What the Wises Did This Summer, Part 1

In August Maya and I went to California for my brother's wedding. It was fortunate that two of my friends from childhood happened to be in the San Francisco Bay Area during the same week. Kelly was visiting from Belgium and Lisa was visiting from Portland. I got to spend some time with four of my old friends. Maya and I enjoyed some time away with just the girls.




On our first day my friend Colleen took us to a farmer's market. I was in heaven!

Then my friend Lisa met us at Lake Anza in Berkeley with her family.

Lisa was down from Portland for a week visiting her family and friends.

Lisa's kids Meg and Joel taught Maya how to bury someone in the sand.

The next day we went to Fairfax to visit my friend Robin who took us to a playground with the coolest climbing structure ever!

My friend Kelly was visiting from Belgium and was in CA for one week.

She brought her two older girls Amelie and Claudia and met us at the Oakland Zoo.

The next day we went to Oakley to see my Aunt Pat and cousin Kim. Maya met her second cousins Adam, Nick, and Jessica .

On Saturday my friend Colleen took us to a fabulous place in San Francisco to get manicures before the wedding.

Then we went next door to the tea house for high tea. Colleen brought this cute little tin tea set along for Maya. The waitress filled the pot with hot chocolate and brought whipped cream and mini marshmallows!

Colleen really knows how to spoil little girls.

Here's my brother Jim waiting in the wings of the Blackhawk Grill in Danville for his bride to arrive. It was a dark corner but I lightened it with my photoshop and I love the way it came out. The red eye reduction wasn't working, though.

And his beautiful bride, Elise arrives. This picture does do her enough justice.

During the reception a belly dancer appeared. After performing several dances, she gave the groom a belly dancing lesson. My brother was a good sport. Again the red eyes need work.

Then the bride got a dancing lesson. She went around the room and pulled people up from their seats for belly dancing lessons. Yes, she even got me to belly dance in front of 65 people. It helped to have had a couple of glasses of wine in me.

After the bride and groom got up and salsa danced, we nabbed Jim for this Family Photo.

The DJ started playing Motown so Maya put on her dancing shoes and shook her groove thang!

Stay tuned for Part 2: Wise Guys go to Pendleton, OR!