Hi Everyone, and happy holidays!

In an effort to do be environmentally responsible (read: do things on the cheap) we're posting our holiday letter on-line. Dee and I composed this the other night, but I have lots more stuff that I'd like to put on here (eventually) including some pix from the reunion and such.

It’s been a busy year for us, with many changes. Perhaps first and most importantly, we’ve moved from our beloved Santa Cruz. Steven got a coveted job working for the University of California, as the new Environmental Horticulture Advisor for Marin and Sonoma Counties. Now we’ve got just enough dosh that Dee can stay home for a year or two with Rowan. So while things have been challenging with moving to a new town, starting a new job, and raising a new family, we’re all doing fine.

Dee is adjusting well to motherhood, and spends her days playing and exploring with Rowan. She has some design jobs that she's managed to fit in, but for the most part she spends her days entertaining Rowan with hikes to the nearby parks, daily visits to the neighborhood horses and cows, and playing in the sandbox.

Rowan's up and running around, and has several words. He likes to tease his parents by almost never using them, though with a few, he's chosen to change one word he had learned (e.g.: cow pronounced "coh") for a new onomatopoetic version (e.g.: "moo"). He's also mastering more complex tasks, such as getting into the magnetically locked kitchen cabinets and stacking boxes to climb on Dad's desk to turn on his printer. Sooo much fun!

Rowan has traveled a lot in his first year, including trips to Point Reyes National Seashore, Muir Woods National Monument and to the Bailey cabin in the Eastern Sierras. His first plane ride took him to attend a family reunion in Red River, New Mexico. He seems very adaptable to new experiences, places and people. His greatest joy is meeting young people who are about his size with whom he will greet with high pitched squeals of delight!

Best Wishes, Rowan, Deirdre, & Steven

P.S.: Sorry about the image quality. I'll use direct source next time, instead of copying from a word document. I think the word data is screwing with the .html code.