Dear Friends and Family : 

Merry Christmas! We hope this finds you happy and healthy! This year went by very quickly for us, as we watched Sam grow from a baby into a walking, running, babbling, climbing-on-everything toddler. We feel so blessed to witness this little person in the amazing process of growing, learning, playing and becoming every day!

Sam is a very active, happy boy who enjoys playing with Charlie, dumping out all his blocks and going down the big slide at the playground. He is fast and fearless with no regard for personal safety! He loves trucks and cars and anything he can push or pull. His favorite book is Goodnight Moon, which we read - at his (sometimes) polite request - no less than four times a day. He's very sweet and affectionate and wakes us up every morning with hugs and kisses!   

We celebrated many firsts with Sam this year, including first steps - on Mother's Day! (And as soon as he started to walk, there was no stopping him!!!) Sam enjoyed his first Easter, complete with the introduction to peeps... a rite of passage indeed! As you can see, they were a big hit! Charlie is SO patient...

Sam turned 1 on May 16th. We marked his first birthday with friends and family at a park in Mountain View . Everyone had a good time until we brought out the cupcakes... that's when things got a little crazy!

Another notable first was Sam's first airplane ride in June. What an incredible experience for Sam to visit with his grandparents, his aunties and uncles and his great grandma. Ione was in wonderful spirits and I'm so grateful that we all had a chance to see her so full of life one last time. It was an incredible gift that we'll always treasure.

We also had the chance to spend some time in Minneapolis with our best friends, Laura and Kevin Charles and their beautiful little boys, Noah and Cole. It was such happy chaos watching all of our kids run and play together!

This past fall, when Julie Cavender was in Monterey (CA) for a conference, we drove down for an evening to see her. The time was too short, but we had a chance to catch up and Sam got to meet his Auntie Julie.

And finally - Sam's first big boy race car bed! Charlie enjoys it very much! (Move over hound dog!!)

What an amazing year! As you can imagine, Sam keeps us really busy! When we're not chasing him around... which is Michelle's primary occupation... here's what else we've been up to:

Patrick is still at Electronic Arts and loving it! His current project, the Sims 3 is due out this spring. He's also been teaching a Saturday class at a local community college. He enjoys working with the students very much. He is now happily on vacation until the new year. We're looking forward to some relaxing time together!

If you look through the videos on the Sims 3 site, you might see Patrick at work!

Michelle spends most of her days entertaining and being entertained by Sam. A playgroup and time at the park provide welcome social opportunities for both mama and baby. In her spare time... oh wait... what spare time??

But we always make time to hang out as a family! We take walks in the neighborhood, go to the park, ride bikes (with Sam in a little bike trailer) and enjoy the beauty of the Bay Area. We took Sam on his first camping trip this summer and of course, our traditional Thanksgiving Day hike at Tomales Point. Sam was a trooper - but didn't quite make it the whole way!

We participated in the annual Bridge to Bridge Run again this year. The 12K run (or walk, in our case) goes from the Bay Bridge to the Golden Gate Bridge and benefits Special Olympics. Stopping for a bottle and a diaper change along the way, I think we were literally the last ones to cross the finish line!! (and Sam didn't quite make it the whole way for this one either!)

Having Sam in our lives, we realize that we love being parents! So, we've decided that we're ready for another little one!! (some days we feel more ready than others!) We are currently in the process of being licensed to do foster care and plan to adopt a baby through Santa Clara County . We're in the final paperwork stages, so if you agreed to be a reference for us, you'll be getting a letter in the mail soon! We have no idea how long it will take - but we're anxious to get started and we can't wait to welcome Sam's little brother or sister into our family!

On a more somber note, poor Charlie is on a diet. He's doing well and has lost 8 lbs so far, but we all know how hard it is around the holidays. The biggest challenge is trying to keep Sam from feeding him Cheerios and goldfish crackers. The truth is, Charlie and Sam are the best of friends and we love watching them interact with each other. Charlie is so sweet and patient with Sam. Yes, he's actually using him as a step stool in one of these pictures. 

 Well, I think that's it for us. All the news that's fit to print! We'd like to end by extending an open invitation to come visit us in California anytime... we'll roll out the red carpet and blow up the air mattress!

We love you all very much and wish you a joyful holiday season!

Peace,

Michelle, Patrick, Sam and Charlie