and wailing...blessed sleeping in, massive oatmeal breakfast, Spencer diligently "cleaning" dishes by the lake, rock-hopping to Lake Aloha, Spencer's backpacking games and songs, lakeside diaper change, apple bribery leading to an 'apple pacifier' as Spencer napped in the pack, and finally the long, long trip home via 3 miles of trail, 3 miles by boat, and over 3 hours of driving (punctuated by Spencer's first bloody nose at a Baja Fresh). Worth it? Absolutely!


We definitely under-estimated Spencer's love for the water-- this is a glacier filled lake, yet Spencer had no hesitation first dipping in his feet, then his hands, then wanting to walk in deeper and insisting that Adam and Ryan "come!" We finally succumbed to his demands and took the plunge-- one of my favorite memories of the trip is seeing a buck-naked Spencer cheer as I swam back across the lake towards him.


It was also really neat to see Spencer bond with his Uncle Adam on this trip. Even though he never got used to the idea of Adam carrying him in the backpack, Spencer clearly adores his uncle and tried to copy everything... including some very silly-looking stretches and yoga poses.

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Morning at the Beach

This Saturday, we woke up to a blistering morning, so we got the kids dressed, the Xterra fully loaded, and headed off to the beach! We found a fantastic spot to camp out for the morning just north of Half Moon Bay. It was a surprisingly easy trip to do with our two boys and made us feel like we were finally starting to live life as "normal" again.


Click here for a slideshow of our morning at the beach.

Pulgas Ridge Hike

Taking advantage of a beautiful winter afternoon, we decided to explore a new trail off Edgewood Road with the Canadas.


The major difference on hikes these days is the need to incorporate a lengthy break for our boys to burn off some energy. Theo and Spencer had a great time running up and down hills and exploring mud puddles.


Spencer stops to get a snack from Auntie Grace.


Yet another beautiful Bay Area afternoon outdoors...

San Mateo Central Park Music Festival

Each summer, the city of San Mateo hosts a series of free weekly outdoor music concerts in Central Park. This Thursday evening, we headed to the park with some wine, appetizers, and a picnic blanket to stake out a spot on the lawn to listen to "Tempest," a Celtic/folk/rock band which kicked off the summer music series.


We were joined by some of Ryan's work friends, including Conrad, Wendy, and their two sons (Tillman and William), as well as Dieter who was in town for the week from Germany.


Spencer kept himself happily occupied while listening to the music.


Spencer and Ryan out on the dance floor for the final song of the evening...

Bay Area Hiking

With the arrival of spring, we've been going on a lot of hikes around the Bay Area. Here are some photos from recent hikes in Edgewood, Skyline, and Half Moon Bay.

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Mamie and Cora's Visit

After getting back from Catalina Island, we had an unexpected visit from Eunice's childhood friend, Mamie, who flew in from Taiwan for a grad school interview, and a much anticipated visit from Eunice's former Boston roommate, Cora. Spencer had a great time getting to know these two Aunties!


Spencer and Mamie show off their cool hats.


Cora, Eunice, and Spencer go on a hike along the coast.

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Catalina Island Getaway

A year ago, Michael won a week-long getaway to Catalina Island (off the coast of Los Angeles) in a silent auction to benefit the Sunset Neighborhood Beacon Center. This March, Michael invited us (and Eunice's mom) to join him for a fantastic week of hiking, exploration, and relaxation on the island.


Terry, Michael, Eunice, Spencer, and Ryan on one of many hikes on Catalina Island.


View of Avalon Bay and the historic Casino building on the road leading to the old Wrigley mansion.


Michael made a stop in Montery Park for lunch to meet Eunice's grandparents.


Spencer is fascinated by Great Grandpa's nose.

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