There's no place like Camp Tuolumne

Every year my extended family gets together for a week up in the mountains right outside of Yosemite National Park. We go to a family camp called Tuolumne and I'm pretty sure I have only missed a year or two in my entire 30 years. My grandfather, Weldon, use to take my dad and my aunt when they were little and the family has been going ever since. It is the best place in the world and my family are the best peeps in the world - so what could be better?!

The week at "camp" is like camping - light. All the meals are cooked for you and you eat in a dining hall, but you sleep outside in canvas tent/cabins that have beds you put your sleeping bags on. There is a swimming hole, bathrooms, showers, volleyball court, ping pong etc. Adults spend time reading, hiking and relaxing. Kids have endless activities and tons of things to do, but mostly it is swimming and playing in the river - which by the way is Arctic cold. We have so much fun every year. I already can't wait for next year!

20 Week Ultrasound - Its a....

Its a...baby! Ha Ha! We went in for the 20 week ultrasound and got a good look at our baby - except for the main attraction which we're leaving as a surprise. You'll just have to wait to find out if it is pink or blue for the Devingers. : )

Our baby looks great and everything is healthy except for one minor detail. The umbilical cord normally has two arteries and one vein. Baby D's umbilical cord only has one artery (Single umbilical artery - SUA). Our Doctors are not concerned because everything else looks perfectly normal and healthy. We will go back for another ultrasound at 28 weeks to make sure the baby's developing properly. All we want is a healthy baby - and healthy parents. We'll keep you posted, but we are confident that all is well.

The baby is moving a lot. I have been feeling it for the past month. It showed off some of its moves during the ultrasound. We think we have a little athlete on our hands! 20 more weeks to go - we can't wait to meet our little one!

Cal Shakes

One of our favorite things to do on a summer evening is go to a Cal Shakes play. My sister got us season tickets as a wedding gift and we have been season ticket holders ever since. Cal Shakes (California Shakespeare Theater) is a local, out door theater that has the beautiful, golden Berkeley/Orinda hills as a backdrop. They perform 4 plays per summer, two Shakespeare and two non-Shakespeare. We pack a picnic dinner, snuggle and watch the play. It is always cold - the summer fog rolls in and sets the scene for hot coco at intermission. : )

Happy Birthday Connor!

Our nephew (and godson), Connor, turned 6 on July 18th! He is going into first grade and is 100% boy. Here he is at Saturday's swim meet with his friend Matthew. Cuties!

Wicked

We saw Wicked on Saturday. It was fabulous! Go see it!
The story is fun, the sets are spectacular and the talent is amazing!

July Check-Up

Pat had his July check-up this morning with Dr. Schmidt at UCSF.
Everything is looking good!

Pat has been participating in one of Dr. Schmidt's studies that has something to do with saliva. Pat's has given a sample a few times - each time he is not allowed to eat or drink 12 hours before. He literally spits into a vile and hands it over. Dr. Schmidt is very appreciative of Pat's particapation and it is always funny to hear "thank you for your saliva". : )

Lance on the Tour & the San Jose Livestrong Challenge!

Tour de France 2009 Stage 9 Update LIVESTRONG.COM

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Livestrong Challenge - Century Bike Ride

On Sunday Pat completed his first 100 mile bike race, aka century, as part of the Livestrong Challenge in San Jose. The event had 3,600 participants, runners and riders, and the San Jose event raised a grand total of $1.3 million! Thanks to all our family and friends that donated - and if you didn't get a chance to donate, don't worry, I'm sure there will be another event in the future! : )

I am so proud of Pat! 100 miles is a huge accomplishment, not to mention the tough climb that was part of the course (more on that later). It was an exciting, fun and emotional day. It was amazing to see so many people all working towards the same goal - fighting cancer.

Pat at the finish line! WoooHooo!

Pat and a fellow team mate that rode most of the way together.

The team at our gym that Pat trained with. Way to go Club Sport!

Happy Birthday Pat!

I fall more in love with you everyday. Happy Birthday!

Happy 4th of July!

We got back from our camping trip just in time to join my family for a big 4th of July feast at Benihana. Not very American, but super tasty! My family has gone there since the 70's (no joke) and I still find all the knife tricks and shrimp flipping fun : ) At Benihana we also got to start celebrating Pat's b-day a little early (he turns 31 on July 9th!). Happy Benihana Birst-day Pat!

The night of the 4th we joined my sister's family at a near by park to watch some fireworks. It was chilly so we snuggled together on the lawn. We watched tiny fireworks through the trees. My nephew said they were the best fireworks he had ever seen - that made them good enough for me!

Yosemite Camping

We went up to Yosemite for a few days with our friends Nathalie, Jason and their little girl Mischa. Nathalie's extended family was there too. We had such a great time being outside, sleeping in our tent and hiking. Can't wait to do it again soon! For all you out-of-towners - Yosemite is about a three hour drive from the bay and is just amazing! If you have not been - go someday : )

We spent Friday hiking up to Glacier Point - 9.2 miles round trip with an altitude gain of 3,200 feet. It was a trek, but I had no room to complain because Nathalie's 78 year old grandmother came with us! She rocked! The views from the top were spectacular! The top picture is a view of the valley with Half Dome on the left and Nevada & Vernal falls on the right. Wow!