Birthdays – Pellegrini Page

Enzo’s First Pool Tournament

Enzo’s first pool tournament turned into an unforgettable day, from early morning softball to a second-place finish after hours of intense matches. What started as a new hobby quickly became something bigger, bringing the whole family along for the ride and setting the stage for what’s next.

Before I get into the chaos of Saturday, I want to take a minute to wish Jessica one more happy birthday. Yesterday ended up being a really special day for her from start to finish.

Her classroom team went all out with a surprise celebration, complete with a sash, and the kids kept coming up all day to give her birthday hugs. She also heard from several people she hadn’t talked to in a while, which made it even more meaningful. On top of that, after fighting with the school district all year over her pay, she finally got a win. Even after the union told her she was wrong, she stuck with it and ended up receiving full back pay for the entire year. Not a bad birthday gift.

We had a few other wins at home too. A painting project on our stairs and upstairs cabinets that had been sitting unfinished for years is finally done, and it turned out great. I also found out I’ll be heading to Boston for work this summer, and since Jessica will be on break, she’s coming with me. She’s never been, so she’s really excited.

We wrapped up the day with a family dinner at a new restaurant, then came home for cake. It was one of those days where everything just came together. With her master’s graduation from UNLV just a couple weeks away, it feels like a lot of her hard work is really paying off.

Jessica Pellegrini with co-workers on her birthday, 2026 — Jessica and her assistants at school

Ava, Jessica, Enzo, and Elise Pellegrini - April 28, 2026 — Ready for Mom’s birthday dinner

Jessica and Enzo Pellegrini at her 2026 birthday dinner

The Pellegrini family at Mom's 2026 birthday dinner

The Pellegrini family on Mom's birthday, 2026

Jessica and Michael Pellegrini on Jessica's birthday, 2026

Saturday felt like two full days packed into one. Ava had an early softball game, so we were at the field by 6:45 am for warmups. The game wrapped up around 9:20, and I barely had time to change before heading over to Walters Billiards for Enzo’s first tournament. Before getting into how that all played out, it’s probably worth sharing how we got here.

I got into pool around the same age Enzo is now. I watched The Color of Money with Paul Newman and Tom Cruise, and I thought the whole pool scene was the coolest thing ever. On top of that, tournaments were regularly on ESPN, so my dad and I would watch them together. Around that time, a place called Renton Family Billiards opened near us, and we started going there. That’s where I learned the basics and met the owner, Rich “The Hat” Geiler. He always wore a Panama hat, which is how he got the nickname. He was a great guy and a really good teacher, and I learned a ton from him.

My parents could see how into it I was, so they ended up buying a table from Rich and setting it up in our basement. I was probably around 12 at the time, and for the next several years I played constantly. By high school, it turned into our weekend routine. Friends would come over, and we’d spend hours just playing pool.

I moved out at 18 and kept playing in pool halls. At that point I started taking lessons from another instructor named Rod, who introduced me to more advanced concepts like body mechanics, aiming systems, and cue ball control. I got pretty serious about it for a while and even thought about trying to go pro. That didn’t end up happening, though. Life pulled me in a different direction, and eventually pool took a back seat to other things like work, music, and everything else going on at the time. Still, I always had that idea in the back of my mind that someday I’d have my own place again with a nice 9-foot tournament table.

Last summer, the kids spent a couple of weeks with Grandma and Grandpa Martin, along with their cousin Cole from Houston. They were traveling around in the RV, visiting national parks, but also spent some time at the house in Colorado. There’s a pool table upstairs, so Enzo and Cole started playing around on it. When Enzo got home, he told me he had learned how to play pool with Cole. I thought it was pretty cool, but didn’t really do anything with it at the time.

Fast forward about five weeks ago, when we went back to Colorado for Spring Break. This time, Enzo really wanted to play, so we started getting games in every day. He was starting from scratch, so I walked him through the basics. By the end of the week, he had already made a lot of progress, which got us talking about finding a place to play once we got back to Vegas.

I did a quick search and found there are quite a few pool halls around here. I’ve since learned that with the number of rooms and major tournaments held here every year, Las Vegas is actually considered the pool capital of the world.

We started checking out local pool halls, and almost every time we went, someone would come up to talk to us about Enzo. He’s obviously young, but people could see right away that he had some natural ability. One day, a guy approached us and said he was working on building up the youth pool scene in Vegas. He mentioned he was hosting the first Nevada State Championship for kids on April 25 and thought Enzo was already good enough to compete. He also offered lessons, explaining that he’s a certified instructor and the first two sessions were free. We thanked him and said we’d think about it.

About an hour and a half later, we were still there playing when he came back over and started watching again. He overheard me explaining an aiming concept called the ghost ball and asked if he could walk Enzo through it in more detail. I told him to go for it, and he ended up spending another 90 minutes working with Enzo, covering that and a bunch of other fundamentals. His name is Sean, and it didn’t take long to realize we liked both him and the way he teaches. It turned into a long day at the pool hall, but Enzo got so much out of that first session that we decided to keep going with lessons.

A week later, Enzo had his second lesson, and then another just a couple days after that. We wanted to fit in as much as we could before the tournament, and the improvement after each lesson was easy to see. The tournament was set to start at 11:00 am on Saturday the 25th, with warmups an hour before. Jessica, Elise, and Enzo got there around 9:45, and Ava and I showed up not long after, coming straight from the softball field. We didn’t really know what to expect and figured it would wrap up in a couple hours. That turned out to be way off.

There were actually two tournaments going on at the same time. One was a 10-ball event for kids 18 and under, which also served as a qualifier for Nationals in Chicago this July. The other was a 9-ball tournament for kids 12 and under. Jessica, Sean, and I all tried to talk Enzo into playing both, but he wasn’t interested in the 18U event. He only wanted to compete in the 12U 9-ball tournament, so we eventually backed off and let him stick with that.

His first match was against a 12-year-old girl who had been playing since she was five. So Enzo, with about five weeks and three lessons under his belt, was going up against someone with seven years of experience. She was clearly a strong player and jumped out to a 3–1 lead in a race to four. It was double elimination, so we knew he’d get another chance no matter what, but something shifted and he started putting games together. Before long, he battled all the way back to hill-hill.

For anyone who doesn’t follow pool, being “on the hill” means you’re one game away from winning. So hill-hill means the next game decides everything. That final game came down to the nine ball. It was sitting near the center of the table, while the cue ball was buried deep in the corner. She was fortunate not to scratch, but it left Enzo with a tough shot to win it. By that point, we had a crowd watching. My family was there, along with my mom, Denny, Terry, and his girlfriend. Everyone was locked in, and I was definitely feeling the nerves for him.

Enzo didn’t seem fazed at all. He stepped up and calmly cut the nine ball straight into the side pocket to win the match. It was one of those moments you don’t forget.

Enzo jumped right into his next match against a boy who had just swept his first opponent 4–0. Enzo kept his momentum going and won that set 4–0 as well, pushing his streak to seven straight games and moving him forward in the winners bracket. Right after that, he faced an 8-year-old girl who had come in from Arizona with her family. She’s already at a level where she regularly beats adults in league play.

Enzo came out strong again, winning the first two games and stretching his streak to nine. Then she started to settle in and battle back. The match went hill-hill and, just like his first match, it came down to the nine ball. Enzo made the shot to win, but he also scratched on the same play, which gave her the game and the match. That one was tough, but Jessica and I were really impressed with how he handled it. By then, he had already started making friends, and he went right back to hanging out with them, talking through matches and playing games like nothing had happened.

What we didn’t expect was the wait before his next match. Some of the players in the 9-ball bracket were also competing in the 10-ball event, so everything had to pause until that finished. Enzo ended up waiting about four hours. It wasn’t ideal, but we made the most of it. We grabbed some food, and he kept working on his game and spending time with the other kids.

During that stretch, Jessica took Ava home, then came back with Elise, and most of the group cleared out, but Elise surprised me. She started asking if I could teach her how to play. I hadn’t realized how locked in she was, but she had been watching everything and really getting into it. We grabbed a table, and before long she was knocking in some pretty solid shots.

Play finally picked back up, and Enzo was now in the loser’s bracket, where matches are races to three instead of four. His next match was a rematch against the girl from his first set of the day. Just like before, it came down to hill-hill. This time, Enzo closed it out with a carom on the nine ball. He hit the correct ball first, the cue ball bounced into the nine, and it dropped for the win, ending her run in the tournament.

Up next was another rematch, this time against the boy he had beaten earlier. Once again, it went all the way to hill-hill, and the way Enzo finished it was unreal. With three balls left on the table, he started by banking one the full length of the table, which was a huge shot in that moment. He followed it up by making the next ball cleanly and leaving himself in perfect position on the nine. I started recording as he lined up the final shot, and he drilled it to win the set and knock out another opponent.

Another rematch came right after that, this time against the 8-year-old from Arizona. Once again, it went hill-hill and came down to the nine ball. They each had chances and couldn’t finish it, then Enzo stepped up and fired in a bank to win the set. The crowd went crazy. I wish I had it on video, but his coach Sean, who was also running the tournament, came over and gave him the nickname “No Fear” for the way he was taking on tough shots under pressure.

That win sent him to the finals, where he would face an 11-year-old named Austin who had come up from Phoenix. We had been watching Austin all day, and it was obvious he was one of the best players there. He’d only been playing for about seven months, but he had already taken second in the 18U 10-ball event and hadn’t lost a set in 9-ball. He already had 3 professional sponsors before this event, but I believe that number is now growing. Because it was double elimination, Enzo would have to beat him in two sets to win it all. We knew that was going to be tough, especially at that point. He had been there for 12 hours and was about to play his seventh set of the day, more than anyone else in the tournament.

Austin was playing great and ended up beating Enzo 4–1 to take first place, but it didn’t take anything away from the day. The two of them had become friends along the way, and Jessica and I really enjoyed getting to know his family. For Enzo to finish second in his first tournament, with only five weeks and three lessons behind him, was pretty incredible.

What stood out even more was how he carried himself. Most players shake hands after a match, but Enzo made a point to shake hands after every single game. He never got upset when things didn’t go his way and showed a level of sportsmanship you don’t always see. The focus it takes to stay locked in for that many matches is tough for anyone, let alone an 11-year-old who just started playing. It was really impressive to watch.

By the time we got home, everyone was completely wiped, but we were still talking about everything that had happened. We couldn’t stop replaying the day in our heads. We all slept great that night, but even the next morning we were still riding that same energy.

Part of the reason the tournament was scheduled that weekend was because players from all over the country were in town for the APA Poolplayer Championships at the Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino. Along with the tournament, there’s a convention-style setup with vendor booths and appearances from pro players. Enzo, Elise, and I decided to go check it out. We were hoping to run into some of the kids from the day before, and it turned out we did.

Right when we got there, I saw that Fedor Gorst, currently the number one player in the world, was doing a live appearance from 2:00 to 4:00. I checked the time and it was just after 2:00, so we went to find him. When we got over there, he was in the middle of a game, and it didn’t take long to realize there was a long line of people waiting for their turn to play him. One of the kids we had met the day before was near the front, so we stuck around to watch his match. Afterward, he and his dad came over and we talked for a bit.

Getting to watch the best player in the world up close like that was pretty special. You pick up a lot just from seeing how someone at that level approaches the game.

Throughout the day, we kept running into familiar faces, including Sean and Austin, and got to watch them play a few matches. We spent time checking out the vendor booths, learned a lot about equipment, and I even ended up having a long conversation with one of the top instructors in the country.

It turned into a full weekend of pool, and it really locked in Enzo’s interest in the game. It also had the same effect on Elise. Enzo has always been good about saving his money, but as we were leaving the Westgate, he told me he had finally found something he actually wants to spend it on. He was all in on cues, jump cues, break cues, gloves, tip tools, chalk accessories, all of it.

Getting back to school on Monday was a little rough, but the excitement didn’t wear off. When Elise got home that day, she said she had been talking about pool with her friends the whole time and just wanted to play again. That hasn’t changed either. I asked her at dinner last night if she wanted to take lessons with Sean, and she didn’t hesitate at all. Immediate yes.

Word got around at school about Enzo’s tournament, and a few people asked him to bring in his trophy and share a little about it. He’s not the type to brag, but he brought it in on Tuesday and talked about the experience.

I think both Enzo and Elise can gain a lot of confidence from getting into pool. It’s not an easy game to learn. There’s a physical side to it with mechanics and consistency, but also a mental side that involves problem solving, angles, and staying composed under pressure. Even Ava might decide to give it a try, which would be fun. More than anything, I just like that it’s something we can all connect on together.

Coming back to that long-time dream of having my own table, Jessica and I finally decided to make it happen. After a lot of back and forth, the next question was where to put it. We looked at a few spots around the house, but nothing really felt right, so we landed on converting our extra oversized garage stall into a game room. It’s about 20 by 15 feet, which gives us plenty of space.

Getting it cleared out was a project in itself. Between our stuff and everything the previous owners left behind, including building materials and big cabinets, it took a few weeks of donating and hauling things away. Yesterday morning I finally got rid of the last of the cabinets, which felt like a big milestone.

We decided to keep the momentum going. Since our painter was already working on the staircase project, I had him start on the new room right away. Earlier in the week, I had a 2-ton mini-split heat pump installed so we can actually control the temperature out there, which was a must in Vegas. Things are moving pretty quickly now.

Next up is cleaning and treating the floor, then I can start focusing on picking out the table and getting it installed. After that, we’ll add a TV, some comfortable seating, maybe a dartboard, and turn it into a spot where we can all hang out.

I know this ended up being a long post and mostly about pool, but I wanted to capture Enzo’s first tournament while it’s still fresh. It was a really special day, and something I know he’ll enjoy looking back on.

There’s a lot coming up next month too. The biggest one is Jessica’s graduation from UNLV. Her parents will be in town for it, so it’ll be great having everyone together. Ava is also trying out for the softball All-Star team this Friday, and I’ve already signed on as an assistant coach. If she makes it, we’ll be traveling out of state for tournaments, which will be a first for us and something I’m really looking forward to.

The HGSA Hawks 14U Spring 2026 team photo — Our Spring 2026 team photo. The girls made tough faces while the coaches all smiled.

Ava Pellegrini's Spring 2026 softball photo — Ava’s Spring 2026 softball photo

Elise Pellegrini's Spring 2026 school photo — Elise’s Spring 2026 school photo

Enzo Pellegrini's Spring 2026 school photo — Enzo’s Spring 2026 school photo

Ava Pellegrini's Spring 2026 school photo — Ava’s Spring 2026 school photo

Enzo Pellegrini concentrating on a pool shot

Austin and Enzo after the 2026 Nevada State Championship — Enzo and his new buddy, Austin, after the tournament.

Enzo and Michael Pellegrini after the 2026 Nevada State Championship pool tournament — So proud of my boy!

Happy 11th Birthday, Enzo!

Celebrating our son Enzo on his 11th birthday!

Today, our awesome little dude Enzo turns 11 years old. A Wednesday during the school year may not be the ideal birthday for a kid, but at least he gets to spend it with friends, and I am sure they will find a way to celebrate him. Jessica’s classroom is right next door to his, so I would not be surprised if she has something special planned for him.

For our family celebration, we usually go out to dinner on Friday nights, but this week we decided to celebrate on his actual birthday and let him choose the restaurant. Since he loves Asian food, he picked a traditional Japanese ramen spot. The kids have not been to Shokku yet, but Jessica and I love it, and it is right in the heart of the Las Vegas International District, so that is where we will be going. If timing works out, we will hopefully make it home in time to watch the latest episode of our current favorite family show, Beast Games.

Another celebration is coming up this Saturday night. Normally, we would throw a birthday party for Enzo, but this year he chose something different. Instead of a party, all he wanted was to go to a Vegas Golden Knights game against the Seattle Kraken with his best friend Charlie and me. I love that idea, especially since we went to his first Golden Knights game last year for his 10th birthday, and the year before that, I took him to his first UNLV basketball game for his 9th.

Enzo knew there would not be many presents this year because he received a Mac Mini and a computer desk at Christmas, which doubled as a birthday gift. He was completely fine with that, but we still picked up a few small things, including a few books, a pair of shoes, and computer speakers. Over the last month, he has become quite the little computer user. He is taking online typing lessons, and I regularly sit with him to teach new skills and shortcuts. Once he feels more comfortable with the basics, we plan to move into more advanced projects, including coding.

Activity-wise, Enzo had a great time at the annual Track and Field camp in December, and we recently found out they are hosting another one this spring, so we will be signing him up again. He is also about to start playing on a flag football team. This is a big milestone for him since he has never participated in team sports before. Jessica and I have always encouraged him to give it a try, but we did not want to push him. I am excited to see him step into something new and get out on the field.

School continues to go very well for him. He still excels in math, and he earns strong grades across all subjects. He is enjoying his final year of elementary school, but he is understandably a little nervous about moving on to middle school. We keep reminding him that most of his peers feel the same way, and that the transition will get easier after the first day, but I completely understand his hesitation.

The rest of the family is doing well and staying busy. Jessica is entering the final quarter of her master’s program at UNLV and is looking forward to graduating. Ava will be heading to Disneyland next Friday to perform with her school band, and later in the year, Elise will be traveling with her orchestra to Knott’s Berry Farm. Softball season starts in February, so Ava and I have been practicing and getting ready. Elise has also started a new round of figure skating lessons, and I have enjoyed being there to watch a few of her classes.

For me, it has been nice to have a bit more free time now that Cappers has closed. I have been spending a lot of that time playing guitar and cooking with the wood-fired pizza oven I received for Christmas. While it is technically a pizza oven, it works for all kinds of cooking. Lately, I have been using it to roast tomatoes, peppers, garlic, and onions for homemade salsa, which has become one of my favorite things to make. I am also looking forward to the upcoming softball season and feeling optimistic about our chances to repeat as champions, especially with several of our strongest players returning.

We recently booked our flights to Seattle for Aunt Norma’s 100th birthday in June. My mom will be joining us, and everyone is looking forward to the trip. There are so many people we want to see, and the kids are especially determined to visit our old house, so it will be a busy week, but a meaningful one.

That is about all for now. I hope this is a special and memorable birthday for Enzo. I am incredibly proud of the young man he is becoming, and I am really looking forward to our big hockey night out this weekend. Happy 11th birthday, Enzo. We love you.

Enzo Pellegrini on the morning of his 11th birthday

Happy 14th Birthday, Ava!

Ava’s birthday and Thanksgiving came together perfectly this year. Family filled the house, the food was great, and the memories will last well beyond the holiday.

I usually write my birthday posts on the exact day, but this week was packed, and I couldn’t get to it in time. Still, I wouldn’t miss the chance to write about Ava’s fourteenth birthday, even if I’m a few days late. It turned out to be a special day for all of us. Grandma and Grandpa Martin had arrived from Colorado on Sunday, so they were here to celebrate, too. Ava had school on her birthday, but it was the last day of the week, which meant no early bedtime. She said she had a great day and got plenty of birthday wishes from friends, but the real fun started once school was out.

This feels like the year Ava truly discovered fashion. She was never much into clothes or outfits before, but now she’s all about putting together the perfect “fit.” For her birthday, all she wanted was to go shopping, so our first stop Tuesday evening was the Premium Outlet mall near downtown Las Vegas. We ended up in the Dr. Martens store, where she tried on different shoes and boots. She said she wanted a classic pair, so I found the style everyone used to wear in Seattle back in the 90s. She loved them, found her size, and hasn’t stopped wearing them since. She’s had knockoff Docs before, but never the real thing, until now.

Ava also wanted to stop in the Levi’s store since she’s into those classic styles. It felt like we were there forever, but she finally settled on a shirt and two pairs of jeans. Elise found a pair of ripped jeans at another store, and earlier in the fall, I had given Ava a very nice new softball bat as an early birthday gift, so between that, the clothes, and the boots, those were her main presents from Mom and me. She also got some nice drawing supplies from Uncle Jim and Aunt Brenda, a generous amount of cash from all her grandparents, and a thoughtful box of gifts in the mail from our friends, the Palmers.

After shopping, we were all ready for dinner, and Ava requested sushi. I knew exactly where to go: Taru Sushi in Chinatown. We’d been there once before as a family, and it’s also where my buddies from Tennessee and I always end up when they visit Vegas. Dinner was fantastic, as always. We started with appetizers—salt and pepper squid, spicy tuna salad, and crispy Brussels sprouts—then the sushi rolls started arriving. The presentation there is incredible, and we must have ordered about six rolls. The Chu Taru, Sunset, and Over the Rainbow were my personal favorites, though everything was excellent. The kids kept thanking me for taking them somewhere special, but it was entirely my pleasure. We stayed for more than two hours, eating slowly and talking, which is exactly how Jessica and I like to dine. It was a wonderful birthday dinner, topped off with dessert and singing.

In addition to all the birthday fun, it’s been a busy week for us. I took the week off work (my first time off since joining HealthEdge in June) and spent Monday volunteering in Jessica’s classroom. I had a blast working with the kids, and several of them took a real liking to me. One even kept giving me hugs throughout the day. It was great seeing Jessica in her element, running the classroom so naturally. She’s so good at what she does, and I loved getting to experience it firsthand. Since it was the start of Thanksgiving week, we put on a Thanksgiving lunch for all the kids. Amy and Tom came to help serve, and there was plenty of food to go around. Our family brought a big batch of fried chicken, but there were also tacos, mashed potatoes, fruit and veggie trays, and several pies. Enzo joined us, too, and everyone had a great time.

On Wednesday morning, I picked up Kristy, Tito, and Madi from the airport. They were tired from the early flight, but everyone settled right in for a relaxing day at home. With ten people staying in the house, it somehow never felt crowded. I spent a good part of the day making roasted garlic mashed potatoes for Thanksgiving, while everyone else hung out and caught up. The weather was perfect, so most of the afternoon was spent outside in the backyard enjoying the sun. My Mom stopped by with a pan of stuffing and some birthday gifts for Ava, then later, Tito came out to play catch with the kids and me. That evening, we all wound down with a couple of holiday movies.

Thanksgiving was a big day for us and turned out to be the largest gathering we’ve ever hosted at our house. Along with the ten people already staying with us, another ten came over for dinner. My mom stopped by for a while before we ate, and we were joined by Devin, Tiko and Tina with their two daughters, my friend Tony and his son Luca, and Tony’s parents. It was a full house, but somehow it never felt crowded. Tom was a huge help with serving dinner, and Jessica had plenty of support from her mom and Kristy in setting the tables and getting everything organized. Dinner was excellent (I think it might have been the best turkey I’ve ever made), and everyone seemed genuinely happy. Tiko brought four or five pies for dessert, so after dinner we gathered in the living room to watch football and sample them all. It was the perfect holiday and has Jessica and me already thinking about hosting more gatherings like this in the future.

Friday gave most of us a chance to get out of the house, although I stayed home to help Tom with a computer project. Amy and Jessica went Black Friday shopping at the mall, while Kristy, Tito, and Madi headed out for brunch. That evening, Kristy, Tito, and Madi went to see Mat Franco’s magic show at the LINQ, while the rest of us grabbed pizza and played a few rounds of Yahtzee at home. Today, everyone heads back, and honestly, the week has flown by. Amy and Tom left early for their long drive back to Colorado, and I’ll be taking Kristy and her family to the airport this afternoon. It’s been exactly the kind of week I was hoping for, and I’m so grateful for the time we’ve had together with family and friends.

Looking ahead, Elise and Ava are both preparing for their winter music performances at school. Ava recently switched from trumpet to baritone, and Elise has been practicing nonstop for her role as first chair violin in the school’s intermediate orchestra. Her dedication always impresses me, especially with how much she’s improved in just over a year. Lately, we’ve been practicing scales together (her on the violin, me on the guitar), and it’s been a lot of fun. Enzo is excited for another two-week track and field camp in December, and this time, Ava will be joining him. Then, in January, Enzo starts flag football. We’re staying home for Christmas this year, but we’ll all have the last two weeks of the year off together, and I’m really looking forward to it.

That’s about all for now. I’m so glad Ava had such a wonderful fourteenth birthday, and I’m especially grateful for all the time we spent this week with family and friends. It’s been a week we won’t forget, and I truly appreciate everyone who helped make it so special. Happy holidays!

Ava before school on her 14th birthday — Dropping Ava off at school on her birthday morning

Ava with art supplies for her 14th birthday — Having fun with arts and crafts

Dinner at Taru Sushi in Las Vegas — Dinner at Taru

Ava having dessert at Taru — The first of several desserts at Taru

Ava Pellegrini on her 14th birthday — Happy Birthday, Ava

Happy 12th Birthday, Elise!

Our summer has been full of adventures, milestones, and memories—and right in the middle of it all, our sweet Elise turned 12. From RV road trips and fireworks to family visits and first flights, it’s been a season to remember. This post is a little snapshot of everything we’ve been up to and a celebration of the amazing young lady Elise is becoming.

Today, our sweet Elise turns 12. It’s hard to believe she’s just one year away from being a teenager. As our busy summer starts to wind down, Elise got to do something on her birthday that I’ve never done—take a flight. She and her siblings spent the weekend in Iowa with Jessica, visiting family and exploring the places where Jessica grew up. I dropped them off at the airport early Friday morning, and since then, they’ve been soaking up time with relatives and learning more about their mom’s hometown. Today, on Elise’s birthday, they flew back home.

It’s been a packed summer for Elise, and the fun isn’t over yet; tomorrow she’s celebrating her birthday at the water park, with a few of her friends. Just last month, she, Ava, and Enzo spent two amazing weeks on an RV trip with Grandma and Grandpa Martin, exploring Utah and Colorado. They visited several national parks in Utah, then stopped back at Grandma and Grandpa’s house in Colorado to pick up their cousin Cole, who was visiting from Houston. From there, the adventure continued with a trip to Colorado Springs and a stop at the Great Sand Dunes (the tallest in the country). It was the longest the kids have ever been away from home, but they had an incredible time. Jessica and I are so grateful they get to make these kinds of special memories with their grandparents.

More recently, our good friends the Palmers came for their annual summer visit from Washington, and as always, it was a blast. We probably did more swimming this year than any year before, and shared some great meals and meaningful conversations. I’m so thankful for their visits; they’ve become a tradition we really look forward to. And this year, we get to see them twice! Jodi and Miles are planning to come back and spend Halloween with us, which we’re all excited about.

The 4th of July was another highlight. We made plans with two other neighborhood families, and everyone chipped in for fireworks. I volunteered to handle the shopping, so Ava, Enzo, and I made the drive out to Pahrump, Nevada, to pick up the good stuff you can’t get in Clark County. Let’s just say it turned into the best neighborhood fireworks show I’ve ever been part of, and I’m officially making it a yearly tradition.

One of the biggest changes for me this summer has been starting a new job as a Principal Engineer at HealthEdge. I’ve been there just over a month now, and I genuinely love it. It’s the most senior role I’ve had in my career so far, and I’m really embracing the leadership and responsibility that comes with it. I report directly to one of our VPs, who’s actually an old friend from my Amazon days, and our CTO was my very first manager at Amazon, so it’s been great to have some familiar faces around.

During my second week, I flew out to Alexandria, Virginia, for an off-site Q3 planning session, which gave me the chance to meet more of my team in person. I’d been to Virginia once before as a middle schooler on a school trip to D.C. and New York, but this was my first time experiencing it as an adult, and I loved it. Our office is in Old Town, right near the Potomac River, and the whole area is full of charm and history. The trip home was less smooth; I got stuck overnight at the Detroit airport thanks to some nasty thunderstorms and ended up sleeping on the floor during my layover. But even with the travel hiccup, the trip was worth it.

All in all, I’m so grateful to be in a role that feels stable, fulfilling, and full of opportunities to grow. I’m excited about what lies ahead and really looking forward to a long future at HealthEdge.

Jessica continues to crush it in her Master’s program at UNLV; she just earned a perfect score in another class. Her dedication and hard work are not only inspiring but also set such a strong example for our kids. On top of school, she’s been pouring her energy into getting her classroom ready for the new school year, which is now less than a month away. She’s definitely feeling a mix of nerves and excitement about her first year leading a classroom, but the amount of effort she’s putting in speaks volumes. I couldn’t be more proud of her. No one sees the sacrifices she’s making more clearly than I do, and I’m so excited to see everything she’s been working toward come to life.

The kids have one more surprise to wrap up their summer; our good friend Avery from the old Mill Creek neighborhood is coming to visit. I think this is her third summer in a row, and the kids are always so excited to see her. It means a lot to me that they’ve stayed so close over the years, even though we don’t live near each other anymore. Once her visit wraps up, we’ll officially be on the countdown to the start of school in early August. The kids might not be completely ready to trade in their summer freedom, but I think we can all agree that this has been one of the best summers yet. From our trip to Mexico, to the RV adventure with Grandma and Grandpa, to all the time spent with friends and family, it’s been full of fun and unforgettable memories.

To wrap things up, I just want to say how proud I am of the young lady Elise is becoming. She’s always been my sweet little girl, and it’s such a joy to watch her grow into such a kind, confident, and thoughtful person. She has a big heart, a strong sense of self, and a bright future ahead. Jessica and I feel incredibly lucky to call her our daughter. Here are a few of my favorite recent photos of Elise.

Elise Pellegrini, opening new shoes on Christmas morning 2024

Elise Pellegrini, opening a present on Christmas morning 2024

Elise Pellegrini in Downtown Las Vegas, April 2025

Elise Pellegrini in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Elise Pellegrini holding Luca the Iguana above Mismaloya beach

Elise Pellegrini holding a monkey in Mexico

Elise Pellegrini on a boat at Mismaloya beach

Happy Birthday, Jessica!

Monday was Jessica’s birthday, and it worked out perfectly — no work for her and no school for the kids. She spent most of the day hanging out with a couple of close friends from work, but the morning started off with something pretty special. Elise woke up early and surprised her with breakfast in bed: two sunny-side-up eggs, toast, and even a cup of coffee. Not bad for an 11-year-old!

After breakfast, Jessica came downstairs to open her presents. Each of the kids made her a card and wrote her a sweet letter, and then it was time for the big surprise — the gift the kids and I had been quietly working on for almost a month. To explain it, I need to rewind a bit.

A few years ago, Jessica mentioned that she really wanted some nice portraits of the kids taken in the Arts District in Downtown Las Vegas. It was Mother’s Day, and my mom was visiting, so we all went together. Jessica has always loved the colorful murals in that area, so we spent a couple hours wandering around, taking pictures with my Sony vlogging camera. What we didn’t realize until the end — and you can probably see where this is going — was that there was no memory card in the camera. None. Jessica had borrowed it recently and forgot to put the card back in. We didn’t notice until it was too late, and every single photo we took was lost. It was heartbreaking, and we never got around to trying again.

Fast forward to this year — since moving to Vegas, I’ve gotten more and more into photography, and over the past few months, I’ve been diving in deep. I picked up a used Nikon DSLR and a few lenses, and when I heard Jessica was planning a long weekend away with her friends in Tucson, I saw my chance.

While she was off hiking and catching up with friends, the kids and I got dressed up and headed back to the Arts District. We timed the shoot for golden hour — that perfect hour before sunset — and I took hundreds of photos with my new camera. Afterwards, I spent a ton of time going through them all, choosing my favorites, and editing. I ended up editing 50 shots, then narrowed it down to my absolute favorites to print. I had one group shot printed on a big 16×20 board and printed a handful of others in different sizes. On the morning of her birthday, I gave her the prints, a letter explaining everything, and a USB drive with all the edited photos.

Her reaction was everything I’d hoped for. She was shocked — in the best way — and couldn’t believe how many amazing shots we got or how we managed to keep it a secret for so long. Normally, one of the kids would’ve cracked, but they held strong and kept the whole thing under wraps. It was such a fun project to do with them, and I’m really proud of how it turned out. The kids are growing up so fast, and I’d love to start doing this kind of thing more often.

Scroll down to see some of my favorite shots from that day. We’ve got the full set saved in high quality, so we can always print more whenever we want.

In other family news, the end of the school year is sneaking up on us — which means our long-awaited trip to Mexico is almost here! Ava’s softball season is wrapping up soon, and with less than two weeks to go, my first run as head coach is just about in the books. We’ve also got Mother’s Day coming up, so there’s a lot happening all at once.

School officially ends on Friday, May 23, and the very next morning we’re hopping on a plane to Puerto Vallarta for a full week of beaches, adventures, and delicious Mexican food. We’ve booked a couple of excursions for the first two days, but after that, we’re keeping things flexible and just going with the flow. I’m sure I’ll have plenty to write about in next month’s update. It’s been a while since we all flew together — the last time was Disney World in May 2021 — so this trip is way overdue. Everyone is seriously excited.

Not long after we get back, Uncle Jim and Aunt Brenda will be visiting from Washington for the first time, and we can’t wait to see them. Then the kids’ summer adventure continues with two weeks at Grandma and Grandpa Martin’s house, and more visitors coming to town in July. Summer always seems to fly by, but we’re doing our best to keep it full and fun for the kids since I’ll be working and Jessica will be in school.

That’s all for now — I’ll have a full update from Mexico soon. Hope you enjoy the new photos, and Jessica… we love you so much. Hope your birthday was everything you wanted and more.

Enzo Pellegrini in Downtown Las Vegas, April 2025

Ava Pellegrini in Downtown Las Vegas, April 2025

Pellegrini kids in Downtown Las Vegas, April 2025

Ava & Elise Pellegrini in Downtown Las Vegas, April 2025

Happy 10th Birthday Enzo!

All about Mr. Enzo’s big 10th birthday! A few other family updates as well.

Today our amazing you man turned a decade old! It’s hard for Jessica and I to believe that our youngest is now in double digits, but we couldn’t be more proud of him, or thankful for everything he brings to our lives. Enzo is smart, funny, caring, and compassionate. He’ll do anything for his friends and family, sticks up for the ones he loves, and is always willing to share. He truly is a great kid in every sense.

Since his birthday fell on a weekday this year, Enzo’s primary birthday celebration was on Sunday with a bunch of his friends at Ninja Kidz. They had a blast bouncing on the trampolines, playing basketball, and eating pizza. Jessica and I did our best to keep up on the trampolines but now her back is sore and my knee keeps feeling like it’s about to give out. Getting old is so fun. Afterward, the kids came back to our house to play outside and enjoy a massive donut from Ronald’s.

Enzo with his friends at his 10th birthday party

On Saturday night, we all went out to dinner with Grandpa Rick and Debbie at a Mexican / Italian fusion restaurant in Las Vegas called Il Toro E La Capra. I’ve pointed it out to Jessica many times since moving here so it was great to finally get to check it out. Dinner was delicious and everyone had a good time. We have a funny picture of Enzo from his first birthday at a Mexican restaurant in Washington where he started crying from having to wear the sombrero. You can see at the end of this video how he makes the same crying face.

Enzo crying in a sombrero on his first birthday

Enzo has been keeping busy with a few different activities lately. In December he participated in a 3-week track and field course that met 3 times per week. He got to try every event, figure out which ones he liked the most, and participate in multiple track meets competing in those events. His favorites were the long jump, hurdles, and relay races. He had a lot of fun and our family enjoyed cheering him on during the track meets. More recently, Enzo is back in rock climbing classes at our local rec center every Monday night. He always comes home with a big smile on his face and we’re thinking about signing him up at an actual rock climbing gym if he sticks with it.

Tonight Enzo and I went to his first Vegas Golden Knights game. Not only was it his first NHL game, but it was his first time seeing a top-level professional sporting event in person. He has been to various minor league games before but this was his first time in the big leagues, and he had a blast. Jessica made a sign for him saying it was his first game and his birthday. Consequently, he and his sign made it onto the jumbotron not once, but twice. The people around us were so nice, giving him high fives and wishing him a happy birthday. He must have thanked me a hundred times but it was my pleasure. My thanks goes to him, and to my friend Tiko, who gave us the tickets. He originally invited me to the game with him, but when he remembered it was Enzo’s birthday, he offered both tickets so the two of us could go. Talk about a classy move from a great friend. Even though the Knights lost to the Stars in overtime, it was still a great night that we will never forget.

In other family news, we recently finalized some travel plans for this year. We’ll be spending Spring Break at Grandma and Grandpa Martin’s house in Colorado, just like we did last year. We all love going up there and there’s still plenty of snow in March, so that should be fun. We also just purchased our plane tickets for a week in Puerto Vallarta Mexico this May! We haven’t all been on a plane together since going to Disney World in 2021, and we’ve got a lot to celebrate this year. This Spring, Jessica and I will be celebrating our 15th anniversary, plus Jessica will be finishing up her Master’s program at UNLV, so we thought a nice trip like this was in order.

We thought about staying at a resort outside of town, but after talking it over as a family, everyone’s preference was to stay at a hotel in the city and have a more authentic experience. The plan is to stay in “Zona Romantica”, also known as Old Town, then go on various excursions. The kids get out of school on the Friday before Memorial Day, and we’re flying out the very next morning. We’re all very excited.

There was one bit of bad news that came about today which totally caught me by surprise. The company I’ve been working for over the past two months was purchased, and without notice, my job was gone. I was very upset to hear this because I liked my new job so much. There was zero indication this was coming and I was planning on being there long-term. The fact that it happened on Enzo’s 10th birthday made it even more strange and memorable.

After getting over the shock of this news I immediately started a new job search by posting about my situation on LinkedIn and reaching out to as many recruiters and old co-workers as possible. Unlike my previous experience with this a few months ago, which was right before the holidays and in the middle of a presidential election, things are instantly looking much more promising. I can’t believe how many responses I have received in the past few hours. Searching for a job and going through interview cycles is never fun but hopefully, it won’t be too bad. It’s much easier this time of year and I’m already encouraged by all of the traction I’m getting. It’s certainly humbling though. After working in mega-corporate America for over a decade and never having to think about my employment status, this year has been tough.

On the brighter side, I’m excited to announce that I have accepted the role of head coach of Ava’s softball team. Our previous coach decided to move on and the position was offered to me. I gladly accepted and Ava was thrilled when she got the news. The season doesn’t start for a few more weeks but I’ve got coaches meetings and a draft to prepare for in the near future. We lost about half of our team, so it’s a rebuild, but I’m still very excited for the upcoming season and am already planning out some practices.

Everyone else is doing great, just cruising right along with school and work. We’re all excited about our upcoming trips, and I’m actually glad we made those plans before I got laid off because we probably wouldn’t have made them otherwise, but our family deserves this and everything is going to be fine. More importantly at the moment, we’re all so proud of Enzo and glad to be celebrating him. He’s as good as it gets and I’m lucky to be able to call him my son!

Enzo on the morning of his 10th birthday

Michael and Enzo Pellegrini outside T-Mobile Arena - January 28 2025

Michael and Enzo Pellegrini at the Vegas Golden Knights Game - January 28 2025

Happy 13th Birthday, Ava!

I can’t believe we officially have a teenager in the house! 13 years ago today, our lives changed for the better in so many ways, and it was all thanks to the arrival of Miss Ava Pellegrini. She is such a sweet kid with an outgoing personality, a huge heart, and a level of commitment that you don’t see in many people. While today is her actual birthday, we have been celebrating with her for the past few days. After all, you only become a teenager once.

We held Ava’s first surprise party on Friday night at a local roller skating rink. Several of her softball teammates and their families joined us and Ava had a blast. She had no idea it was coming and was so surprised when she walked in and saw everyone. The following day, one of her friends came over for a sleepover. Jessica dropped them off at the movie theater to see “Red One”, which was a big deal because she had never gone to a movie without an adult before. Yesterday was her softball team’s end-of-season party at a local bowling alley. We hung out with everyone for a couple of hours and had a nice time.

Last night we all watched Grandpa Rick and Debbie’s wedding ceremony on YouTube. We were sorry not to be able to attend it in person but were thankful to be able to watch it online. It looked like a nice event and we’re very happy for both of them.

Today started with Ava opening some presents before school. She wished she didn’t have to go to school on her birthday, but what she didn’t realize was that Jessica had been planning all along to take the day off and pull her out of school early for a special day. I thought about joining them but decided not to because I get a lot more one-on-one time with Ava than Jessica does, so I wanted them to have this memorable time together.

After pulling her out of school, they stopped home for a minute, and as luck would have it, the custom softball glove that we ordered for her a month ago arrived in the mail. The timing couldn’t have been better! She has always used my 40-year-old Little League glove for softball, which is very sweet, but it was time for her to get something bigger and better. The glove was initially designed by her when I showed her the website, but I think she forgot about it. It’s her color scheme with an Italian flag, and it even has her nickname “Lightweight” embroidered on it, which was given to her by her beloved hitting coach, Bill Madlock.

Tonight, we’re all going out with a family friend to see the new movie “Wicked”, then tomorrow Auntie Dana and Uncle Brad will be arriving from San Diego to spend Thanksgiving with us. I have a special meal planned for us on Wednesday night, then we’re all going to decorate the house and Christmas tree afterward. Thursday will be spent at Devin’s house, which is becoming a Thanksgiving tradition for us, and then on Monday, I’ll be starting my new job as a Senior Software Engineer with Old Republic Title! I’m so thankful to have the job search behind me and don’t have to wait until the new year to land something.

As is the case every year, we have so much to be thankful for. Everyone is happy, healthy, and living their best lives. My brief unemployment stint caused a little bump in the road, but we used that as a teachable moment for the kids. Overall, things couldn’t be better, and we’re all excited for the holiday season. Above all, I hope this was an excellent birthday for Ava and that she never forgets it. She brings more joy to everyone than she realizes and we’re so lucky to be able to call her our daughter.

Happy 13th birthday sweetheart. Here are some recent photos and videos celebrating Miss Ava.

Opening presents on her birthday morning — Opening presents on the morning of her birthday

Ava with her new bag on her 13th birthday — She loves her new bag from Uncle Jim and Aunt Brenda

Ava's new Demon Slayer t-shirt — She loves all things “Demon Slayer”

Ava Pellegrini on her 13th birthday — Ready for school

Here she is opening her new softball glove

Ava and Dad with her new softball glove on her 13th birthday

Ava getting ready for her first softball game in the 14U age division — Getting ready for her first softball game in the 14U age division

Ava with her first softball Defensive MVP award — After winning her first Defensive MVP award

Ava with her first softball Offensive MVP award — After winning her first Offensive MVP award

Ava with her Offensive MVP award after the final softball game of the season — She won Offensive MVP for the championship games because she got on base during every at-bat

This was her first at-bat of the first championship game

Happy Birthday Nana and Happy Halloween!

Halloween is always a special day for our family. Not only is it my Mom’s birthday, but it’s all three of our kids’ favorite holiday. If it wasn’t their favorite holiday before moving to Henderson it certainly was after, as our neighborhood goes big on the decorations and trick-or-treating every year. This is an especially big birthday for my Mom, as she begins a new decade, and I can’t even begin to thank her enough for everything she does. Jessica, the kids, and I all feel very lucky to have her as a regular part of our lives and we wish her the happiest of birthdays!

While we won’t get a chance to see her today, we will get to spend the next few days with her at our house, which everyone is looking forward to. She will be coming over to our house tomorrow afternoon and staying until Sunday. I’ve got a nice birthday meal planned for Friday night, consisting of plant-based tenderloins and ribs from Juicy Marbles, baked potatoes, vegetables, and pumpkin pie (Mom’s favorite) for dessert. We don’t have specific plans during the day on Saturday but that evening Ava has another softball game and she is very excited that Nana will be there to watch her play. I know Mom always talks about what a difference it made in her life when we moved from Washington to Nevada, but it definitely goes both ways. Having her nearby has changed our lives for the better and I’m so thankful for all the memories the kids are making with her.

Tonight we’re looking forward to trick-or-treating in our neighborhood with friends. Tiko and Tina are bringing their girls over, and I’m sure we’ll gang up with a bunch of the neighbors. This is arguably the biggest night of the year for the kids and it’s always a blast watching them live their best lives as they run from door to door, then come home to sort through the night’s treasure. As far as costumes go, Elise was a cheetah today at school, but tonight she is dressing up as Gru from the Minions movies. Ava, who is a huge fan of the Japanese anime series Demon Slayer, dressed up as Mitsuri Kanroji, and Enzo has a hilarious blow up costume of a sumo wrestler. Jessica decided to honor her childhood by dressing up as one of her all-time favorite characters, Mary Poppins. I hate to be a stick in the mud, but I don’t have a costume this year. It’s just me and the cats at home all day so there wasn’t much of a reason for me to put together a costume. However, my Los Angeles Dodgers did win the World Series last night, so maybe I’ll replicate last year’s costume by wearing my Dodgers uniform.

Elise dressed up as a cheetah for Halloween, 2024

Ava dressed up as Mitsuro Kanroji for Haloween, 2024

Enzo dressed up as a sumo wrestler for Halloween, 2024

Jessica dressed up as Mary Poppins for Hallowee, 2024

Outside of the Halloween and birthday festivities, things are going well. Jessica is continuing to crush it in her masters program at UNLV. She is getting excellent scores on all of her tests, assignments, and group projects, so she’s feeling good about how the year is shaping up. The first quarter of school recently wrapped up for the kids and each one of them had all A’s and B’s, which we were very proud of. Enzo just finished his rock climbing class and is looking forward to signing up again as soon as possible. Elise continues to enjoy her Saturday morning boxing classes and Ava is doing better than ever in softball. She was asked to play third base in one of our recent games because our normal third baseman was going to be away, and ended up getting our team’s defensive player of the game award! I was so proud of her commitment and preparation for the opportunity. We were showing up early to practice and staying late after practice so we could drill grounders at third and the throw across the diamond to first base.

On my end of things, I’m still in the middle of a job search, as the opportunity I mentioned in last month’s post didn’t work out. That was a tough pill to swallow, mainly because I made it all the way to the final interview before they decided to go with someone else. I was feeling a bit down about it for a couple of days but eventually shook it off and started focusing on new opportunities. I was thinking about something we tell the girls all the time in softball, which is to focus on the two things that are in your control: attitude and effort.

On the attitude side, I had to remind myself that I have a skillset and resume that plenty of companies are looking for. It’s just difficult timing because we’re nearing the end of the year, and we’re in the late stages of a presidential election cycle, both of which have an effect on hiring and spending for many businesses. On the effort side, every day is a “work” day for me. I’m constantly applying for jobs, sending out my resume, talking with recruiters, and scheduling interviews. Based on all of this market research, I have a good idea of exactly what skills employers are looking for, so I purchased three different web development / computer science courses on Udemy and spend hours each day going through them.

In addition to all this job search stuff, I’m also staying busy by working on a freelance project, and doing daily work on the Cappers web application. October is a busy sports month because the NHL and NBA seasons get started, then you have college basketball starting in the first week of November. Devin is doing his best to find investors for Cappers, and if that comes through, it will be a dream come true, but in the meantime, I will continue with this headstrong job hunt approach. I’ve got plenty of irons in the fire at this point and I’m hopeful that it won’t be very long before something comes through. I had an interview yesterday and another one today, both of which went very well, so hopefully I’ll be invited for the next round of interviews in the next few days. I honestly feel like the busiest unemployed person in the world.

Earlier this month we were paid a visit by Grandma and Grandpa Martin, who spent a long weekend with us. They took the kids to a show on the strip, came to one of Ava’s softball games, and the 7 of us attended the NASCAR race that was in town that weekend. They also took us out to an outstanding sushi meal at one of our new favorite restaurants. It was a great visit and we hope to see them again soon.

November will be a big month for us, mostly because Ava will be turning 13 years old on the 25th. Jessica and I can’t believe we’re about to be parents of a teenager, but Ava is a great kid and tends to make things pretty easy on us. Additionally, Auntie Dana and Uncle Brad are coming to stay with us for Thanksgiving, so we’re looking forward to spending that long weekend with them. Another holiday season is upon us, which is crazy, but things are good and we all love this time of year.

That’s about it for now. Happy Halloween and Happy Birthday Nana!!!

Happy 11th Birthday, Elise!

Celebrating Elise’s 11th birthday in Phoenix, Arizona! Food, Concerts, Swimming, and more…

Today our sweet Elise turns 11 years old! Although Summer break is winding down, we have been staying quite busy, and as of yesterday, another road trip is in the books. We spent the past few days in Phoenix, Arizona eating delicious foods, hanging out at the pool, and attending a show by one of our favorite bands, AJR! Before I get into the details of our weekend getaway I just want to say how proud Jessica and I are of Elise. She’s growing up fast and will enter middle school in a few short weeks.

Elise has grown up a lot over the past year; she has a great crew of close friends and always seems to be busy with one activity or another. She takes school seriously and enjoys various extracurricular activities like “Girls on the Run,” drama, fundraisers, and more. Like most kids her age, she is nervous about entering middle school, but I’m proud of the way Ava keeps building her up via pep talks. Elise is also our little beauty queen; she loves makeup, skincare, fashion, and painted nails. Although summer break isn’t over yet, she has very much enjoyed her time off this year and is already referring to her birthday weekend in Phoenix as the best present she has ever received. We all love her to the moon and couldn’t be more proud of the young lady she has become!

Phoenix 2024 Road Trip

Our weekend in Phoenix was outstanding and I wouldn’t be surprised if there were more Arizona visits in our future. The trip came about because AJR, one of our favorite bands, was playing Friday night in Phoenix and we knew the kids would love to go. We saw AJR last year at SEMA Fest in Las Vegas and, as far as we were concerned, they stole the show. Once we saw they would be playing nearby on Elise’s birthday weekend we knew we had to make it happen. This meant that Elise would have to forego a traditional birthday party, but she was more than willing to make that consolation.

We drove down on Thursday morning, and now that we’re conditioned to doing 11-hour drives to Grandma’s house in Colorado, the 4.5-hour drive to Phoenix felt like a walk in the park. The kids had never been to Arizona before, other than the sliver of it that we pass through when heading to Colorado, so this was a fun new experience for us. Jessica had also never been to Phoenix, and my only experience there came via a work trip years ago when I was at Amazon, so this was my first time getting to actually enjoy it.

We knew upon arriving in Phoenix that our hotel wouldn’t be ready for check-in, so we drove straight to Pizzeria Bianco. Devin told me that he hadn’t been there, but it was once called the best pizza in the country, so we had to check it out. It’s a traditional Italian Neapolitan pizza, which is our favorite, and we all loved our meal. I won’t go so far as to say it’s the best pizza I’ve ever had, but it was delicious, plus the atmosphere was nice and it was the perfect way to start off our trip. Here we are at their next-door lounge having a drink while we waited for a table.

Pellegrini family at Pizzeria Bianco, Phoenix 2024

Ava Pellegrini at Pizzeria Bianco, Phoenix 2024

Ava Pellegrini drinking soda at Pizzeria Bianco, Phoenix 2024

Elise and Mom at Pizzeria Bianco, Phoenix 2024

After lunch, we checked in at our hotel, the Hilton Phoenix Resort at the Peak, and spent the rest of the afternoon at their water park. It was so hot outside that their lazy river was warmer than bath water, but we still had a nice time. Later that evening we went back to downtown Phoenix and had a nice sushi dinner at Harumi Sushi and Sake.

We slept in so late on Friday morning that we missed breakfast, but it worked out for the best because our lunch at the Fry Bread House was the highlight meal of the trip. I came across this place while reading an article about the Phoenix dining scene. While I had never had fry bread before, or dined at a Native American restaurant, the reviews sounded amazing, and once I saw it was a James Beard award winner, I knew we had to go. While it wasn’t a fancy place at all, the way they built burritos out of fry bread, rather than a traditional tortilla, was incredible. We all agreed it was our favorite meal in a long time and will definitely be returning next time we make it to Phoenix.
Friday afternoon was spent at our hotel’s water park, and then that evening we had a big pasta meal at Babbo’s Italian Eatery before heading to the Footprint Center, home of the Phoenix Suns, for the AJR concert. The concert itself was so much fun; the kids knew the words to every song and we were so impressed with the entire production. It was so much more than your traditional live show where the band simply comes out and plays their songs. You could tell a lot of time and effort went into creating this show and we loved every minute of it. Here’s the video I made of my favorite songs from that night, as well as a few photos from before the show.

Pellegrini kids at the AJR show, Phoenix 2024

Elise Pellegrini at the AJR concert in Phoenix, 2024

Michael and Jessica Pellegrini at the AJR concert in Phoenix, 2024

Elise Pellegrini holding her birthday sign at the AJR concert in Phoenix, 2024

Driving home on Saturday was smooth sailing the entire way. The desert in Arizona is much prettier than what we have in Nevada, mostly because they get much more rain than we do. We loved looking at all the cacti and various other forms of plant life. It was a quick trip but we all enjoyed Arizona and look forward to going back. While the climate isn’t any different from what we’re used to, it definitely has a different vibe to it. While Vegas is fast-paced and glitzy, Arizona is much more laid-back, and I love how they lean into their old Western heritage. Phoenix, in particular, had an excellent dining scene, and that’s always a draw for Jessica and me. We’re now thinking about visiting other Arizona hot spots like the Grand Canyon, Scottsdale, and Tucson.

With our big weekend behind us, the plan for today is to lay low at home. We might do a little swimming later, and Elise has requested homemade fish tacos for dinner, so I’m looking forward to making them for her. Oh, and one more thing, Ava and Elise are both past the 100 consecutive days mark of daily foreign language lessons on DuoLingo! I’m so proud of their dedication that I decided to get back into it and am now doing daily Spanish lessons. I figured nothing could be more useful around here than Spanish and it’s so similar to Italian that I find it rather easy. The three of us are now regularly encouraging Mom and Enzo to get on board so we can all have some type of foreign language influence in our lives.

That’s about it for now. We have friends coming to visit next weekend, then we will be visiting Auntie Dana and Uncle Brad for a long weekend in San Diego next month. Here are a couple more photos from our trip to Phoenix. Happy 11th birthday Elise, we love you to the moon!

Pellegrini kids at the Hilton Resort at the Peak, Phoenix 2024

Pellegrini family at the Hilton Resort at the Peak, Phoenix 2024

Mom’s Birthday and Much More!

Jessica’s birthday weekend, family activities, and a new job for Dad.

Yesterday was Jessica’s birthday and we were able to make a fun weekend out of it. On Saturday morning she ran a 5k with Elise and Enzo as part of the school running club that Elise has been involved in this year. Unfortunately, Ava and I weren’t able to be there to cheer them on because her softball team had a double-header in Pahrump that morning, which is about an hour away, but they had a great time. Here’s a photo from their race.

Elise, Mom, and Enzo at the 2024 Girls On The Run 5k

On Saturday, Jessica wanted to check out a hibachi restaurant near our house. We thought it would be a fun experience and that the kids would enjoy the show. It turned out to be a great time and is something we plan on doing again soon. Elise had been to a hibachi restaurant one time with her friend’s family, but Ava and Enzo had never experienced anything like this before. There was a guy seated across from us who was very friendly and offered Enzo $5 if he could catch a shrimp from the chef in his mouth. He was given three tries and this is how it turned out.

Afterward, the chef gave everyone a chance to catch a piece of shrimp in their mouth. Jessica and I both caught ours on the first try but let’s just say that wasn’t the case for everyone else. Overall it was a fun and new experience with delicious food, and the whole table sang “Happy Birthday” to Jessica.

We slept in on Sunday morning, then later I got to work on a crab cake benedict for her birthday brunch. I had offered to skip my baseball game but she told me not to, so it was important to me that I make her a nice meal. The kids had never eaten eggs benedict before but they all liked it, especially the homemade hollandaise sauce.

After brunch we went to the park to play frisbee for a bit and enjoy the beautiful weather, then I had to get ready for my game. While I was away, Jessica and the kids went out for ice cream, and by the time I got home, everyone was relaxing for the evening. Another exciting thing to come out of Jessica’s birthday was that we finalized our dates for the Colorado trip in June. As it turns out, we’re going to be gone for 11 days, which is more than originally expected but it made the most sense based on everything we want to do with Grandma and Grandpa Martin. I’ll be working for several of those days, but will still be taking a few days off as well. The plan is to leave Nevada on Saturday, June 1st, and return on Tuesday, June 11th. I look forward to writing a big update about it in June!

I hope Jessica had a great birthday, and most importantly, how much we all love and appreciate her!

In addition to Jessica’s birthday, we also recently attended a school awards ceremony at the South Point Hotel and Casino. She was nominated for support staff of the year, and although she didn’t win, it was still a great honor and clear validation that she is doing the right thing. She received an engraved plaque and we enjoyed the ceremony with friends, so it was a fun and memorable night all around.

Softball and Baseball Update

While my baseball season is just getting going, Ava’s softball season is cruising right along toward the playoffs. Her team is 7-1 and we just beat the 1st-place team in both games of a double-header on Saturday. Her improvement this season has been so fun to watch and I’m proud of how committed she is. She never turns down an opportunity to practice and never misses a team event. Sometimes it gets tricky due to other family commitments, and we have had to ask other families for help getting her to or from practice more than once, but it always works out.

It’s been a pleasure for me to help the team this season as an assistant coach and I know Ava loves having me out there. We only have two more weeks until the playoffs begin, so her season will be over before we know it, but we’re doing our best to repeat as league champions, and no matter what, we will definitely be back for the next season this Fall.

On the baseball side, I’m having a blast getting out there with the guys every Sunday. I can handle all the bumps and bruises, as well as waking up sore on Monday mornings because I love the whole experience. I’m making friends, playing better than expected, and best of all, getting to share this experience with Enzo, who is our team’s batboy.

So far, our team has played 4 games and we have a record of 1-3, which isn’t great, but it’s a brand new team and we’re still finding our way. You never know who is going to make it each weekend due to other schedules and conflicts, but it’s always a good time. I currently have a batting average of .500, which is much better than I expected to start off at. I haven’t struck out more than once in a game and yesterday’s game was the first one where I didn’t strike out at all. I’ve had a few really nice hits, including a blast over the center fielder’s head in game 3 that resulted in a standup double. The best part was reaching second base and hearing Enzo yell “Father of the Year!!!”

I have already had a scary moment as well, which was in my first at-bat of the second game. The first pitch I saw was a fastball coming right at my head. I later learned that I should have ducked away but I have never practiced this type of situation before and the ball was coming in very fast, so my natural instinct was to pull back. The ball clipped my left wrist and then hit me right in the face! I could tell no serious damage was done but it was scary for everyone, not just me. I hated the fact that Enzo had to see this happen to me in my first at-bat since he had joined the team, but it was memorable.

As expected, the guys on the team love having Enzo around and it seems clear that Enzo loves it just as much, if not more. Our team’s manager insisted on paying for Enzo’s jersey due to all the help he provides, and as I told him recently, we’re creating memories for a lifetime. Even if he never plays ball himself, he will always remember being the batboy for his dad’s team. I would have loved to do this sort of thing with my own dad but I’m glad to be doing my part to make it happen now. I’m not getting any younger, and am already one of the oldest guys out there, but I love it and want to continue playing as long as possible.

My New Job in the Sports Betting Industry

To close things off, I’m excited to announce that I have accepted a new job as a Senior Software Engineer with Unabated Sports; an industry leader in sports betting analytics! I wasn’t even looking for a new job because my plan was to continue working at my current day job until my own company, Cappers.ai, was successful enough for me to work there full-time, but this opportunity with Unabated popped up and was too good for me not to pursue.

I stumbled upon Unabated on Twitter a few weeks ago and was immediately impressed with their business model. I even sent their link to my partner Devin saying that this is exactly how I would like to see our company evolve. Later on, I noticed on their Twitter feed that they were hiring software engineers and were looking for someone with experience in C# and relational databases. As it just so happens, this is exactly what I used to build the Cappers application, so I figured I had nothing to lose by applying.

I sent them an email with my resume and talked about my experience with Cappers, then about 90 minutes later I had an email from their CEO asking if we could chat. We had a few meetings over the next two weeks and ultimately they made me an offer that I couldn’t refuse. I made sure to verify with them that Cappers wasn’t going to be a conflict of interest and they were fine with it.

I’m so excited to get started two weeks from today. I know I’m going to learn a ton and can’t wait to dive head-first into their platform. I’m particularly proud of this new role because it’s a product of the initiative and hard work that went into building the Cappers site. I built that thing from scratch, have learned a ton along the way, and continue to put countless hours into it. While I haven’t been unhappy working at my current day job, which is in the healthcare industry, having the opportunity to work in the world of sports betting, which is something that I love and am good at, is very exciting. I can’t help but think that my dad would be proud. He always told me when I was a kid not to follow in his footsteps, but to me this feels like the best of both worlds.

Regardless of how things turn out with Cappers, this is a great opportunity with Unabated. Several of their founders were founders of the Action Network, which is the biggest platform out there for sports bettors, and I’m getting in as one of the first 30 employees. They are consistently beating their revenue targets and growing fast. My family has been so supportive throughout this process and I know Jessica is very happy for me to be able to take this on. I look forward to providing more updates about it in the near future.

That’s about it for now. It’s crazy that the school year is about to come to an end, and we’re excited for Elise because she will be giving a speech at her elementary school graduation ceremony, just like Ava did a year ago. We don’t have a whole lot planned in May, but June should be a lot of fun due to our Colorado trip, then Grandpa Rudd will be visiting for the 4th of July. Shortly after that will be our weekend in Phoenix, and then as soon as we get back from that our good friends the Palmers will be coming down for their annual visit.

Here are a few more recent photos. See you next month!