Count down to college ...

If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours - HDT.

I found this quote last night while I was working on Andrew's senior dedication page for the RFH year book (the one that he'll will keep for eternity). While I was sifting through pictures, trying to find the perfect balance between 'oh how cute' and 'oh how embarassing' - it hit me again, this time next year will look so different. It's a mixed bag of jubilation and wistfulness. I am so insanely proud of this young man, once dubbed The Gelato Prince (actually that's a picture of him at B&R in downtown Los Altos), but he did eat his way through Italy one gelato cioccolato at a time. I look at him now, all 6'4" and think - really? To remember how small he was when he was born (4 lbs give or take a few ounces), to acknowledge how hard he fought to stay alive (they called him 'a flyer'), to think about the first time I got to hold him in my arms (it was weeks) - this baby, this boy, this man - he is extraordinary.

So what advice do you give a young man who's already cheated death, has a depth of heart beyond his years and an unflappable strength of character - to never find yourself as one of the 'mass of men living lives of quiet desperation' (HDT), go live, try new things, have fun, be happy. And, don't forget BDH and the Four Essential Things.

xoxo,

P

Christmas Revisited and Happy New Year

(This is my favorite picture of my mom and the boys taken at my sister's house in Pebble Beach over the holidays).

Christmas was awesome! We left 2 feet of snow and 19 degree weather behind and immersed ourselves in California. It was so comforting to see mountains, lots of CA license plates, the 'City', 280, even the Bay Bridge in bumper-to-bumper traffic was cool (seriously, it took us an hour and a half to get from SFO to Oakland after 8 hours of travel). We pigged out at some of our favorite restaurants, peeked at our house (everything looks ok), surveyed our storage unit (yes half of our belongings are still in CA), traipsed through downtown Los Altos, and then we all got a little sad. It's hard not to miss life in CA; friends, family, familiarity.

Lest you think we were hunkered in Los Altos the whole time hiding out and not calling (please don't be upset, it would have been impossible to see everyone and then the guilt, ugh) ... we were actually road warriors, from Oakland (Berkeley) to Pebble Beach to Los Altos to San Jose to Oakland to Morgan Hill to Oakland - I guess it was a good thing we left the van there after all.

It was so wonderful to spend time with our families, some of whom we hadn't seen for over a year, that's way too long. There were tears of joy and of saddness, anticipating when the next time would be. Thank you so much to those of you who let us barge into your lives, for the generosity of your time and the warmth of your friendships. To those of you we missed, we hope your year is off to a great start and we'll catch you next time! To anyone brave enough to head East, the cabana is ready Memorial Day weekend!

xoxo,
P