▁History ▁Gard ner ▁and ▁Hamm el ▁first ▁met ▁in ▁Lawrence , ▁Kansas , ▁while ▁both ▁were ▁involved ▁in ▁relationships ▁with ▁other ▁people . ▁Even ▁though ▁they ▁ex changed ▁e - mail s ▁regularly , ▁they ▁did ▁not ▁get ▁together ▁until ▁three ▁months ▁later . ▁They ▁originally ▁played ▁together ▁in ▁a ▁four - pie ce ▁rock ▁band ▁called ▁V os ot ros , ▁in ▁which ▁they ▁both ▁sang ▁and ▁played ▁guitar . ▁Short ly ▁after ▁the ▁couple ▁moved ▁to ▁California ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 8 , ▁Gard ner ▁began ▁teaching , ▁and ▁Hamm el ▁applied ▁to ▁medical ▁school . ▁They ▁both ▁opt ed ▁later ▁to ▁dev ote ▁their ▁time ▁to ▁making ▁music ▁and ▁tour ing ▁together ▁instead ▁and ▁got ▁married ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 1 . ▁Gard ner ▁and ▁Hamm el ▁originally ▁lived ▁together ▁in ▁San ▁Francisco , ▁and ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4 ▁they ▁moved ▁to ▁East ▁H aven , ▁Connecticut . ▁In ▁February ▁ 2 0 0 7 , ▁they ▁sold ▁their ▁house ▁in ▁East ▁H aven ▁and ▁re located ▁to ▁Str at ford , ▁Connecticut . ▁ ▁Gard ner ▁and ▁Hamm el ▁have ▁two ▁daughters , ▁Magn olia , ▁born ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 4 , ▁and ▁June ▁Elizabeth , ▁born ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 8 . ▁For ▁the ▁band , ▁tour ing ▁became ▁a ▁family ▁affair , ▁with ▁both ▁daughters ▁going ▁on ▁the ▁road ▁with ▁their ▁parents . ▁Gard ner ▁kept ▁a ▁' blog , ▁Band ▁on ▁the ▁Dia per ▁Run , ▁that ▁appeared ▁on