Benji’s Big Family Debut

Week three showed some pretty great developmental progress.  Ben’s clearly tracking with his eyes and intently studying faces.  It feels like he’s seeing us for the first time.  This morning he heard his mommy walk into the room, and his eyes never left her until she walked past him.  It felt like a huge leap. […]

Benji Bear: Week 2 in Review

New week 2: a lot more grunting, eyes wide open, smiley dreams, cheeks getting a little more ripe for the pinching.   Special thanks to Nonna and Aunt Connie for all the baby cuddles, window washing, furniture moving, laundry, dinners, and on and on.   1-800-ilovebrandnewcarpet Soooo big!   A Saturday morning walk about Lake […]

Benjamin Michael Leopold

At last! After 9 months baking in Lea’s oven, our son made his debut appearance July 4, 2014 (his due date) at 1:50 in the afternoon. He shares his birthday with the likes of Calvin Coolidge (US President), Louis Armstrong (Jazz Musician), and Uncle Sam (Personification of the World’s Greatest Nation).  Known aliases include Ben, […]

Mother Mabel: A Remembrance

On June 24, 2012, my mom delivered her remembrance of my Grandma Mabel. It will now, forever, be our remembrance, too.   Good afternoon, and thank you for joining us to celebrate the life and memory of a remarkable woman we knew as mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, great-great-gandmother, and aunt, Mabel Marietta Schaal Sturgeon Hudson. For […]

Sunny Santa Monica

As the third day of any full-throttle three-day weekend often goes, I think I speak for the group when I say that our tanks were running a little empty.  Probably not enough steam for surfing, nor biking, nor hiking.  So what else does one do while visiting LA?  Stalk celebrities!  Lea’s greatest celebrity crush is […]

D-Day. I Mean, B-Day.

Saturdays are always the best days, and this one was no exception.  The morning air was warm and still, and because it was the middle day of our three-day vacation, we had hit our CA stride like we had never left and we still had our Sunday buffer before the work week.  And if that […]

Lea’s Dirty Thirty-ith

  Given the recent outpouring of love on Lea’s Facebook wall, it may come as no surprise to anyone that she recently celebrated her 30th birthday.  Clearly, this is no small event, so we decided to celebrate the only way we know how…in style. 🙂 While I haven’t made the announcement to the blogosphere, Lea and […]

Muir Woods

It was a month ago, to the day, that Lea and I had unexpectedly arrived in Sonoma for our weekend getaway to Big Sur.  After a day of rekindling our love affair with Northern California among the vines in wine country, there were only two more things we had to do since we had come […]

Sonoma. Jared Style.

So, when we left off last time, Lea and I had just finished a 9 hour drive looking for a place to lay down for the night and had finally found one in Sonoma, about 200 miles north of where we had planned. I will say, it was well worth the trip.  Lea and I […]

Big Sur or Bust

Lea and I recently started a formal bucket list. One for things we want to see and do around the world, and one specific to California.  At the top of our CA bucket list is a trip to Big Sur.  For months, we’ve been planning our trip, and it’s been the only topic of conversation […]