THE SECOND YEAR BEGINS

Happy New Year, one and all! We are celebrating with a toddler in our midst. How many years did we think that would happen? And how many did we think that might never happen? In any event, Vanessa is making her mark boldly, willingly and even gleefully on our lives. We couldn't be happier.

Our 1st Birthday celebrations rolled right into our Christmas celebrations, which have rolled seamlessly into our New Year's festivities. For ten years in Seattle we had an Urban Family holiday on New Year's Eve, with a group of us gathering each year for a lobster and champagne dinner party. That was then. This year we watched the baby play and were asleep by 11:30. Ha!

However, we are having fun times. Vanessa has some VIP houseguests - "Auntie" Nell (a.k.a. Nellie) and "Uncle" Chris. Nell and Chris are two of Jack's most accomplished athletes from Seattle who are graduated, semi-professional Olympic hopefuls. I think they were in high school when I was first diagnosed with cancer, so they've pretty much seen our stuff up close and personal. Track and Field coaches, you see, meet with their athletes 5-7 days per week for 9 months per year, for 4-5 years.

Chris and Nell are visiting from Seattle to get some warm weather training (and sun bathing). They are enjoying Vanessa's way of life and obvious contributions to the Jack and Mary Show. She's a keeper.

Just before New Year's Eve, we were also visited by Morrey Brown's family, Jonathan, Cynthia and Ajun. Morrey is the freshman athlete who died the first week of school this year. We had some time with the Browns and could show them our sunset view, before catching up in the living room. Chris and Nell knew Morrey, too - they helped Jack run a Track and Field Sports camp a few summers ago. Morrey was a camper and that's partly how he decided to come to college here - to work with Jack. Morrey's birthday would have been 12/28. Cynthia said, "Vanessa is a sea-goat like Morrey." Capricorn is the sea-goat, fitting for our little Wahkeenah, who swims underwater, climbs like a billy goat and eats pretty much like one, too.

On New Year's Eve, Chris and Nell tossed aside their sweats, donned some formal gear, and we thought they buffed up real nice. See them here, hamming for the camera...

On New Year's day, Vanessa took Chris and Nell for a long walk on our lovely beach. Our lovely beach was stripped clean of its sand recently. It's now more of a rock climb than a beach walk. Nanners could care less: she still fits in the Bjorn on Daddy's chest.

One of the spots is "the cave," which used to be dry at low tide. Now that the sand has been washed away, the cave is so deep it's full of water even at low tide. It was 75 degrees, but the ocean water was ice cold. Not that Nanners noticed. See Daddio leading the adventure...

I guided our poor, skinny, nearly hairless doggie as he swam through the cave, the scruff of his neck in one hand and the camera aloft in the other. The second cave has less water in it, so I could kinda film it...

We Seattlites have been enjoying summery weather this week. I mean, we're acting like we've never seen the sun before. It's good to "vacation" when you can. That's what we say.

And although our little sea goat really can walk, walking remains only one option in her considerable repetoire of movement. See her in her element, catching up with Mama? She's a hoot.

P.S. Today's blog is dedicated to "Grandma" Bev. XOX