Father's day

I think it may have been a bigger day for Alison, than for Ben.

Alison went to youth group for the first time Sunday morning.  They just started meeting during the first worship service and Alison decided she was ready to go.  California mandated masks to be worn in buildings again, so we had to wear masks at church, but that didn't stop this brave girl.

Alison and Lily:

 Ben played music for both services and Alison stayed with him for both.  The boys and I went to first service and then picked up Jimmy Johns for lunch for everyone.  We all met up and headed to the beach!

It was not the picturesque beach day, but several families from church invited us to join them and Ben thought that was the perfect way to celebrate Father's Day.  Again, Alison won the day and got to hang out with all of the older girls on the picnic blanket to the left...the adults are the group to the right :)

She's entering into a new territory of life.  She kept saying, "I'm not the oldest anymore!".  Needless to say, an afternoon with these youth group girls made the smile on her face pretty big.

We were given a couple of wet suits and one fit Eli perfectly!  You can't hear them talking in this clip, but Elias said to Eli, "Come on man, just grab a surf board!" (all the families brought a couple and would just borrow eachothers)...to which Eli looked at him like he was INSANE and said, "I don't even know how to surf!!!"
This was another view that left me wondering how our life entails this: a coastline full of surfers.

They decided to boogie board instead.

Ben shared a few specialty, local beers with the other dads and got to spend the afternoon watching his kids have the time of their lives.  I am so thankful for the dad that Ben is to our kids and am even more thankful for the partner in this whole parenting thing, that he is to me.