There is no way to quickly capture the life of my son Nick. This site is full of memories of Nick, so I’ll only share a few of those that captured a small amount of his special spirit we will all miss so terribly. And the man he grew to be. And the special bond he always had with his great friends, especially his “brother” Cameron and Addy. ...

Charlotte and I are so happy to share that Gabe and Laini will be getting married next summer. They make a fantastic couple and we’re truly excited to welcome Laini and her family to be a part of ours. Here they are celebrating their happiness around Clear Creek in their home of Golden.

Today is the end of a long journey for Monica in pursuit of her PhD in Literature, and the start of the next phase of her life. Baby face Milton would be proud. Then it’s off to celebrate with dinner at one of Monica’s favorite Santa Cruz restaurants Lago di Como.

We moved to Santa Cruz back in 1997 and I always thought we would live here forever. We raised our three children, made the best friends, and rode my bicycle on every road this great place has to offer. Charlotte and I are retired, Gabe is living in Golden, Colorado, and the pull of our old love of Colorado is drawing us back. Our yard has always been the most special part of our home. We always called it Multer State Park, and many a school field trip made this a place of adventure. ...

Gabe has finally figured out they key to satisfying his love of cycling and entrepreneurship at the same time. He’s launching a new sporting nutrition company he’s called Carbs Fuel. The concept is pretty simple, give people the energy they need while exercising with the simplest ingredients and the best price. Just give me carbs! Now the execution is pretty complex and Gabe’s attention to detail is totally key to actually pulling this shit off. I got a chance to see the manufacturing of the new gels in person. A pretty amazing process and very exciting to watch. ...

A fragile and feathery hope grows in my chest It tickles my ribcage and brushes against my cheeks Like the kiss of a bird’s wing as it takes flight. The moment suspended Between the weight of the world And the unburdened sky. Small and tender hearted This alien thing grows inside of me. At night I feed it quietly with whispered dreams And words I am too afraid to say aloud. I do not yet know whether it will become Friend or foe to me as it grows. ...

The bees have infested my brain again Rattling around within my skull Like a ricochet bullet Unwilling to settle on damaging a single target. They fill my mind with vibrations like a tremor behind my eyes Like a precursor pressure Waiting to crack open my head When the real earthquake hits Releasing the infestation of my mind Upon the world that was never prepared For this devastation that I have lived with Everyday like a close companion Or a haunting voice whispering in your ear Words you do not want to hear. ...

The jagged edges of me Clash up against fluidity; Unrelenting shattering. Shards of ice caught Between land and sea Where lines blur to reveal Snow blankets everything. Only the tall stand above The war of attrition Between the changing tides And the bedrock beneath.

Virgin snow collapses under a heavy foot Like sand washed away from a steep embankment By waves impatient of passing time. Footprints dug deep below the surface Only to be covered by the next snowfall; Man lacks permanence in a place such as this. Translucent diamonds fall from the soft blue sky Sharp and glinting in sunlight That offers no warmth or respite from biting winds. Tree limbs grow heavy with new white robes Bowing before the might of Winter With sideways eyes on far away Spring. ...

In many ways, I fail to find the correct words to describe this feeling because the pain is not my own. I cannot lay claim to this grief even though it tears at my heart and wearies my soul. I know how dreadfully Jacob’s family misses him and the grief of struggling to understand his premature death burdens both his family back in Connecticut and his new family in California. The death of a person so young cannot be justified, especially when they have so much life left to live. But I cannot speak for his family, I cannot speak for Mackenzie or her children, I can only share my memories of Jacob in the hopes that my own struggle to comprehend the incomprehensible may help others facing the same uphill battle. My words cannot be sufficient to encapsulate the pain of Jacob’s death, but I hope they can bring back a piece of the light that Jacob shared with everyone he encountered in life. ...