San Francisco is well known for it's foggy summers, so we were a little hesitant about driving all the way there for a beach BBQ/birthday party. But then again it was no less than the bubbly and newly engaged couple, Shannon and Malcolm, who were organizing it. So regardless of the weather, it had to be good. Of course it was. We got there just in time to snap some pictures of the sunset and to enjoy the fire, smores and all sorts of illegal beverages... Looking forward to the wedding ... on the beach?

Have you ever tried to guess her age? If you do, you may get this dirty look that tells you: "Don't even try; I'm stronger than you and you know it...". But then you would usually get the disarming smile and she'll tell you, just like every year: "Twenty Nine". Most people don't realize that this is actually true ! Just another weird case of the "Benjamin Button" symptom. For all of us it's very comforting to know that, even when we'll be old, we'll still have a loving, funny and cheerful 29-years old friend.

We used to call this the "big trip for the little guy", but after traveling half around the globe, a drive to Los Angeles had nothing to impress our soon to be one Nicola. Still, there was much for him to look forward to and a lot of firsts as always; Camping on the beach, dinner at the cowboy bar, birthday cake and handmade pancakes. Check, check, check and check. But, even though Nicola may not have realized it, the best of all was to blow his first candle surrounded by family. And lucky him: aunty Reirei came all the way from Taiwan to deliver his birthday kiss. Isn't it good to be one ?

We've been living for more than nine years no more than ten minutes away from Great America but never thought about going there! I guess that's the problem about things that are too close to home. Luckily Francesco birthday was around the corner and it seemed like the perfect occasion to drive the extra mile. We spent the whole afternoon and evening switching from water rides to roller-coasters;all five of us came back with the stomach way up in the chest but our smiles were just were they were supposed to be. Happy Birthday Francesco!

Only few people know about Kibbie Lake, located at the North-Western corner of Yosemite National Park, which makes it the ideal destination for Independence Day weekend. It was our first backpacking hike of the season, the first ever for Nicola and the first in the United States for Coco, so we were all pretty excited about it. And we were not disappointed! Thousands of flowers led the way to the lake and the swim in the lake was the most delightful reward after the hike. Hopefully Nicola can walk soon, so we can shed 18+ pounds from our backpack and explore even more remote places.

Ever asked a chinese person who invented Pizza? Chinese did of course! You'll probably have to agree if you don't want to offend over a billion people. Force is to admit however that, even though most of the pizzas had definite italian flavors to them, one of them had undeniable asian origins: Beijing Duck pizza! How about that! Controversy aside, all pizzas were delicious and they almost made us forget that the real reason we got invited was to admire Pascal and Ellie's new house.