First Stop, Downtown Cooper Town

We flew into Burbank on Wednesday night and settled in at the Safari Inn. We wanted to give the Whites one evening alone in their home after their vacation. Nikki called at 8 AM Thursday morning. I could hear Cooper in the background saying he wanted to go in the pool. They came over and we went for a swim.

Next the five of us went downtown for lunch at the Market City Cafe. Brian shot this picture there.



Then we headed to the 'White House' to play and stay overnight. Mitchell and Cooper had a great time in the little pool.

We had a lovely supper that Nikki prepared with her sous chef, Andrew. I helped by husking corn.



Nikki invented a new drink, the Tujungatini. We were going to have Cosmos but we had no cranberry juice so she used some Juicy Juice instead. They were delicious!

We got a healthy dose of quality time with my dear friend, Nicole, and her men. We are grateful to Jakob for letting us invade so soon after a week being away from his own home. We enjoyed the conversation and it is reassuring to see how much he loves his wife and their son. I know Nikki is in a good place. They are a wonderful family and it is obvious Cooper is surrounded by love.



Coop is bright and fun and engaging. He leaned on me so Nikki says that means I'm "IN". I played in his tent and he read a story to me about colors. I brought Gonzo to life for him for a wee bit. We had a jam session, too.



It is inspiring to watch Nikki parent. She is brilliant at it just like her mother. She is patient and kind and consistent. Bravo!

Nikki whipped up a buffet of bacon and eggs and pancakes. It was delicious and fortified us for the next leg of our journey. Nikki and Cooper took us to the airport after breakfast. It's always hard to say goodbye.



We love you Nikki, Jakob and Cooper!