San Francisco!

Right before school started we all packed up and headed out to San Francisco for Jeff’s brother John’s wedding.  Since we were going so far (and the plane ride was going to look like this, regardless of how long we were going to stay) we decided to make a whole trip of it and stay nearly a full two weeks.  It was awesome to be there long enough to soak in Jeff’s family, see Aunt Chichi and other friends and celebrate John and Clarissa getting married. 

We spent the first half of the trip with two different sets of friends that both date back to before Jeff and I were even married. First we got to hang out with Anna and Ryan Halverson.  Anna and I went to Wellesley together.   We all lived in DC at the same time before Anna and Ryan got married.   After we all got married and after me and Jeff’s 6 month honeymoon in the Philippines we met up with Ryan and Anna in Thailand.  Oh, that was the adventure of a lifetime.  We can’t wait for our next traveling adventure, but for now, we’re all hunkering down and raising children.  We spent two nights at their place in Walnut creek.  We ate awesome food, went for some cool hikes, Anna and I went running, we talked a lot about a lot and spent a day in San Francisco.  It was so great to see where they live and get a feel for their life.  And it made us want to live next door.   I love old friends.  We didn’t get many pictures of the hanging out at their house….but we got a ton on the day we went into SF on the Ferry from Oakland.  The Ferry ride was a great adventure.  The kids loved it and it was beautiful.  I know this post isn’t about Charlie's hair, but I had to take some good pictures of that wild main since he was getting a presentable haircut for the wedding.  We left Hazel at home with Grandma and Grandpa Shumway so that she could spend some quality time with them.  We thought that Charlie would LOVE the Halverson boys and we were right.  They totally hit it off.  Once we got to San Francisco we drifted through the ferry building market place and ate fresh farm berries and tomatoes.  Jeff got some fancy cheese at the cow girl creamery and we ate some fat burgers at G.  We found a really cool fountain across from the Ferry Building and played under the waterfalls (not getting wet, amazingly) for a while.  Peter just chilled like always in his car seat.  Good little boy. Before heading back we soaked in the rare summer san Francisco sun and watched the sea lions at Pier 39 while waiting for the Ferry home. After the Ferry we took everyone for a spin in The Shumway Model A.  It was a hit with those boys. 

We finished off the day with some yummy dessert for dinner at Fentens.  I love old friends. Next stop was a day out in Auburn with the Davis family.  Geoff and Darcie served with us in the youth program of a Spanish congregation in DC when we were all still single.  Geoff was YM president, Darcie YW president and Jeff and I were the 2nd counselors.  Serving together is a good way to hook up I guess.  We all saw the good sides of each other as we served, the side that doesn’t always come out at a party at Duck Beach.  And now, here we all are, years later, raising kids.

Geoff and Darcie are awesome examples of deliberate parenting.  They have created a vision for their family, for their kids and their working hard to bring it all to pass.  I follow Darcie's blog and have loved seeing how their awesomeness is being slathered onto their three cute little girls.  Seeing it all unfold in person though was pretty amazing.  Those girls are dynamite.  They are all solid individuals, so secure in who they are, and so different and so open and friendly and good and smart.  Sadly Darcie wasn’t around the day we visited (she had to unexpectedly fly to Utah for family stuff) but I could see so clearly in different ways in each of her girls.  And it was so great having a whole day to talk to Geoff and hear about how they are saving the world, first through raising stellar kids and next through all kinds of global efforts to reach the poorest of the poor.  Being with them is nothing short of totally inspiring.  I wish we lived next door.

We didn’t bring Charlie with us on this trip because we knew Hazel would drink in being around three new girl friends with no little brother around to pester.  Plus, Charlie needed some serious Grandpa Shumway time. 

Hazel had the time of her life, swimming, jumping on the tramp, picking blackberries, seeing their chickens and other pets, wondering in their farmy wonderland.  I think she and Ceci are kindred spirits.   I hope I an get my act together to help them keep in touch. Somehow we didn’t get nearly enough pictures of this day.  I didn’t even get one of Tennie, but here is Adele with Emmeline.  Those girls were so polite and engaging.  When I wandered in the door, a little lost after arriving and having to quickly change Peter while Jeff took the kids in Tennie came down the stairs, walked right up to me and with a welcoming smile and a hand shake looked me right in the eyes and said, “Hi, I’m Tennie, you must be Saydi.  I’m so happy to meet you.”  Really?  An 11 year old (or is she 12)?  I was amazed and since then have been trying to figure out how to raise my daughters to be like these three girls. 

stay tuned for sf part 2.