We made the decision not to travel far this summer due to the surgery Carter needed to have. It was, obviously, the right decision and things going forward are going to be so much better for him and us as a family. But it's depressing giving up your summer to a hospital. It's also one of the first summers in a long time we haven't made it to California. To me, summer IS California. As a kid I would pack up and head to northern California to spend time each summer with my cousins in Marin County. My cousin Jenny and I would visit Santa Cruz to Fisherman's Wharf. Float down the Russian River and catch tadpoles at Lake Elizabeth. I'd spend a few days touring the big city (San Francisco) with my Uncles Guy and Stan and always always had to ride the trolleys and go to Ghiradelli Square. As I got older, summers meant Southern California beaches-La Jolla and Mission Beach seemed to be the two hot spots our friends split their time between as we were all what is unaffectionately called "zonies"-people from AZ that take over So. Cal in the summer. I think Bob and I are maybe 17 in this picture taken in La Jolla. As we got a bit older we would do silly things like fly to San ...

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