It must be true - as you get older, time passes more quickly. It seems we just celebrated Christmas, but here we are again. Where did the year go?
Our annual New Year's hike was fantastic, bringing together friends and family from toddlers to -well, older- at Jack London State Park. Not too long after we had some sad news - Rita Haley, a friend I had known from first grade, and one of my college roommates, passed away. Her memorial was full of wonderful stories from family, and fellow nurses and colleagues at Santa Rosa Memorial Hospital, where she worked for 35 years. She will be missed, and her passing is yet another reminder to stay connected to friends and family. In April we once again hosted some new friends from another country! We're becoming sort of a photographer's Air B&B. We met Jeff and Linda Scott from Ontario, who came to visit San Francisco, escaping an especially brutal winter in the North Country. Tim was tour guide, picking them up at their hotel and showing them as many North Bay favorite spots as he could cram into one day (some 250 miles worth). After an enjoyable visit and dinner here, we took them back to SF, first stopping at the Marin headlands for the spectacular nighttime view.
The spring was also kept busy with grandkid outings: a hike with Jackson and Lily, where they were so excited, they ran a half mile before stopping, a trip to the San Francisco zoo with Kyra, Lily and Jackson. Tim's sister Kim came on that trip as logistical back up (to help prevent lost children). There is a wonderful children's museum that has opened here, which has an outdoor habitat modeled after the Russian River - YES! You can play in the creek! - where we've spent several play days. There were multiple sleepovers, and playdates at Grandma and Grandpa's house, a trip to the Sonoma Marin Fair, swim and beach days. I didn't quite have the energy for a backyard campout, but we did have a hot dog roast and s'mores party - maybe we'll have the real campout next summer. The kids really enjoy being together as cousins, and are getting a little easier to chase around! Recently we went to local outdoor holiday pot luck-wreath and craft -making, campfire -singing celebration. We went on a nature walk, finding salamanders and 'vanillapedes' as Lily called them, and throwing rocks in the creek, now rushing after recent storms. All the kids had so much fun - even Odin was happy to be outdoors running with about 20 other kids. On December 14, Tim's mother Gwen Morgan celebrated her 97th birthday, with all four of her great-grandchildren, along with Terry, Tim and I, in attendance. It was pretty amazing to see all the kids interact with her, and it really lifted her spirits.
In May we were guests of Shari and Dave Bunce for a weekend in Ft. Bragg to see the Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens - rhododendrons in bloom! - go hiking and generally have a good time. So this is what people do with their time off! (or when retired).
Earlier, in March, Kyra said, 'My mom's thinking about taking me to Washington DC' and I answered. 'That will be nice for next year.' 'No she means THIS year, in May!' Sure enough, our daughter had plans in place. On May 12, Odin, Kyra, Jocelyn, Tim and I boarded a red eye to Dallas, then to BWI. Odin slept right through the bumpy flight and landing. We were kindly hosted for several days by a former Bechtel colleague of Tim's, Y.J. Lin and his wife Arlene, in Boyds, near Germantown, Maryland. We were amazed how much Germantown has changed. Our former house looked the same; Jocelyn showed Kyra the creek and trails where she walked to school, sledded, and spent hours playing with Amanda, Terry and neighborhood kids. We spent the first few days touring the Washington Mall and the Smithsonian museums, covering a lot of territory with a 10 year old and her 15 month old brother in a stroller. One evening we had dinner with friends and former neighbors Cathy Palmer Tauscher and Len Gebase and their family, with a lot of catching up to do after 25 years. When we arrived, I saw some kids playing in the backyard on a trampoline. Recognizing them from Facebook photos, I told Kyra, 'Go ask those kids if their grandma's name is Cathy!' We didn't see her for about an hour as she enjoyed some much-needed kid time. We went on to Chincoteague, Virginia, then Williamsburg, which really brought American history to life for Kyra. Jamestown was also very interesting, imagining what the first settlers had to go through.
The end of June we celebrated our birthdays with friends and families with a beach BBQ, and on July 4 weekend Tim and I went on an impromptu and very relaxing one night camping trip. We also did a wonderful Russian River paddle with our nephew Doug, his girlfriend Melissa, and their two dogs. In early August, we loaded up the kayaks, picked up Kyra and drove to Trinity Lake to meet Amanda, Chris, and Chris' extended family, the Okeys, to camp for a few days. We stayed in a laid-back 50s style KOA campground, and in the heat, spent a lot of time at the pool. With severe drought conditions and smoke from the nearby fires, there were helicopters flying overhead to dip their buckets in what was left of Trinity Lake, giving sort of an apocalyptic feel. We still had a great time, and Kyra even met another Kyra to pal around with.
In September Tim traveled to the eastern Sierra for a weekend photo shoot. An early storm came through, and he actually saw some snow in the ghost town of Bodie. Speaking of photography, that is Tim's passion, and he is getting to be quite good. Another major event for Tim this year, at the urging of his doctor, was to sign up for an 18 month weight management program. Since early October, he's lost over 46 pounds and still going strong! We're all rooting for him! Tim is in his 17th as an environmental consultant for ESA and looks forward to retirement in a few years.
I spent much of my extra time this summer studying for my PA recertification, which I took - and passed - On October 6. Glad that's over with! The next weekend Tim and I spent a spectacular overnight kayaking camping trip on Tomales Bay. The focus for the trip was a night time paddle to view the bioluminescence, which was not great, but with good food, swimming, good people, and viewing a million stars, who cares? We've gone out for a few other kayak trips this year...so peaceful to be out on the water. We were able to catch a few performances this year, with friends and family. We saw Audra McDonald, Dave Barry, the hilarious Whose Live Is It Anyway, improv group, and a tribute to the comedian Robin Williams at the San Francisco Comedy Day. We also try to catch concerts and events when we can.
Jocelyn and Martin have had an eventful year. It started with a move the end of January from their house of 10 years. They were sad to leave that neighborhood, where they had made friends, but fortunately their landlord had another house - his family's 100-year-old farmhouse - so it made the move easier. One advantage is that they have about a quarter acre for gardening, and had fun experimenting with a lot of different veggies and teaching the kids about gardening and playing in the dirt! Jocelyn is expanding her nursing duties: charge nurse in a skilled nursing rehabilitation facility, as well as behavioral health, maintaining documentation for the facility, and leading patient education groups. She is also busy home schooling Kyra and keeping almost 2 year old Odin busy. Martin also helps Kyra with her schoolwork and takes her for runs or sometimes to skating sessions. They try to get out as a family for bike rides, beach walks or river swims. In late September, they drove to Humboldt County (5 hours from here) to help Amanda move. Shortly after, they spent a wonderful few days near Mt Shasta. Martin has been bitten by the climbing bug, and really wanted to try summiting the 14,000- ft peak. Because of the drought, there was NO snow on the mountain, which sometimes is more hazardous. He actually made it to 12,000 feet. The whole family had made the steep climb to 9,000 ft Horse Camp, where Kyra signed the climber's register in the hut. This is significant, as she is at least the 4th generation to do so - her great grandfather Don Joslin, with his brother and friends climbed Mt Shasta in the 30s'; great uncle Mike, Grandpa Tim, Uncle Terry have all climbed it. The beautiful scenery and the lure of the mountain have them ready to go back for more - even after a bear raided their camp one morning.
Kyra is a Girl Scout and this fall her troop earned the Bronze award. She and her mom ran in a 'Run or Dye' race this fall. She is working hard on her 6th grade studies, and takes care of her pet guinea pig, Pablo, and is a huge help taking care of Odin, who adores her. We were guests of our friend Karen, who is a docent at the California Academy of Sciences, to see the recent skulls exhibit. One of Kyra's favorite spots there is the rain forest, full of butterflies. When we went to Santa Cruz in October for a photo shoot of the monarch butterflies, she came along. Kyra surprised us all at Thanksgiving. As we went around the table sharing what we're thankful for, she stood up in front of 25 mostly adults and read a poem she wrote! It was one of the best gifts!
Odin has a smile on his face most of the time. He gives big kisses and hugs and will just as quickly give karate chops and 'kee-ais!' He loves anything mechanical, and walks around with 'tools' ready to 'fix' anything. He is also learning to count to ten. Terry and Lauren have had a nonstop year. Lauren continues teaching music and Terry continues at Medtronic. They had a great vacation in Puerto Vallarta, while Lily and Jackson had a really fun week with Grandpa Stephen and Nana in Oregon. They also traveled to Washington for Lauren's brother's wedding, where Lily and Jackson were flower girl and ring bearer. Lily is doing well in kindergarten, now in the school district where her mom works. She is in a hip-hop class, with a recital coming up, and she loves anything having to do with 'Frozen.' Jackson, 4, is starting to recognize letters and talking a lot. He LOVES sports. In November, we celebrated his birthday with a party at a local park and a kid- adult softball game. He was so happy, and it was hilarious watching the little munchkins learn how to hit, field and run the bases. Recently, Jocelyn and I took the three older kids to the Nutcracker. Jackson was enthralled with the dancing and the music. But after intermission, re-entering the theater, he said 'We're going to do it AGAIN?!' We will miss them at Christmas...because they are going to Disneyland!! They will have a blast! They are at the point where they're understanding jokes a lot, (especially Grandpa's) and Lily really watches out for her brother.
This has been a year of change and growth for Amanda, now 31. In February she went to Thailand with eight other female photographers and spent time volunteering at a facility for girls affected by sex trafficking, and sharing photography skills with the girls. The trip also included some tourist time in Chiang Mai, visiting rural hill tribes near the Myanmar border, and finally some beach time on the resort island of Ko Phi Phi. It was a life-changing experience, and we're still enjoying her photos. In September, she left her long-term boyfriend, Chris, and moved from one end of California to the other, landing in Palm Springs, with a few stops in Cotati on the way. She and her Chihuahua, Bucky, enjoy exploring Southern CA and beyond, getting out for hikes, walks, and local events whenever possible. She joined several friends from the Thailand trip for a stay in Zion NP and Las Vegas in October. She is still working from home managing medical records with Data File, which allows her to visit us often, as her 'office' can be anywhere there's an internet connection.
We hope you all have a wonderful Christmas and holiday season. As usual, we will bring in the New Year with a hike. Let us know if you want to join us.
Merry Christmas and Happy 2015!
Tim and Sharon Morgan and Family