We live in Southern California. We live in a lovely area of Long Beach, about 25 miles from Los Angeles but with a very different “small-town” feel.
Our house is a 3-bedroom classic Craftsman with a fenced backyard and a playroom above the garage. We fell in love with this house because we could imagine frequent dinner parties with friends and family who live nearby, and hosting loved ones from out of town for holidays and special weekends.
The surrounding neighborhood is safe, friendly and diverse and is right next to parks, playgrounds, and the beach. We love that we can walk or bike often to restaurants or the grocery store but can also get in our car to get to Los Angeles to see a concert or go to a museum.
We have 2 adorable dogs. Zorro is a 6-year-old Yorkie mix who loves to nap in one of our laps and run along the off-leash beach near our house. Inkblot (or “Blotto” for short, named for his black-and-white spotted coat) is a silly, loving 1-year-old Sheepadoodle (half Old English sheepdog and half-poodle) who lives to chase toys and snuggle at your feet. Both dogs have been around kids and are gentle and loving with them.
INTRODUCING OUR FAMILY
We each are incredibly close with our families – and feel so lucky that the two families clicked right away and enjoy spending time with each other.
Caroline’s family lives nearby in Los Angeles, so we get together often – nearly every Sunday for either potlucks or Caroline’s mom’s delicious home-cooked meals. Many a weekend, we also take Caroline’s adorable niece and nephew (2-year-old Ava and 4-year-old Kou) to the park, zoo or aquarium.
Kevin’s family lives on the beautiful Oregon coast and we look forward to visits to their charming town several times a year. He loves being an uncle to his two nieces (16-year- old Moira and 21-year-old Rowan)—amazing young women who are very artistic, fun, and love kids.
Recently, we have begun a tradition where both of our families spend a long weekend together. This year, we will all be staying in wood cabins by a lake in upstate Minnesota (near where Kevin grew up) to kayak, swim, and BBQ.