Griffin was Nick’s pet bird. He was a cute blue parakeet that Nick loved carrying around on his shoulder. We didn’t have Griffin for very long, only a few months. A friend of Nick bought the bird and was looking for a new home for him. Nick has always loved Valri’s bird Toodles and had been lobbying for a bird of his own for some time. Griffin was a nice bird, but wasn’t quite in love with Nick the same way Toodles is. ...
Charlotte’s green thumb is really starting to show. This year’s garden is kickin some booty. We’ll be hauling in a huge number of tomatoes any day now.
Monica loves her new American doll we got in Chicago. She’s decided to call her Samantha, or Sammy for short. Here she is modeling her many adorable outfits. First up is her ice skating ensemble. Next is her urban outfit for trekking in the big city. Then she moves into her tennis outfit so she can meet up with the other American girls at the club. Finally she gets into her pajamas and it’s time for bed. ...
Gabe has been doing so great with his swimming lessons. Here he is learning to swim on his back in the Scotts Valley pool. He always has a lot of fun with this instructor. It’s also really tough to ever get those swim goggles off him. But he sure is having fun. Monica and I sit on the sidelines while Gabe has all the fun. Monica’s pretty entertained with Samantha and her matching sweatsuit outfit. What a pair they make. ...
We decided to do a boat lunch cruise around Chicago for our last day. Scott got us a reservation on a fine ship called The Duck. In spite of the name, she was a fine ship. Annabel certainly liked the taste of her. After lunch, they held a variety of contests for the kids. The moment we heard the hula hoop was to be an event, the prize was as good as ours. Monica works those hips effortlessly and crushes the competition. ...
We started the day with a very big event for the girls. Lynda arranged for breakfast at the American Girl store downtown. We had a great breakfast that felt a lot like a little girl tea party. This of course was followed by an intense session of doll shopping for both Monica and Rachael. Monica made off with a new doll and a pile of new outfits, including a matching sweatsuit for herself. As you can see, she’s literally eating it up. ...
Lynda gives me a call and suggests we meet in Chicago for Rachael’s birthday. Good chance for a trip to see Annabel and Monica loves to travel. How can I say no. We managed to pack quite a few events into our short trip, including this visit to the Field Museum. I think this is the T-Rex that Johnny Cash wrote a sing about, or maybe that was a man names Sue. The last two shots are a glimpse into what it was probably like for our early ancestors in the Stone Age. Notice the prominent brow ridges. ...
My dad (Ira) and Karen went on a cruise to Alaska with my uncle David and aunt Carole. I hear that they enjoyed the glaciers, gardens, and spectacular food.
We’re up in Burlingame visiting with George and his family. Here the kids are having fun in the hot tub. Zachary and Gabe have a great time together, and when all the girl cousins can get together, it’s always a thrill. Nick doesn’t like to go anywhere without his mask and snorkel. Trouble ahead. Your author hanging in the kitchen with George, Ellen, and Charlotte. It’s a beautiful day on the drive home down Highway 1 to Santa Cruz. These photos are just north of Pigeon Point, and by Big Basin state park. This has always been a big windsurfing and hang gliding spot, but the kite surfers are a new thing. Gabe’s thinking, one day that’ll be me. ...
Charlotte’s got quite a crop planted this year. Lots of tomatoes, lettuce, eggplant, corn, peppers, zucchini, green beans, peas, pumpkins, and more. We’ve added a few more planting boxes this year. Charlotte’s also done a lot with filling in the paths and adding lots of flowers. We also added two apricot trees, and some berry vines. This is also the only place we can grow roses with the deer in the area. Can’t wait to start harvesting. ...