June was a full month for the Hanson clan.
I turned 40 and had a wonderful birthday weekend of hiking, laser tag, board games, singing, great food, campfire time, and time with my dad, whom we hadn’t seen in three years.
We hiked Walnut Creek Trail and Dalton Canyon Trail. Both of them are great for kids, and I highly recommend them if you’re in the Glendora/Covina/San Dimas area.
My dad gave the younger kids some carpentry lessons, and they built a balance beam together. It’s wonderful to see their confidence grow as they develop new capacities.
Some of the kids went skating to music for the first time, and Elena took so much joy in it that what was going to be an ordinary trip to the park transformed into a beautiful, almost transcendental experience. I came away feeling so enlivened. These photos almost capture the glory of the moment.
We and the kittens (Thalia and Claire) have settled in pretty well together now. It was pretty chaotic learning to live with two new family members when they arrived in May.
We’ve had a lot of fun playing a new game, Carcassonne. It’s simple enough for our 7-year-old but strategic enough to be engaging for adults, and you can play it in under an hour. Also, it’s fast to set up and clean up. If you want to check it out, tap the picture below.
Our coming-soon baby girl is very active in mommy’s tummy, and we’re really grateful that she’s doing well by all accounts. It’s been a challenging month with the pregnancy as Hannah has had a lot of heartburn, especially at night, which has made it difficult to sleep. We also got some concerning blood-work results, so we’d welcome prayers for even blood sugar, no heartburn, and consistent sleep. Thanks for the prayers and encouragement that so many have already given.
