This year we received one of our Christmas presents early: Our grandson Jackson Morgan was born Nov. 5, 2010 at 9 lbs 1 oz! He is settling in with Mom and Dad Terry and Lauren and big sister Lily.
Early in the year Tim and I had a couple of weekend getaways. We spent a night in San Luis Obispo, and toured the south coast, and then for our anniversary/ Valentine's weekend, went to Mendocino. We kayaked and hiked, stayed at a cozy B&B and just enjoyed the scenery, going out one morning at sunrise for a photo shoot.
With the thought of a "0" birthday looming over us, Amanda, with help from Jocelyn and others, gave us a wonderful surprise birthday party at the end of June. It was a relaxed afternoon with barbecue, lots of food, visiting with friends and family, and our own crazy version of soccer-frisbee. And we were surprised - almost! We then went to a SF Giants game on my birthday, with friends Bob and Karen - my first time at AT&T park. Judging from that game, we never would have dreamed they would go on to win the World Series!
After that we took a mini vacation, first to visit friends Bruce and Martha in Redding, then off to Yosemite. With our bicycles, we spent our days exploring the Valley without battling the traffic, while enjoying the gorgeous wildflowers, the falls, and taking a day hike to Hetch Hetchy reservoir. It was a very relaxing and renewing trip and the falls were spectacular this spring. After many years in the past climbing, camping and hiking in Yosemite, and always being afraid of a bear encounter, I finally saw one. He ambled past the Awhanee Hotel in the late afternoon, perhaps dropping by for a cocktail?
Our kayaking has been limited this year because of work and family commitments, but two trips stand out. We had a great day on Tomales Bay with our local paddling group, celebrating St Patrick's Day, complete with a pot luck on the beach afterwards. Another paddle was spur of the moment on a still October afternoon during one of our heat waves; we again paddled on Tomales Bay, which was almost glassy- calm and balmy until sunset. (A normal weather scenario would be 20 knot winds, white caps and the fog barreling in!)
We are happy whenever we can see our grand kids. Lily, who celebrated her second birthday in September, is a real character. She gives big hugs and kisses to Gramma and "Bompa" (Grandpa), and loves to play with cousin Kyra. She loves her baby brother "Jackens" while learning to be a big sister. At the county fair this summer her favorite animals were definitely "SHHEEEP!!". She loved them! She found her favorite carousel horse, and went on rides with cousin Kyra.
Terry continues to work at Medtronic, where his work duties have increased, in addition to now being the dad of two little ones. Lauren is teaching music at a local middle school and has private students as well. She's officially on maternity leave, but recently helped with some Christmas concerts. She's enjoying having cuddle time with Lily and Jackson.
Kyra is in second grade and really growing this year. She is becoming quite a reader, coming a long way from first grade. She has joined a Girl Scout Brownie troop, and wore her mom's uniform for her investiture ceremony. It brought back many memories of my little girl 25 years ago. Kyra stays with Grandma and Grandpa some weekends, and we try to find some outdoor activity or community event to attend with her. One day she got in the car and said, "So where are we going today, Grandma?"
On December 16 Jocelyn graduated from a Licensed Vocational Nursing program. She completed the 18 month program near the top of her class, commuting 4 days a week to class and clinical shifts, and working for a local hospice the other 3 days a week. She's had many obstacles to overcome along the way, and we're very proud of her. She hopes to continue working for hospice or something similar. She and Martin haven't had a lot of free time the last couple of years, but spent a few days camping, and some day trips this summer.
Amanda is also finishing her photography program at Academy of Art University this month. She'll be celebrating her graduation with her class in May 2011. She recently went with some of her classmates to Mojave/Red Rock Canyon area. Her website is amandamorganphotography.com. She is still working full time at Petaluma Health Center in Medical Records and is planning for the next stage of her life.
Tim continues to work for ESA and has several major projects running right now. His second job is pursuing photography. He takes his cameras everywhere (please, not into the restaurant!) and has taken several photography classes and seminars, one with a locally known landscape photographer. He continues to improve his technique. He is also involved with our city's design review committee, the Military Officers Association, and the Green Party. He spends a weekend day when he can with his mother Gwen - who just turned 93!
This fall has been non-stop. We had a wonderful visit from friends Christine and Richard King from the UK. They were actually our neighbors in Maryland 25 years ago. We took them to Pt. Reyes - no balmy and calm weather that day! We also enjoyed a lovely dinner and evening out. It was fun to catch up, and compare our views on the UK vs US. The first weekend of November brought, besides Jackson's arrival, a move for my workplace to the new Vista Community Health Center, part of several clinics in the Santa Rosa area. The facility is beautiful, efficient and represents a move to provide better access to care for all patients in the community. I spent much of year working on one of the related pilot projects. There was also the flurry of birthdays and pre-Thanksgiving activities, along with Amanda's move back home, Girl Scout activities with Kyra, and Jocelyn's pre-graduation planning. I did not sing in choir this semester, but re-joined the Petaluma Community band, playing clarinet.
We continue to be grateful to watch our three beautiful grandchildren grow and to have friends and family close to us. We're hoping all of you are well, and somehow surviving this recession! Let's hope for an improved 2011!
We're planning our annual New Year's hike and some kind of get together afterward - here or??? (Don't worry, "hike" is a loose term - depending on the weather, it may be a 5 minute walk or a 6 mile hike! Join us if you can!
Merry Christmas and Best Wishes for 2011
Tim and Sharon Morgan and Family
Email: Tim - or Sharon -
We're on Facebook, too (except Tim).