Fun with Friends

This trip, we met up with Stacey's friend Dan, or Grinder, who came across for our wedding in 2003.

But we haven't seen him since our wedding party in England in early 2004. He's now married with two children the same ages as our girls.

We met at Jungle Jungle, an indoor play place. Dean and Euan came too, on a day marked by drenching downpours.

This is Dan's 5-year-old son Charlie, a keen footballer who had fun deflecting Stace's shots with the plastic ball-pool balls.

We also visited with Dunc and Lindsey and their girls. Cora had a lot of fun with Chelsea, as always, and Charlie did a great job sharing her new Christmas presents with Cora and Violet.

For my birthday, Jim and JT took us out to lunch at a nice pub in Mudford, near Yeovil. (For anyone looking for GOOD pub food with great olde worldy pub atmosphere, go to the Half Moon Inn. You know, if you're in the Yeovil area.)

It was fabulous, as always, to see our dear friends, who are in the process of emigrating back to California. It's odd to think that this is the last time we're spending time together in England! JT and I have been England buddies for our entire England experience, from our first trip together to visit Jim and Stace in July 2001.

I also enjoyed spending time with our English family on the evening of my birthday, with a cake and presents to boot. Thanks!


On Saturday, we caught up with Andy and Jen, and their daughter Marisa, husband Paul and daughter Lola Belle. They picked a superb location - Barleymow's Farm Shop and Restaurant was very kid-friendly, with an indoor play area and play structure outside for those not afraid to get a little muddy. Like Cora and Violet! Here, Cora shows our friends her monkey-bar abilities.