The New Baby!

Little "Rocky" could not wait to join us in our new home, so he decided to arrive three weeks early!
Jack Alexander Hartings was born at 10:10 p.m. on Sunday, July 25th, weighing 6 lbs, 13 ozs and measuring 19 inches.

It was a stormy day here in the DC area, with trees and power lines coming down all over the place. After 14 hours of induced labor in a hospital with no a/c and limited lighting, Jack finally arrived on the scene (and power was miraculously restored!)

He is a sweet-natured little guy, and we are delighted to be bringing him home with us tomorrow to play with his big sisters and Grandma and Papa Kneen!

The New House

After two and a half weeks in the new house, most of the boxes are unpacked, and we are beginning to settle in to every room (except the basement, which is Matt's pet project). As requested, here are a few shots of the house as it comes together.

Many thanks to all of our family and friends who helped us get here and get organized. It took a LOT of work to get the place cleaned and fixed for habitation!

California Girls

I must admit, there are a few things about Southern California summers that I really will miss--jacaranda blossoms, Fridays at the Ath, and weekends at the beach. It was in the mid-80s in Pasadena this weekend, which meant that it was finally warm enough to go to the beach (where it's always 10 degrees cooler).

On Saturday, we headed to Hermosa Beach for some brilliant waves and rays...and delicious Paisano's Pizza! Both girls spent the afternoon covered in sand, and Kaitlyn braved the breakers as often as Matt would take her to down to swim.

The girls had so much fun, in fact, that we went back to the beach on Sunday, this time with Uncle Tommy (who was in town for the Lakers vs. Celtics game!) The overcast sky and chilly breeze did not deter Kaitlyn from frolicking in the water, dragging Matt and Tommy with her. Claire stuck to ruining my sand castles. Then we took in the seedier side of Venice Beach along the boardwalk before returning Tommy to his hotel a half hour late. We hope he made it to the game on time!

Seals, Sea Lions, Dolphins...and a Whale!

In honor of Matt's upcoming birthday and Aunt Jo's timely visit, Saturday we went on a catamaran cruise to see dolphins and, we hoped, a whale! It was a beautiful day--75 degrees and sunny in the OC--when we departed. The first sea creature we saw was a little harbor seal, who was playing shy. Within a half hour, we were cruising with over 20 dolphins swimming in our wake. The girls were delighted watching them leap, spin, and splash right next to us. We even saw a couple of calves during the 40 minutes or so they kept pace. Near the end of our trip, the captain finally saw what we'd all been waiting for...a whale! From the 30-foot-high water spout and distance, he guessed that we were on the lookout for a blue whale. It went under before we got to it the first time, but a little while later, we all got to see it spout about a half mile ahead...and some even saw its back breach the horizon. Very exciting! Thanks, Jo, for the fabulous visit!!

Two Little Princesses

Claire joined in on the dress-up fun today with her big sister. She's still a bit small for all the pretty princess dresses, but she looked adorable in her little tutu, and Kaitlyn was more than happy to share her tiaras.

A Beautiful Morning for a Hike

Saturday morning was cool and slightly overcast, the perfect weather for a short hike in the Malibu hills. Matt and I took the girls in the backpacks for a 1.5-mile hike in Solstice Canyon Park. We saw beautiful flowers, a flowing creek, charred tree trunks surrounded by green foliage, a rushing waterfall, and the ruins of a historic home designed by renowned architect Paul R. Williams. The girls had fun running up and down the stone steps and peeking into the five fireplaces, about all that was left after a canyon fire in 1982.