August has been another great month for our family. Jessica and the kids got back to school a couple of weeks ago, meaning it’s just me and the cats at home on the weekdays. It didn’t take long before everyone was settled back into their schedules, and so far, they’re all doing great. Jessica is now officially a student at UNLV, meaning she works during the day, then comes home and focuses on her schoolwork. She’s very busy but has been taking everything on like a champ. It’s hard to believe that we’re less than a year away from her taking the lead role in the classroom.
Elise has probably had the biggest transition this month, as she is now a middle schooler, but so far it’s been a smooth one. She is making new friends, as expected, and is loving her classes. She joined the orchestra and is now learning to play violin, which makes me proud because we now have another stringed instrumentalist in the house!
Ava is off to a great start in 7th grade. The transition to middle school a year ago was hard for her but this year has been such a positive change. She is sticking with the trumpet in the school band and is excited for another softball season to get started in the coming weeks. Enzo is now our only child left in elementary school but he is enjoying 4th grade, mostly because he landed in a class with all of his best friends. It’s also nice that he gets to ride to and from school with Mom each day.
Work has been busier than ever for me lately, mostly because football season is just getting started. The two biggest sports betting markets in the United States are the NFL and college football, so I have been working for months to prepare Cappers for this season. We only supported NFL betting last year but this year we’re also supporting college football, so there was a lot of preparation required. Business has already started picking up and we’re about to raise our prices for the first time. We’re continuing to get more traffic with our daily videos across social networks, and yesterday was actually our best day ever. Devin and I are optimistic about the future of our company so it will be interesting to see how things go over the next few months.
A Long Weekend In San Diego
Although our Summer break was officially over, we still had one more trip to do before Labor Day, which was to pay Auntie Dana and Uncle Brad a visit in San Diego. It’s been nearly 2.5 years since we were down there, which is far too long, so we were all excited to see them and get some quality time at the beach. While San Diego is lovely all the time, this is the absolute best time of year to go there, especially if going to the beach is on your agenda.
We drove to Dana and Brad’s house on Thursday evening after I finished work. It’s only about 4.5 hours door-to-door, which is nothing for us, so it wasn’t even very late when we arrived. Friday was all about the beach, so after hanging out around their house that morning, we all hopped in the van and headed over to Carlsbad for a day of boogie boarding, body surfing, and walks on the beach. It wasn’t that crowded because of it being a weekday after school had resumed, so we spent the entire afternoon there.
It was the warmest water I’ve ever experienced in San Diego, but I guess that shouldn’t come as a big surprise considering it’s been the hottest Summer ever recorded. The waves were also much bigger than expected so it took a bit for the kids to feel comfortable. Everyone got thrashed a bit in the shore break, myself included, but by the end of the day, Ava was catching waves on the boogie board without assistance! Uncle Brad did a great job teaching each of the kids and a day later Elise and Enzo were also catching their own waves.
Each day was basically the same in the sense that we would have lunch somewhere in San Diego, hang out at the beach, hit the grocery store on the way home, and then relax at the house while I made dinner for everyone. Several epic games of Uno were also played. Jessica and I loved watching the kids in the water. Seeing them fly by on the boogie board with the biggest smile on their faces brought me so much joy, mostly because it reminded me a lot of my own childhood. I always loved playing in the waves on the coast of Washington, and there’s no doubt that this was the trip where our kids solidified their love for the ocean. It certainly wasn’t their first time playing in the ocean but I feel like this was the trip where they really ‘got’ the whole SoCal vibe.
We left San Diego on Sunday already talking about when to return. Our general plan is to try and make it to Colorado and Southern California at least once (but hopefully twice each) per year. I love the fact that we can make that happen without having to put everyone on an airplane. It was a quick trip but we’re so thankful to Dana and Brad for hosting us. I’m also excited that we made plans for them to come and stay with us this year for Thanksgiving!
We don’t have any other trips scheduled for this year, but in another few weeks, the weather will cool down enough that we’ll be in that sweet spot of perfect Las Vegas weather. Combine that with all the sports and new TV shows for the Fall and we’ll be living our best lives at home. We’re looking forward to a nice Labor Day weekend, and with all of our Summer trips behind us, we can now officially settle into our Fall schedules.
That’s all for now. Thanks for reading, and here are some recent family photos.
Elise on her first day of Middle SchoolAva on her first day of 7th gradeEnzo on his first day of 4th gradeJessica’s first day of the school yearThe girls before school one morningDana and Brad have lots of orange trees on their property and Enzo LOVES making fresh juice with themEnzo playing on the beach in Carlsbad. Notice Ava riding a wave in on the boogie board.Ava strikes a pose on the beachElise and Mom after a walk on the beachEnzo playing on the beach with Auntie Dana looking onAva rides a wave all the way to the shoreElise at the Self-Realization Fellowship Meditation Garden – one of Auntie Dana’s favorite spotsAuntie Dana with the kids at the meditation gardenObligatory family photo
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.
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.
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!
All about our Colorado Summer 2024 trip, plus a few more fun things going on in our worlds.
At the beginning of this month, our family enjoyed an amazing trip to Colorado. We were gone for 10 days, which was the longest we had ever been away from home as a family. Before getting into the details of the trip I want to thank Grandma and Grandpa Martin for being such gracious hosts. They made sure we had all kinds of fun things to do at their house, and having their RV to camp in was very nice. They showed us places that the kids and I had never seen before, let the kids take four-wheelers and other vehicles out whenever they liked, and I even got to go out on a motorcycle ride with Tom one afternoon. It was our first time visiting Colorado outside of winter and turned into a trip that we will never forget!
The plan was to spend the weekend camping in Estes Park, which is just outside of the Rocky Mountain National Park. Each day we would go into the park for hiking and sightseeing, and then most evenings we would go into town to shop and eat. Estes Park is a charming little town that reminded me of my childhood summers at Lake Chelan. It’s probably most well known as the home of the Stanley Hotel, which was the birthplace of the Stanley Steemer and was featured prominently in the cult-classic movie, “The Shining”. Jessica spent a lot of time there as a kid and was so excited to show these places to us that she frequently got choked up. Her grandparents used to own multiple properties in Estes Park, so it was reminiscent and special for her to now be there as an adult with her own family.
We drove up to Colorado the previous weekend on a Sunday, then I worked from their house Monday through Wednesday before taking Thursday and Friday off for our camping excursion. Grandpa Tom had the four-wheelers, dune buggy, and mini bike all ready to roll as soon as we got there. By day two the kids needed no help in firing each one up and taking off around the property. It would always crack me up when I’d look outside and suddenly hear them roaring up towards the house, chasing each other on one motorized vehicle or another. They’d be screaming and laughing the whole time, living their best lives and making lasting childhood memories.
On Tuesday afternoon, Tom and I took their Harley’s out for a 60-mile ride through the canyons. There was a winding river next to us on one side and sheer vertical mountain walls on the other. It was also my first time riding a motorcycle in seven or eight years and was easily one of the most beautiful rides I have ever done. At one point a gorgeous red Ferrari passed us in the canyon going the other way. It certainly reinvigorated my love for motorcycles, so I made sure to tell them that if they ever decide to part ways with one of those Harley’s to please let me know.
On Wednesday afternoon everyone but me spent the day at Grand Lake. I had to work and wasn’t able to join them but they had a nice time at the lake, as well as exploring the town. The pictures were beautiful and they enjoyed some delicious pizza for lunch, so I hope to be able to check it out next time.
On Thursday morning we drove the RV and our van to Estes Park. The town is located just east of Rocky Mountain National Park, so getting there means we had to enter the park on the west side and go all the way up a mountain pass, then descend that mountain on the other side. At one point we were up at 13,000 feet elevation! Some of those windy and narrow mountain roads make me nervous because there’s a huge drop-off only a few feet away, but we took it slow and careful. The views up there were incredible, so we stopped a few times to take it all in. Here’s a photo from our first stop, near the top of the mountain.
Once we were settled in our campsite we decided to check out the town of Estes Park. We had a nice lunch, then split up for some shopping. I felt like this was a perfect time and place to get Enzo his first pocket knife, so that became our mission for the afternoon. We bounced around from shop to shop until we found the right one. I thought of it as a right of passage, and it reminded me of similar experiences with my own Dad. I still have the first pocket knife he got me from a small town on the coast of Washington, and I’m sure Enzo will always keep his as well.
He learned how to flick his knife to open the blade and spent much of the remainder of the trip showcasing his newfound skill. The knife has “Colorado” branded on it, and there’s a cutout of an elk with big horns in the blade. Here he is practicing with it on a hike.
The next couple of days were spent hiking and sightseeing in the park. There were so many wild animals to enjoy, including tons of elk, birds, chipmunks, deer, and even a moose or two! Our first day of hiking took place at Bear Lake, which is one of the most popular attractions in the park. It sits at a high elevation so you have to take a bus up there, then once you arrive there are various trails to explore. We first did a short hike around the lake, then took on the vertical portion and headed up the mountain. It wasn’t a particularly hard hike, especially for someone as experienced as Jessica, but the rise in elevation combined with that thin mountain air is enough to get a little burn going in your lungs.
It was immediately apparent to me why this is such a popular attraction. Whether you were near the lake or going up the mountain, the scenery was incredible. I had my camera out and tried to get as many good shots as possible. There was a surprising amount of snow still around, but it didn’t feel cold at all. We stopped several times to rest and view different rivers, waterfalls, and scenic outlooks. We had lunch at the top, took a few more photos, then made our way back down. It was easily the best day of hiking I have ever experienced and I’m glad I was able to document it with so many photos. Here are some of my favorites.
After leaving Bear Lake we visited a beautiful waterfall with the cleanest mountain water I have ever tasted. We had a bit of a scare when Ava started hiking up the mountain and disappeared for a while. Jessica and I had to go up there looking for her and eventually found her at the top of the waterfall. We were not pleased in the moment but it’s another one of those things that we won’t forget. Here are a few photos from that portion of our day.
We did another hike on Saturday morning at a much less populated trail. It wasn’t as scenic as Bear Lake but we did see some nice rivers and rushing rapids. Our timing was excellent because a big rain storm rolled in right as we were ready to head back to the campground. While there were intermittent rain showers throughout our trip, this one was by far the biggest. It really poured down on us, so we spent the afternoon napping and reading in the RV. That evening there was a little concert at our campground’s lodge so we all went to check it out. It was a trio of older musicians who sounded good and were clearly having a blast performing, so it was a nice way to spend our Saturday night.
On Sunday morning we rode the Mustang Mountain Coaster, which was a blast. It’s a new attraction that Jessica found online and we decided we had to check it out. Enzo was the only one who couldn’t ride alone, so he rode with me. As we were ascending the mountain our adrenaline started pumping and he asked me if he could swear. I would normally always say no but due to the circumstances I said yes. Little did I know he would be cursing like a sailor the whole way down the mountain. I didn’t even know he could speak that way and kept telling him to stop because I was filming the ride, but it added to the humor of the situation. It kinda sounds like I’m swearing as well but I wasn’t. That was just me screaming out in a combination of terror and joy. Here’s the video we made.
After the mountain coaster we drove around for a bit. Amy and Tom took us to an old country store who is famous for their cinnamon rolls. We then got to see the property that Jessica’s grandparents used to own in the 1990’s. It was a bit emotional for Jessica to be back there, but again, also quite special to be there with the kids. After that we had to split up because they had the campsite for one more day but I had to get back to the house so I could work on Monday.
Jessica and I drove the van down to Boulder and spent the afternoon shopping in the Pearl Street pedestrian mall. It was a perfect afternoon to walk around. We were stopped by a monk and chatted with him for a while, then purchased one of his books. There was also a Jewish food festival going on. I got a new hat and necklace while Jessica got a really nice hiking backpack. That evening we drove to Golden, home of the Coors brewing company, and had an excellent dinner at an Indian restaurant, then made our way back up to Amy and Tom’s house.
Monday was our final day before heading home on Tuesday, but we managed to do one more special thing before leaving. Tom let me take the Jeep out and teach Ava to drive! There’s plenty of open space out there, and the roads are private, so it was the perfect setting. I have fond memories of learning to drive with my Mom, Uncle Jim, and my sister Dana, so it was great to come full-circle and be the teacher. I stayed calm, and honestly, she did a great job. It was something that we’ll never forget and I’m glad to have it captured on video.
Overall, it was an epic trip that we will always remember fondly. I loved getting to experience Colorado outside of Winter and I feel like I finally got to see the true beauty of the place. Certainly Winter is beautiful as well but for me, this was really special. We’re already thinking about when our next visit will be, and again, a huge thanks to Amy and Tom for going out of their way to make this such a special experience for us! Here are some more pictures from our trip.
Jessica Prepares for Testing
Jessica has been working hard during Summer break to prepare for her entrance exams. Her masters program begins in September and she has three tests to take, so she sets aside daily study time and will soon be taking the math test. Reading and writing tests will soon follow, but the good news is that the tests don’t have to be completed before classes begin, and there’s no limit to how many times you take the test. It’s all about putting in the work and she has already proven that she is more than willing to do that.
Family Biking Adventures
Ever since Jessica got a new bike on Memorial Day we have been going on regular bike rides. There have been a handful of rides which have included at least one child, and one or two where all five of us went, but more recently it has become something that Jessica and I do together. We have done at least a 10 mile ride on each of the last 3 weekends, and yesterday’s 12.5 mile ride was our longest yet. Living in Henderson is great for bike rides because there are so many trails, paths, and bike lanes available; you just have to time it right with the weather because it has been extremely hot lately.
Michael’s New Job
I have been working at Unabated Sports for about a month and a half now and I’m loving it. After spending 12 or 13 years working in corporate America it’s so nice to work in an environment that is totally non-corporate. I love the team I’m working with and can say with confidence that I have never been a better software engineer than I am right now. Not only am I learning new things at work, but my workflow has been revolutionalized by the use of AI. It’s basically a requirement for us to use AI in our workflow and they provide us with a Claude.ai team membership. It’s similar to Chat GPT, but better in my opinion. Now, whenever I run into code that I don’t understand, or when I’m stuck on a coding problem, I just ask Claude about it. Also, when I’m working on any type of repetitive task I give the details to Claude and it finishes it for me. I even use it for stuff in my personal life. The AI revolution is in full effect, and if you figure out how to harness it, you’ll be amazed at the results and productivity gains.
Beyond all the workflow stuff, I’m just truly loving the work I do. Literally every day now has a component of sports and sports betting for me. I’ve never been more successful betting on sports, but more importantly, I’m one of the lucky ones who wakes up literally 7 days a week excited about the work I’ll be doing that day. On the weekdays it’s all about Unabated work, then on the weekends I focus on Cappers. I’m already taking so many learnings from Unabated and applying them to Cappers, so it’s a very exciting time for me.
Enzo and Michael’s Final Baseball Game of the Season
Part of the reason I waited until the last day of June to do this post was because today was our final baseball game of the season. There’s actually one more game on July 14th, but that’s Elise’s 11th birthday so I won’t be able to make that one. It’s been a blast out there playing for the past few months, especially since Enzo joins me for almost every game. He doesn’t have any other activities going on these days so I think he looks forward to the games just as much as I do. I know the guys love having him there to kid around with and he seems to eat it up.
Today was the first time Jessica, Ava, and Elise came to a game, so it was great having them there to cheer us on. I started the game at catcher, which was a first for me, and I played the first 3 innings there before they switched things up. No one plays a full game at any position these days due to the heat, but I did pretty decent behind the plate and it was a cool way to finish the season.
While I very much enjoyed myself this season, I’m not totally sure if I’ll be playing next season or not. On one hand, I have made friends on the team and love getting out there every weekend, especially since it’s a special thing that Enzo and I get to do together, but on the other hand, I’m about to turn 44 years old and playing baseball is hard on my body. Not surprisingly, I have a variety of little nagging injuries that I’m constantly dealing with, and I know from my experiences playing hockey years ago that something more serious could happen at any time. It’s also about a 4 hour time commitment when you factor in the time to get there, warm up, play the game, and come home. I know that if I decide to stop, that will be it for my baseball career, so I wouldn’t be surprised if I commit to playing again in the Fall, but I also have the option of playing on my friend’s slowpitch softball team, so I might consider that. Obviously it would be easier on my body, but again, if I quit playing hardball that’s going to be it, so I may tough it out for one more season. Only time will tell. Here’s a picture with me and the kids after today’s game.
Exciting Stuff Coming Soon
We like to stay busy during the Summer, so it seems like there is always something, or several things, to look forward to. First up, we have Grandpa Rick coming out to visit next week for the 4th of July. He will be in town for several days and we have some fun stuff planned during his stay. The following weekend we will be heading down to Phoenix for Elise’s birthday weekend. Our plan is to leave on the morning of Thursday, July 11th, then head home the evening of Saturday, the 13th. It’s only about a 4.5 hour drive so that’s nothing for us. The AJR concert will be in downtown Phoenix on Friday night, so we have Thursday and Saturday to do whatever we want.
Originally we were considering staying at a hotel in downtown Phoenix, but once we discovered the Hilton Phoenix Resort at The Peak, which is about 15 minutes north of downtown, we decided that would be a better fit. The resort features a water park, lazy river, mini golf, and more, so it gives us plenty of things to do if we wish. I’m sure we will spend at least one afternoon at the water park, but we don’t have any concrete plans other than attending the concert on Friday night.
The week after that our good friends the Palmers are coming down from Washington for their annual Summer visit, then a couple weeks later we will be heading to San Diego to visit Auntie Dana and Uncle Brad for some much needed SoCal beach time! We have lived in Henderson for 3 years now, yet this is our fourth Summer, and it’s definitely shaping up to be the best one yet. Not a day goes by that I don’t realize how fortunate we are to be able to live the lives we live. Thanks for reading and we’ll see you next month.
Overall, March has been a good month for us, but I’ll go ahead and get the bad news out of the way first. Jessica’s Grandma Sherry passed away at the beginning of the month, which is about 9 months after the passing of her husband Larry. The two of them were married for 67 years and the family always said once one of them goes, the other won’t be far behind. This turned out to be true.
Obviously, it was very sad news to receive, and the timing was especially difficult because Jessica had already made plans to visit her in Iowa. She knew the time was coming and wanted to get one more special visit in, but unfortunately, Sherry couldn’t hang on long enough. Jessica decided to keep her Iowa plans and will be flying there this Friday. She’s looking forward to spending time with her Dad, as well as driving over to Illinois to spend some time with her friend Laurel. From my perspective, I will always have fond memories of Larry and Sherry spending Christmas 2010 with us in San Diego. It was our first year of marriage, as well as our first Christmas in San Diego, and having them spend a week with us in our tiny beach shack was something I’ll never forget. My condolences go out to Amy and family; she was a great woman and always played a special role in Jessica’s life.
Now that the sad news is out of the way, we’ve got a lot of good things to get into. At the beginning of March, the kids and I attended the NASCAR race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. None of us had ever attended anything like this but we had a great time. I never used to be a big NASCAR fan but after seeing it in person I feel like I totally get it. It’s hard to describe the sensation of seeing those cars go thundering by at 160 mph! The sights and sounds are very exciting, and since then I have watched every race on TV. There’s another Las Vegas race in late October and we have already made plans to attend it with Grandma and Grandpa Martin, who will be driving down from Colorado at that time.
Our Colorado Roadtrip
Speaking of Colorado, we had an excellent Spring Break vacation there and are already planning another visit in June. We drove up on a Friday, and without meaning to, ended up stopping at all of the exact same places we stopped at during our first Colorado road trip for Christmas 2022. It was unbelievable and totally unplanned.
We stopped at the same little gas station in Joseph, Utah with the cleanest bathrooms and an excellent candy selection. Then we stopped at the same rest stop with a scenic view in Central Utah. We even had lunch at Starvin Arvins again, which is a little diner in Fruita, Colorado. The first two-thirds of the drive was perfect and gorgeous. It was a beautiful sunny day and I can never get over how beautiful the scenery in Utah is.
Shortly after lunch, as we were just beginning to ascend the Rocky Mountains from the west side, we started seeing signs saying I-70 was closed at Vail Pass. It sounded like there was a snowstorm up there but we later learned that a pair of semi trucks had jackknifed, causing a massive slowdown on the interstate. Jessica immediately started researching alternate routes and then got on the phone with Grandpa Tom to get his advice.
We ended up getting off I-70 and took a little two-lane highway for the remainder of the trip. Around 90 minutes before sunset we started noticing a lot of deer out and about. They were eating plants and we ended up seeing hundreds of them. It was an awesome sight to see, but my biggest concern was that one would come onto the highway. A while later we came around a bend and about 150 yards ahead I could see a deer on the highway. It wasn’t in my lane, but this was a two-lane road so I started slowing down.
Beyond the deer, I could see a blue Subaru sedan approaching and it seemed like it had plenty of time to slow down but it didn’t work out that way. They slammed on their brakes but it was too late. Right as we were approaching they hit the deer and all I can say is that it was an awful thing to see. I have never seen something like this before and also never witnessed so much carnage. It all happened so fast but I could see there were two adults in the car and that they were able to safely pull over on the side of the road.
For a second I thought maybe I should stop but there were multiple factors that caused me to keep going. First, I had no idea where we were so I didn’t think I could be of much help. I knew there were two adults in the car so it wasn’t like someone was dealing with this alone, and their car wasn’t totaled so they were in control after the collision. I also didn’t want to expose my children to that type of carnage, plus we had already been on the road for 11 hours at that point. We were getting tired and I felt like my number 1 priority was to get them safely to Grandma and Grandpa’s house. I felt bad about not stopping but based on all those factors it seemed clear to me that I needed to stay the course. It was hard though, and I can still vividly remember exactly what that collision looked like.
We arrived safely at Amy and Tom’s house about an hour later but it was a little strange because they weren’t there. As soon as they knew Sherry was close to passing they had to get back to Iowa as quickly as possible. This was a Friday and Sherry’s service was scheduled for that Monday. Their plan was to fly home on Monday evening after the service, so we knew we would see them on the back half of our trip, but for this first night, it was just us in their beautiful mountain home.
On Saturday morning we let the kids play in the snow for a bit, then we made the drive down the mountain and into Denver. Although I have been to Colorado several times, those trips have always been up in the mountains, so my only Denver experience before this was related to the airport. We arrived in Denver before our hotel was ready for us to check in, so we ended up hanging out in this really cool little neighborhood on Tennyson St. Our lunch at Vital Root was excellent, and then we enjoyed walking around for a bit.
The hotel was nice because it was right in the heart of Denver and we had a corner suite on the 12th floor. There were two bedrooms so we gave the kids the room with all the windows. It was so cool seeing them lying in bed with an expansive view of Downtown Denver.
That night the five of us walked to the Summit Music Hall for the Moon Taxi concert. We arrived right when the doors opened, which was an hour before the opening band was scheduled to go on, and immediately made our way to the front of the stage. Enzo and Elise were right on the rail at the very front, while Ava, Jessica, and I were directly behind them. We held our ground and kept that spot for the entire show, even when it started getting crowded. Small venues like this are the absolute best way to see a concert and the kids had never experienced anything like it, so we had a lot of fun.
Moon Taxi played all of our favorite songs and also did some unexpected covers. At one point the drummer had to replace the head on his bass drum so the singer started playing “What’s Up” by 4 Non Blondes. Immediately the whole crowd joined in and we all sang together. It was such a fun show that we will never forget, but my favorite part was when the singer reached down to Enzo near the end of the show to give him his guitar pick and a fist bump. It was amazing. Enzo was afraid he would lose it so he gave it to me to hold onto. Every few hours for the next two days he would say “Dad, do you still have my guitar pick?”
The walk back to our hotel was a little chilly but we stopped at a pizza food truck for a few slices, and then made our way back to the room to talk about our favorite parts of the show.
On Sunday, we had a free day to explore Denver. We lucked out with beautiful sunny weather in the mid-60s and bounced around to a few places. We visited a little art walk, then took the kids to play at a park. You could tell the locals were loving the weather because everyone was out walking a dog in shorts and t-shirts.
Denver is a really cool city with an interesting mix of old west history and modern eclectics. They have a great food scene and it seems like everyone has a dog. For our Sunday afternoon, Elise and Jessica went to Meow Wolf while Ava, Enzo, and I decided to take advantage of the nice weather by playing 36 holes of mini golf at an outdoor course.
That evening we enjoyed some of the best pizza of our lives at Red Tops Rendezvous. It’s Detroit-style pizza and was easily the best deep-dish pizza we have ever had. We have already decided that any time we return to Denver we will have to eat there again.
On Monday morning we drove back up to Grandma and Grandpa’s house. The kids spent the day playing in the snow, and then later that night Amy and Tom arrived from Iowa. We then spent the entire day on Tuesday outside in the snow. The kids did a bunch of sledding and built two snowmen, plus we got to ride four-wheelers. It was a perfect way to end the trip and we’re looking forward to getting back up there in June.
We drove home on Wednesday and ran into every type of weather imaginable. A big storm was coming in and we’re lucky we left when we did because parts of Colorado got up to 3 feet of snow! It was their biggest storm in 3 years and we barely made it out in time. We made our way through the beginnings of the snowstorm as we were heading down the mountain on Wednesday morning, which then turned into a heavy rainstorm once we got to a lower elevation.
Shortly after making it into Utah, we found ourselves in a big hailstorm, then as the day progressed there were two strong windstorms. Despite all this crazy weather we still made it home in 10.5 hours, which was record time. We opted not to stop for lunch and just eat in the car, which saved time but still managed to once again stop in all of the exact same places for gas and bathrooms as we did on the previous trip. It was unbelievable.
Since getting home from Colorado things have been great. Ava is busy with softball and I’ve been an assistant on the team, while Elise has been doing choir, running club, and acting classes. She is also interested in playing softball and is currently planning on joining a team for the Fall season. I’m going to work with her between now and then to get as prepared as possible. We’re still looking for some new activities for Enzo to engage in so hopefully that happens sometime soon.
This week Jessica and I will celebrate our 14th anniversary, although we’re holding off on the actual celebration until she returns from Iowa. She leaves this Friday and comes back on Monday, so my Mom will be coming to the house to hang out with us for the weekend. Another exciting thing for Jessica is the fact that she was nominated for Support Professional of the Year for the Clark County School District! I’m so proud of her and it goes to show that she found the perfect thing after moving down here. We will be attending the awards ceremony in April, and regardless of how it turns out, she has a lot to be proud of.
Easter Morning
Today is Easter so we did our annual egg hunt. Normally we would do it in our backyard but it was rainy yesterday so we decided to do it indoors this year. Jessica did a little homage to her Grandma this year by including a scavenger hunt for the kids. Sherry used to do this for the grandkids back in the day and our kids loved it! The rest of our day will be pretty chill but Jessica and the kids had Friday off school, and they have tomorrow off as well, so it’s a nice 4 day weekend for them. Here are a few photos from this morning.
Upcoming Plans
As I have already mentioned, we will be going back up to Colorado to stay with Grandma and Grandpa in June. We’re still figuring out the dates but I’m excited because it’s a nice getaway for us and we can drive there in a day. All of my Colorado trips have been during the winter so I’m excited to see it during the nicer weather.
Our other big plan for this summer is that we will be spending a weekend in Phoenix for Elise’s birthday. Once again, we’re traveling to see one of our favorite bands perform. We love a band called AJR and had a great time seeing them in Vegas at SEMA Fest, which was a big part of Ava’s 12th birthday last November. We were looking at AJR’s tour schedule and saw they were playing a show in Phoenix two days before Elise’s birthday this July, so we decided to go. It’s only about 4.5 hours to drive down there and we’ve never spent time there, so it should be a lot of fun.
That’s about it for now. Here’s a little video collage I made from our Spring Break trip to Colorado.
An update on our 2023 Spring Break, including upcoming activities, preparing for a new family pet, and a few other exciting bits.
Since today is the last day of Spring Break, I wanted to give a quick update on how we’re doing and what we’ve recently been up to. We had plans to visit the Grand Canyon for Spring Break this year but unfortunately, that didn’t work out for a couple of reasons. That’s okay though; we live in a fun place with all kinds of things to do, so we decided to stay near home this year.
I don’t want to dwell on this, but part of the reason we didn’t go anywhere for Spring Break was that I ended up getting Covid-19 and had to quarantine from Jessica and the kids for about a week. That was no fun but I’m thankful that it wasn’t worse and most importantly, that I didn’t give it to Jessica and the kids. It’s possible that I got it from Jessica because she was experiencing similar symptoms about a week before me, but she never took a test so we can’t be sure.
The most disappointing part about getting Covid was the timing. Our good friends Tiko and Tina were married on Monday and I wasn’t able to join Jessica and the kids at the wedding. I also wasn’t able to attend Tiko’s bachelor party a couple of days before the wedding. I was pretty sad about this but there was nothing I could do besides stay home and rest. Luckily I was able to watch the ceremony online from a webcast provided by the chapel, so at least I can picture it, but I really wanted to be there with my family and friends. I managed to avoid Covid for three years, then it finally caught up to me at an unfortunate time, but all things considered, I can’t complain too much. I’m feeling totally fine now, and again, the kids never got it, which I’m most thankful for.
Since I was home quarantining, the kids spent several days of their Spring Break at my Mom’s house. Once again, having her help with the kids has been huge for us. She takes them on so many fun outings that Ava is now planning on writing a book about her adventures with Nana. My Mom often takes them to pet stores to view and hold various animals, but this time she took them to a full-blown farm where they were able to feed and play with all kinds of animals. She also took them to one of our favorite indoor trampoline places for a day of jumping and exercise. Ava smacked her face on a wall and has a bit of a black eye, but she’s fine.
School starts back up tomorrow, then we have several activities beginning shortly after. Unfortunately, Ava’s softball season was canceled due to not enough kids signing up. I tried to get her into another league but it was too late. We were all bummed about this, but we found some other activities to jump into. The kids are all resuming swimming lessons on Friday, plus Jessica and Elise will soon be starting a boxing class. Elise has been interested in trying out boxing for a while now and we thought doing it with Mom would make it even better.
Here’s a video the kids made for their YouTube channel taste-testing a few drinks from Starbucks.
Ready for the wedding!The wedding reception was held at the Cosmopolitan Buffet. This was their first buffet and let’s just say the kids were big fans.
Preparing for a new family pet
We’ve been taking care of Jessica and Ava’s class pet, a leopard gecko named Mochi, during Spring Break. This is Mochi’s second time staying with us and we really enjoy having a lizard at the house. I’ve been wanting a bearded dragon for well over a decade at this point and I’m now happy to say that we have decided to get one! Jessica was never into the idea of having a reptile but after caring for Mochi she has changed her tune a bit. It’s still going to be my pet and I’ll be responsible for most of its care, but I’m cool with that. I look forward to having it on my shoulder while I finish up my work days at home.
I’ve been doing a lot of research on caring for “Beardies” and today I bought a home for it. It’s a 120-gallon tank, which is 4’x2’x2’ and we’re going to put it in Enzo’s bedroom. He has a huge room and loves the idea of keeping the dragon in there. I look forward to providing more updates on this soon, but at the moment we’re just starting the process.
Ava holding her buddy Mochi
A football game with Uncle Bob
Earlier this month I had the opportunity to spend an afternoon with my Uncle Bob at the XFL football game between the Seattle Seadragons and the Las Vegas Vipers. Bob and I have had a lot of great times over the years but for a variety of reasons, we haven’t been able to spend that much time together since my family and I moved to Nevada. I reached out to him at the end of January for his birthday to see if we could set something up and he got back to me a couple of weeks later once he saw Seattle was going to be playing Vegas.
Bob is the biggest Seattle Seahawks fan I know and has gone to great lengths to prove it. His whole SUV is covered with Seahawks paraphernalia and is even painted Seahawks colors. Based on his love for Seattle he has adopted the Seadragons as his favorite XFL team, but he pulls for the Vipers as well. Once he saw Seattle was coming to Las Vegas, it seemed like the perfect opportunity for us to catch a game.
We had a great time, especially during the fourth quarter when Seattle made an incredible comeback to win the game in the final minute. Not to sound dramatic, but as we get older I try not to take experiences like these for granted. No one knows what the future has in store, but that day was just like old times. It was a day we’ll never forget and I look forward to doing more things like this in the near future. We’re already planning a Las Vegas Aviators baseball game for this Spring or Summer. Here’s a video I made for the Vegas Showbiz YouTube channel about our experience.
Ready for the game with Uncle Bob!
Starting a small business
Another piece of exciting news that I have to share is that my good friend Devin and I have decided to start a business together. Back in September, I started getting interested in sports gambling. Obviously, considering what my Dad did for a living, this was something that I had a lot of familiarity with from my childhood. I never got into gambling while living in Washington, but here in Nevada it’s hugely popular, and more states are legalizing it all the time.
What I realized very quickly was that I’m not interested in gambling large amounts (my average bet is only $10), but what I am really into is the handicapping process. I started researching sports handicapping methods and gambling systems, but what I soon found out was that handicapping a game is a time-consuming process. A lot of research is required to see how teams have been performing, then a lot of math is required to crunch all the numbers and see if an edge can be found. Based on all of my programming experience, it was immediately obvious to me that I could significantly speed up the whole process by building a website that would consume all the data for each team and run all the math formulas.
I started building the website back in November and have barely missed a day of working on it since then. Even when we were in Colorado for Christmas break I was working on it daily. I didn’t initially intend for it to be a business; I just wanted to speed up my own handicapping process, plus I love doing web development but don’t get a chance to do that type of work anymore during my day job.
It didn’t take long, however, before I started seeing the value of what I was creating. What started out as a single NBA handicapping system soon started growing into much more. I was buying books and reading articles to learn new gambling systems. Before I knew it I was adding NHL gambling systems, then getting ready for baseball season.
Devin and I are very similar in many ways, and one of those ways is that we both like small-stakes sports gambling. I was regularly sharing my progress on the site with him and soon enough we decided to sit down and talk about the idea of turning it into a business. He is the most successful entrepreneur I know and the timing was right because he was just getting ready for his next venture. He’s been a Chief Technical Officer (CTO) of two startups, so his goal as the next step of his career was to take on the CEO role for a startup. This made perfect sense to me because I’m not ready to take on that kind of role, and I really wanted to stay heavily engaged on the coding and technical side of things. Thus, we’re 50/50 partners, with Devin being the CEO and me as the CTO.
We made the official decision to start a company earlier this month and have been very busy getting things going. Obviously, I can’t leave my day job anytime soon, so I’m working day and night to make this happen, but it’s worth it for me. We haven’t finalized a name for the business yet, but we’re doing our research and should be settling on that very soon. Part of that selection process has to do with whether a name can be trademarked and incorporated, and if a website domain name is available. Devin is focusing on all that stuff while I stay busy making updates to the website. Our goal is to have a soft launch before the MLB All-Star break, then have things fully up and running by the start of the next NFL season.
There’s a ton of work to do, but we see the potential and think it will be very successful. Devin is so bright with business ideas and has already come up with some great strategies. I couldn’t be more happy or lucky to have him as a partner, but our friendship always comes first. We’ve been close for a long time and we don’t want to let any of that change. It’s going to be a fun road and I look forward to sharing more about it as things progress.
I also want to stress that Vegas Showbiz isn’t going anywhere! The girls are already asking when they can take it over, but that won’t be for several years. We’re still regularly posting videos and just today we reached 500 subscribers.
That’s about it for now. I’m looking forward to our next monthly post because I assume there will be a lot to share. We have two different families who we are friends with that will be coming for a visit in April, so that should be fun. Jessica’s birthday is coming up at the end of April and I’m taking her to see Chelsea Handler’s comedy show that night, then the next day she’s heading off to Sedona Arizona to spend a weekend with her girlfriends from Seattle. Hopefully, by the next post, I’ll have more information to share about the business, as well as our bearded dragon. Here’s a few recent photos.
All about our Christmas 2022 road trip to Colorado. We spent a week at Grandma and Grandpa’s house in the mountains, playing in the snow and enjoying the season.
Our family recently returned from a week at Grandma and Grandpa Martin’s home in the Colorado Rocky mountains! We hadn’t been to their place in a few years, and the kids were really hoping for a white Christmas this year, so we decided to make a road trip out of it. Most of our time up there was spent playing in the snow, sledding, ice skating, and lounging around the house.
It’s a 725-mile drive between our homes, and I was able to do it in about 11 hours both times. We left our home in Henderson at 3:45 am on Tuesday, December 20, with the goal of arriving at Grandma and Grandpa’s house before dark. The drive was surprisingly easy until you start ascending the Rocky Mountains. You basically just take I-15 north out of Las Vegas, which then dips through the northwest corner of Arizona for about 20 minutes before taking you into Utah. Once you’re halfway up Utah, you get on I-70 East, which takes you all the way up into the Rockies.
We’ve never done this drive before because almost all of our road trips involve going to California, but I have to say, this was one of the most beautiful drives I’ve ever experienced. Central Utah has the most incredible natural rock formations I’ve ever seen, and that was just what was visible from the freeway! I have to say; I really like Utah. Every time I’m there, it seems like they have the friendliest people and some of the cleanest public bathrooms, plus the roads are always empty, and gas is cheap. We couldn’t believe how little traffic there was in Utah on both ends of our trip. The same could not be said for Colorado or Nevada.
Once you get into Western Colorado, it’s still a couple hundred miles before you get into the Rocky Mountains. This was our first time ascending the Rockies from the west side because we normally always fly into Denver, then drive up into the mountains coming from the east. This was my first time seeing Vail, which looked beautiful. By the time you reach Grandma and Grandpa’s house, you have crossed four or five mountain passes, so you really need to be alert for the final stretch of that drive. They live 15 miles up a private mountain road, and that stretch of driving is by far the most intense part of the trip. That’s why I insisted on leaving so early and arriving before dark. It worked out perfectly, too; we arrived right at sunset, and just over 24 hours later, a major snowstorm rolled through.
Taking in the beautiful sights of Utah during a quick rest stop
Getting Settled at Grandma and Grandpa’s house
Our first full day in Colorado was spent at Grandma and Grandpa’s house. Actually, every day except one was spent at their house because it’s a bit of a production going into town was this big of a group because you have to take two cars down (and back up) the mountain. On that first day, we mostly just went sledding and played in the snow. They have an epic snow hill on a private road adjacent to their property. Since it’s not a county road and no mail/delivery trucks will go down it during the snowy season, the neighbors all regularly groom it for sledding.
From the sledder’s perspective, the best part about it is that you don’t have to walk back up the hill after each run. We bring four-wheelers over there and give everyone a ride back up the hill, which became my defacto job the whole time we were there. I enjoy riding the four-wheelers in the snow and spinning around, but I have to admit, there were times when it would lose traction and start to slide down the hill, causing me to slightly panic because it reminds me of the time I totaled my car in the snow. Everything was fine, though. We had a few sledding collisions at the bottom of the hill, but nothing serious.
Doing my four-wheeler duties during a sledding session.
Besides sledding, another activity we did several times throughout the week was taking a hay ride around the neighborhood behind Grandpa’s tractor. Tom is a very talented mechanic who loves to keep busy with various projects. He found this old tractor abandoned in the woods. It didn’t run and was in pretty sorry shape then, but he brought it home, fixed it all up, and painted it; now it runs like a champ and looks great!
The whole area around their property is like a private winter wonderland. We really enjoyed riding around and getting a tour of the whole area. The key is to do it in the right weather. Obviously, it always appears cold out there due to all the snow, but the temperature swings that we experienced during our week there were extreme. After the big storm hit, we experienced night-time lows that were about five below zero. The day after the storm, it was in the single digits all day, and it was way too cold to do anything outside. Ava and I went sledding for a little bit, but within an hour, we had to come inside because of the extreme cold.
For comparison’s sake, we had other days during the trip that reached the mid-thirties. I realize that also sounds cold, but when you’re dressed for an outdoor winter outing, anything above thirty degrees feels pretty warm. Those were the days when we spent a lot more time outdoors.
The view from a hayride on Grandpa’s tractor
Ice Skating at Keystone
Our one big outing of the trip came on Christmas Eve when we went to the Keystone ski resort for some outdoor ice skating. They have the country’s largest outdoor ice skating rink, and this was our second time going there. We went there during our last Colorado Christmas trip, and at that time, I was playing hockey regularly, so we skated a lot more, and I was able to get into a pickup hockey game.
This time we took it a lot slower because we were out of practice with skating. That said, I was impressed with Ava’s skating, considering she hadn’t been on the ice in about a year. All the years of hockey practice have done her well, and it was great seeing her out on the ice again. We’re still holding out hope that she decides to get back into hockey, but we wouldn’t force it on her. That last team was too intense, but maybe we can find a better option.
Elise and Enzo aren’t as comfortable on the ice as Ava, but they both did great out there. At first, Elise used bars to hold onto, but I couldn’t believe how fast she would get going with them. Eventually, she started skating without the bars and did very well. Enzo also had a lot of fun out there, but I think his favorite part was to get going fast, then drop and slide on the ice as far as possible.
Skating out there on a frozen lake is way different than skating in an indoor ice arena. First of all, lake ice is much harder than arena ice, and you can feel the difference in the blades of your skates. Next, and this is actually the bigger differentiator, is that the lake ice has big divots where chunks of ice are missing. I ended up falling once out there because the toe of my skate went into a divot. You really have to watch where you’re going, but the divots are easy to miss, and if you hit one the wrong way, you’re definitely going to fall. I was skating pretty carefully due to the fact that I was out of practice and not wearing any protective gear besides a helmet, so I felt lucky coming out of there with only one fall.
I’ll admit it can be a little scary because the lake ice has these huge cracks going all the way down. You can see that the ice is about three feet thick, and obviously, falling through would most likely be fatal, but they groom it with a full-sized Zamboni. Those things probably weigh more than a car, so if the ice can hold that thing, I don’t think there’s too much to worry about.
We should start going skating as a family more often. We were doing it regularly for a while back in Washington, and there are plenty of options now that we live in Nevada. It’s a fun, healthy activity for everyone, and it’s safe as long as you wear the appropriate gear.
Ava and Mom out on the ice
Christmas morning
We were up early, as expected, on Christmas morning. Grandma had picked out matching pajamas for everyone, we had a nice fire going, and the kids were super excited to open their presents. Everyone was very happy; the kids each received some new clothes, Pokemon trading cards, and a big Pokemon wallet to hold all their cards. Elise got a hoverboard, then Ava and Enzo got attachable seats for their hoverboards. There were several other things as well, but the biggest gift for each kid was a brand-new iPad.
They had been using the kids’ Kindle Fire tablets for the past two years, and we felt like it was time for them to graduate onto a premium device. We got each iPad engraved with their name and an emoji that suits them. Ava’s has a heart, Elise’s has a unicorn, and Enzo’s has a thumbs up. They were thrilled with them and continue to thank us daily. These are by far the nicest devices they have ever used.
The rest of the day was spent hanging around the house, getting into our new stuff, playing games, and cooking. My Mom got me a really cool drone for my birthday this year, so I brought it along for the trip. On Christmas afternoon, I went out to fly it around their property and got some great footage of their property. Once again, Ava helped me by controlling the camera from my phone while I controlled the drone. The whole time we were there, I was working on a family Christmas video, which you can find below, and the aerial drone footage ended up being the end of my video.
Matching pajamas!I swear I didn’t Photoshop myself into this picture
Heading back to Nevada
The day after Christmas was our last full day in Colorado. It was also the warmest day of the trip, so we spent several hours outside sledding, riding snowmobiles, hiking, and taking tractor rides. It was a very fun and fitting way to end the visit. Then, like the week before it, Tuesday was our day of driving.
I honestly think I could have been a long-haul trucker because I love road trips. Just like on the way there, I had no problem driving us the whole way home in one day. I like being out there on the highway, taking in all the sights, and I like truck stops. You don’t realize how vast and empty much of our country is until you get out there and drive through it.
Getting out of the Rocky mountains was the hardest part of the drive, only because you don’t want to wear out your brakes as you descend the mountain, so you have to be comfortable with downshifting and engine braking. Once again, we had the Utah highways mostly to ourselves. The roads and highways were much busier in Colorado and Nevada than those in Utah.
We were home a bit after dark, and our cats were so happy to see us. We missed them a lot, but they were fine while we were gone. We had a neighbor come over a few times, and my Mom was nice enough to make the drive to check on them once.
As always, you enjoy the trip, and then you’re happy to be home sleeping in your own bed. We all don’t go back to work/school until Tuesday, January 3rd, so it’s nice to have a few days at home to get stuff done before getting back into the routine.
To all our family and friends, happy holidays, Merry Christmas, and happy new year! Here’s the video I mentioned about our trip, as well as some of my favorite photos from Christmas 2022. See you next year!
Opening stockings on Christmas EveAva and Enzo on a hayride with GrandpaStockings!Thank you for hosting us, Grandma and Grandpa.
An update on the end of our Summer break, including a road trip to Los Angeles, plus our first week of the new school year.
Tomorrow the kids and Jessica will already be beginning their second week of the 2022 / 2023 school year. It still feels too early to me for school to be starting, but that’s how they do it here, so we just have to adjust. They did a full 5-day week last week to kick off the new year, which I think is a bit much for the first week, but they were troopers and got things off to a great start! Not surprisingly, each of them is already making new friends at school, and overall they are loving it.
Ava is in Jessica’s class and, as a 5th grader, has instantly taken on a leadership role. She was selected to represent the class in the student council, and she has already made remarks to Jessica about her increased sense of self-confidence since starting there. Obviously, we couldn’t be happier about this and just hope the positive momentum continues. This is going to be a very important year for Ava because it’s her last year of elementary school. Jessica is doing everything she can to prepare her for middle school, and having Ava in her class each day is the best way to do that.
Ava’s first day of 5th grade
Elise is off to a great start in 4th grade, although she’s so hard on herself with the way she compares herself to her peers that she would tell you she’s behind. I can heavily relate to that type of sentiment and feeling; I just hope she uses it as fuel and motivation. Jessica basically hand selected each of the kids’ teachers this year and has already spoken to Elise’s new teacher to see how the first week went. Not surprisingly, Elise did great in her first week and doesn’t appear behind in anything. Her teacher seems awesome, and Elise loved her instantly, so things look really good for Elise this year.
Elise on her first day of 4th grade
Enzo is off to a great start in second grade. Like Elise, he tends to be hard on himself when comparing himself to his peers. I think the annual change in schools has a lot to do with that for both of them, but again, he’s doing totally fine in school and just needs to get more comfortable in his new surroundings. He’s actually doing excellent in math, so we’re very encouraging of him to keep pushing in that area. There’s a little boy sitting next to him that he quickly built a friendship with, plus he and Elise both get to see Mom and Ava at different points each day (recess, lunch, special classes).
Enzo on his first day of 2nd grade
I think they were all exhausted after the first week, but the first week is always the hardest. Each week will get easier and more routine from here on out. It’s been strange having the house so quiet all day long again, but considering that I’m working, that part is kinda nice. One thing I love about working from home is that my kids get to have the same vision of me working at home that I had of my own Dad. Obviously, our jobs are a bit different, but that part doesn’t matter. What matters is that you’re there to say goodbye when they leave in the morning, and you’re there to greet them when they return in the afternoon. I don’t take that for granted at all either, because it wasn’t that long ago that I was commuting an hour plus each way and then feeling bad when the kids tell me I’m barely around. Knowing that working from home is a permanent thing for me gives me a lot of peace of mind in that sense.
Wrapping up Summer break
Jessica and I wanted to make one more fun little trip to finish off our Summer break, so we planned a visit to Los Angeles for 2 nights. It actually almost didn’t happen, so let me expand on that part first. The plan was to leave at 6:00 am on Sunday, July 31st, and drive straight to Santa Monica so we could have a day at the beach. The day before that was my birthday, and since it fell on a Saturday, we decided to have a little pool + pizza party at the house with our friends.
I haven’t had a birthday party in many years, but it made sense this year, so Tiko brought both of his daughters over, plus Devin and Bridgette came. We swam for a couple of hours, then took a break to eat pizza. After finishing our pizza, people were slowly migrating back toward the pool. Most of us were just sitting around with our legs in the water, but Enzo was getting up on the ledge above the pool, jumping in, then climbing out and repeating. This is nothing new – all 3 of the kids do this regularly, but as he was running around the back side of the pool to get back up on the ledge, he tripped on the pole holding up the basketball hoop and slammed his forehead into the concrete ledge above the pool.
I didn’t even see it happen, but I heard him scream, so I ran over to him. By the time I reached him, there was a big gash on his forehead, and his entire face was covered in blood. He was screaming, and it felt like we were living in the scene of a horror movie. I picked him up and started running back to where everyone was. I think I yelled out something about having a serious problem, and I remember all the girls (ours plus Tiko’s) were in the pool; when they saw Enzo’s bloody face, they all started screaming in terror.
Luckily all of the adults jumped into action. Bridgette immediately got a towel on Enzo’s face and started cleaning him up, while Devin and Tiko took care of the girls so they wouldn’t see anymore. Jessica ran in to get her keys, and within a minute, we were on our way to the emergency room.
I didn’t even get to say goodbye to my friends, but I can’t tell them how much I appreciate them stepping up. They stayed at home with Ava and Elise while Jessica and I went to the ER with Enzo. Unfortunately, things were pretty busy that night at the ER, which is probably common for a Saturday night. Even though I had a child with a head wound in my arms, it still took nearly 30 minutes for us to get checked him checked in. I have to give Enzo a ton of credit because he did remarkably well staying calm. I guess to a certain extent, he’s used to this, having been through multiple similar situations, but he still deserves credit. It was a nasty deep gash on his forehead, but he was such a little trooper.
After getting Enzo into a hospital bed and figuring out the plan with the doctor, I sent Jessica home. I didn’t want our friends to have to stay there all night, and a lot needed to be picked up at the house. It was a very slow process, but he ended up getting 6 stitches in his forehead. I thought our trip would have to be canceled at this point, but I asked the doctor about it and received permission to go. We just had to keep the stitches dry, so no swimming or showering for a few days. I was a little bit surprised they gave him permission to go on rollercoasters at Six Flags, but they did, so the trip was back on! This wasn’t exactly how I envisioned the night playing out, but there’s no question we will always remember my 42nd birthday.
Waiting for stitches at the ERSix stitches! He’s a tough little guy.
A quick trip to Los Angeles
We got off to an early start as planned, and even with stopping for gas and food, we still arrived at Santa Monica beach by 11:00 am. We still have our beach tent from the San Diego days, so we found a good spot to set that up and then just hung out for a few hours. Enzo could only get his feet wet, and Elise isn’t that into cold ocean water, so they mostly played on the beach, building sand castles.
Ava, on the other hand, is a California girl at heart. She loves getting out there in the water, and I love watching her. It reminds me of my childhood, out there thrashing around in the Pacific ocean waves. The water is cold, and we’re especially spoiled now that we’re used to swimming in our heated pool, but she doesn’t care. She jumps into and over those waves with so much energy; I just love it.
Ava playing at the beach in Santa MonicaElise was quite the little builder at the beachEnzo had fun in Santa MonicaJessica always loves a beach day
After a few hours down on the beach, we took the kids up to the Santa Monica pier to walk around. There were all kinds of little shops, people fishing everywhere, there were acrobats and even a magician! It was a trip walking around there, but they loved it.
Family selfie near the end of the pier
After leaving the pier, we walked along the boardwalk towards Muscle Beach and Venice Beach. A bunch of people were working on different types of tightropes and practicing balancing acts. It was fun to watch, and there was a playground for kids, so we posted up there for a bit just to take it all in. There was a fruit stand on the boardwalk, so we got a big bowl of fresh fruit and sat there eating all these delicious fruits (mango, pineapple, watermelon) while we watched all the interesting things going on around us. It was a really fun afternoon. When you combine this with their experiences in San Diego during Spring Break, I think it’s safe to say that the kids get the whole California beach thing by now. I actually made a video about our day at the beach for the Pellegrini Kids YouTube channel – you can check it out below.
From the Pellegrini Kids YouTube channel
A scenic tour of Los Angeles
We took the long way getting to our hotel, which was up in Santa Clarita near Six Flags. I wanted to show the kids a bit of Los Angeles, so we ended up cruising through the UCLA campus, Bel Air, Beverly Hills, and all the way down the Sunset strip. They’re used to Vegas glitz and glamour, but Los Angeles has a different vibe to it, and they were eating it up. As a kid, I always had a strange love for Los Angeles, so it was cool taking them on this little sightseeing tour.
Six Flags Magic Mountain
Monday, we spent basically the entire day at Six Flags Magic Mountain. Enzo isn’t tall enough for some of the rollercoasters (the 54” ones), but he could do everything else, so that’s what we did. Honestly, plenty of the rollercoasters he was big enough to do were still able to scare me to death. I think we were all pretty frazzled after going on X2. Except Elise, of course, because she was the only one smart enough not to go. Poor Ava started crying when it was over. Enzo and I were looking at each other all wild-eyed, like what just happened? Here’s a POV video somebody made on it a long time ago.
This was probably the scariest rollercoaster I’ve been on
By the time we left Six Flags that evening, everyone was exhausted. It was a full 8-hour day of rides, lines, and walking. We found an awesome little SoCal Mexican restaurant for dinner, crashed hard, then made our way home in the morning. As usual, we stopped at the Lenwood exit in Barstow for gas and food. As we were exiting the parking lot to head back to the freeway, we ran into our neighbors (including Elise’s best friend), who were on their way to San Diego. Such a small world.
Back to Business
I’m so glad that the trip worked out because it ended up being a big highlight of our Summer. The kids have been getting asked a lot in school about what they did over Summer break, and the L.A. trip has been one of their top things to call out. With that behind us, we’re back to our routine but still enjoying the warm weather. After last Summer’s record-breaking heat wave, this Summer has been very mild for Las Vegas standards. It’s still very warm out, but the difference between 95 and 115 is huge.
Enzo got his stitches out a few days after the trip, and he was immediately allowed to get back in the water, so we’ve been swimming a lot. I’m trying to stress to him the importance of not running too much and paying attention to where he’s going. He’s not a clumsy kid, he just gets ahead of himself because he’s running or wants to be in the lead. I’m hoping we don’t have any more injuries soon because each of the kids will soon start their new activities. Ava is going to check out volleyball, Elise is joining a girls running group at school, and Enzo is getting into more advanced swimming lessons.
The downtime for Summer was great, but I’m excited for everyone to start getting busy again. Fall, which is my favorite season, is just around the corner. I’m ready for some football and some beautiful Las Vegas Fall weather. See you in September!
A recap of our recent visit to Seattle, exactly one year after moving away.
Jessica and I recently returned home from a great trip to Seattle. This was our first visit back to the Seattle area since moving away exactly one year earlier. We chose this week because the kids were on their annual Summer RV trip with Grandma and Grandpa Martin. While the kids explored parks and canyons in Utah, Jessica and I were able to visit several friends and family members. Of course, you’re never able to see everyone in one trip, and if we didn’t see you, I apologize. We’re just thankful for all the hugs, conversations, and quality visits we could have in those few days we were in town.
Getting to Seattle
I have to admit that the trip started off a little rocky. First, our flight was delayed, then we arrived in Seattle and had to sit on the runway for another 20 minutes or so. It was literally 50 degrees colder than what we had just left in Vegas, but worse than that; it was very cloudy and rainy.
We didn’t check a bag at the airport and just had our carryons with us, but at the gate, before boarding the plane, they asked passengers to gate-check their bags due to limited overhead space. We have done this in the past, but we always received our gate-checked bags on the other end at the gate. Maybe that was related to us having a stroller at the time, but either way, we volunteered to gate-check these bags, and it turned into a major mistake.
Instead of picking up our bags at the SeaTac airport gate, our bags were sent to baggage claim. Long story short, it took about an hour and 20 minutes to get our two bags at baggage claim. I was so salty waiting for those bags and swore never to gate-check anything again. Some woman from our flight came to me asking if I knew where the bags were, but I glared at her until she walked away. This was precisely why we didn’t want to check any bags. Even people working at the airport spoke about how much of a joke SeaTac airport can be.
Getting the rental car was also a surprisingly slow process, but eventually, we were on the road heading for Bellevue. Unfortunately, it was raining pretty hard, which is something we haven’t seen in Southern Nevada since last Fall. We stopped for food at Taco Time, which has always been a favorite of ours, then met up with Kallan at the Bellevue house.
A night out in Bellevue with Kallan
I knew my salty mood would disappear as soon as I started seeing people we were there to see. Kallan had just finished a hectic week at work (he joined T-Mobile as a Software Engineer about a year ago), so we all decided to head out to downtown Bellevue for food and drinks. We hung out for quite a while, bouncing around to different places. I couldn’t believe how cold and wet it was! Seattle has had an epically bad Spring in terms of weather, so everyone was hoping for some sun to come out during the trip.
We ended up getting some more quality time with Kallan throughout the trip. He took us on his neighborhood walk and pointed out all the interesting real estate facts about properties in the area. We were both really impressed with how grown up he is and how his career is starting out. I’ve always been very close with Kallan and am so proud of him.
Saturday Night in Seattle
The daytime on Saturday was the only quiet time we had during the trip. Jessica drove by our old Bellevue house, which is the one we first moved into when coming back from San Diego. It was Saturday night, however, that turned into one of the highlights of the trip.
We headed to downtown Seattle, eager to have dinner at our friend Michael’s restaurant, 84 Yesler. But before dinner, we had to stop by and see the new El Gaucho. The old location on 1st and Wall was very special to us, playing a significant role in our lives for many years, so seeing the new one was a must.
As soon as we walked in, we were greeted with big hugs from old friends. We weren’t sure how many of our friends from the old location would still be working at the new one. We hadn’t seen any of these people since before the pandemic, so it was a lovely surprise to see so many familiar faces.
I immediately saw my old buddy Luca, who came over and gave me the biggest hug. He gave me a tour and took me back into the kitchen. I couldn’t believe what an upgrade everything was! Not that there was anything wrong with the old place, but they had clearly done several things to upgrade.
We ended up hanging out for about an hour, just catching up with old friends and telling stories. We shared a bowl of truffle soup, which was delicious, but there wasn’t a whole lot else we could eat. Jessica was able to get together with a couple of our Gaucho friends for lunch once more during the trip, while I was at the office, but this was my only opportunity to connect with Gaucho friends.
Checking out the new Gauch!
I always consider my first few years at El Gaucho to be my glory days. Some of my closest friends to this day are people I met during that time. Luca, who I mentioned above, was there, and so was my friend Leon, who is bringing his wife and son to stay with us in Henderson next week. Michael Don Rico, who was my best man at our wedding, was also there, and it was his restaurant we were off to next.
Dinner at 84 Yesler
84 Yesler is not only the restaurant’s name but also its address. Michael has been a managing partner for several years, but this was our first opportunity to dine there. Before I get into the dining experience, I will just say that it’s always very special to me whenever Michael and I get to spend time together.
Once upon a time, MDR introduced me to the city of Seattle. He was, and probably still is, the most well-known guy in the entire Seattle dining scene. Every door was open, and every bar stayed open late. When we first started hanging out, I wasn’t even old enough to drink, but it didn’t matter when I was with him. We had some of the most epic experiences of my lifetime, and it all comes back instantly whenever we get together.
Outside of my long-standing friendship with Michael, Jessica also has her own. She worked with him at Branzino for several years, right around the time we got married, and they became close. As mentioned, he was the best man at our wedding, so there was no way we were coming to Seattle and not seeing him.
Visiting with Michael outside 84 Yesler
As luck would have it, the same night we were having dinner at 84 Yesler, so was Michael’s fiance Kirsten, who was there with her Mom and brother in celebration of her Mom’s birthday. Kirsten and I also go way back, more than 20 years, because we became friends while working at El Gaucho. She and Michael plan on getting married in Italy next year, and we will be there once the date is set. I hadn’t seen Kirsten in so long, and it was such an unexpected surprise getting to catch up with her.
There were also two of our old Gaucho friends working at 84 Yesler. Victoria, a wine captain, worked with me at El Gaucho for years and took me under her wing to teach me the restaurant business when I was young. Justin, our server, also worked at El Gaucho for years while Jessica was there. So everything comes back to El Gaucho for us.
Everything about our meal at 84 Yesler was exquisite. The service is top-notch, the food was unbelievable, and the professionalism with how that restaurant is run, both in the front of the house as well as the kitchen, was a sight to see. We have never seen such a calm and well-run kitchen in all our years of restaurant work.
The chef stood there silently, observing each cook in the kitchen meticulously crafting their dishes. The food coming out looked like art on a plate, yet the flavor profiles were so rich. They modified several menu items to become vegetarian for us, and we were simply blown away by each course.
The homemade pasta was especially delicious, and the tomato gnocchi was unlike anything we’d had before. Each piece of gnocchi tasted like tomato soup. The cauliflower steak had the char and grill markings of a beef steak, and the puffs of olive oil beneath our sorbet made me feel like we were in Willy Wonka’s candy factory. I love it when food can be playful and unique. We also love being exposed to new flavor profiles or new ways of presenting classic dishes.
I really can’t speak highly enough about 84 Yesler. This is the place to go if you’re looking for an outstanding dining experience in Seattle.
First course – Fiddle Head FernsSecond Course – Spring Herb SaladPasta course – Tomato GnocchiPasta course – Fine herbs PappardelleEntree course – Cauliflower steak with roaster turnips
Father’s Day
Sunday was Father’s Day, and although I was a little bummed not to be spending the day with our kids, I was very happy to be able to resume our Father’s Day tradition with Jim, Brenda, Kristy, Tito, and Madi, at the car show in Burien. Tito wasn’t able to join us this year at the car show due to work, but we were still able to visit with him later that day.
We have done this car show on Father’s Day for many years, but the pandemic broke the streak, so it was really special for everyone to be able to do it again this year. Going to car shows with Jim and Brenda was a big part of my teenage years, and to this day, there is no one beside them who I’d rather go look at classic cars with.
Camaros and Chevelles tend to be our favorites, but as always, we loved walking all around and seeing this year’s variety. One thing we had never seen before was a McClaren. This was a 2014 McClaren MP4, and it was incredible. Living in Vegas, we get spoiled by supercars. Seeing Ferrari’s, Lamborghini’s, and Bentley’s is practically a daily occurrence, but not so with McClaren’s. Those are like another level of supercar, and seeing one parked with the doors wide open was pretty impressive.
After walking around the car show for a bit, we all sat down at a nice little Italian restaurant for lunch. I knew Jim and Brenda would be heading home after that, so it was great to sit down for a meal together. After lunch, Jessica and I headed south to meet Kristy and Madi at their new home in Federal Way. They purchased the home almost the same time we bought our new house last Summer, so we were excited to finally see it in person.
Visiting the Father’s Day car show in Burien with Jim, Brenda, Kristy, and Madi
As usual, with our visit’s to Kristy’s house, we hung out the entire day. The weather was pretty nice that day, so we hung out in their backyard, playing with the dogs and grilling up all kinds of delicious veggie skewers and Beyond burgers. Tito got home from work in time for dinner, and I honestly couldn’t believe how much of our Vegas Showbiz video catalog he was familiar with.
I know my Mom, Jim and Brenda tend to watch all of our videos, but beyond that, I’m never sure who sees what. I know everyone is busy living their lives, so I don’t expect anyone to watch our stuff, and therefore was blown away when Tito started talking about all the things we’ve done in our videos. It was so cool and humbling to hear someone talking about how much they have enjoyed our content! I really appreciated it.
Getting to spend that afternoon at their new home was really special and exactly why we made the trip. We loved their new home and were thankful for the time spent together that day.
The fountain in Kristy’s backyard – we sat back here all-day
Working in the office
I decided before the trip that I would like to spend some time with my team in the office. Although half of my team is based in Canada, we recently got a new manager who works out of the Bellevue office in Lincoln Square, so I ended up working there Monday through Wednesday. A couple of other team members in the Bellevue area also came into the office, so for a minute there, it felt like the old days.
This was my first time working in an office building in more than two years! It was very quiet, with nowhere near the same number of people you would have seen pre-pandemic. I enjoyed being there, and it was great meeting my teammates in person, but the honest truth is that I work more hours when working from home. The hardest thing about working from home is knowing when to call it a day, but when you physically leave the office at a certain time, chances are your work day is then complete.
While I was working at the office, Jessica was able to meet up with several old friends. She even got to join her old workout group for a couple of classes. After work on Monday, I met up with my friend and old next-door neighbor Jim. We went out for Mexican food, and then he took me to the new home they purchased last November in Snohomish. It was beautiful, and I was so happy to see how things had worked out for them. Jessica, who was already in Snohomish with her friends, was able to pick me up and also see their new place.
On Tuesday, I was able to have lunch in Bellevue with my friend and old neighbor Erik. It was so nice catching up and hearing about the old hood. This was basically the theme for our entire trip; we know we left in a hurry last year so it was important to us to see everyone and catch up after the hectic move was well behind us.
Tuesday night at Julie and Bardi’s house
Tuesday evening was another highlight of the trip. This was our last night in town, and we went out in style! Our good friends Julie and Bardi live in a beautiful home directly on the water in Shoreline. It was the Summer Solstice, and Julie had prepared a delicious meal for us to enjoy out by the water.
Julie & Bardi’s back porch in Shoreline – views for days!
Bardi broke out some of his fancy whiskey that he had been holding onto, and we had a beautiful evening sitting outside, telling stories, learning about nature’s kingdoms from professor Bardi, and watching the kids play. It’s these types of visits and experiences that we were hoping to have on our trip. Dinner on the water is so quintessentially Seattle, but doing so at your friend’s house is on another level.
Summer Solstice Sunset in Shoreline, SeattleA great evening with friends!
Wrapping the trip up
Wednesday was the final day of our trip. Once again, I worked at the Bellevue office while Jessica visited with friends. She picked me up from work, and we walked around Bellevue for a bit before heading south to SeaTac.
We ended up having dinner at 13 Coins, which felt very fitting, then returned the car and headed to the plane. Once again, our flight was delayed, but we learned from our previous mistake and did not gate-check our bags.
Arriving home at 1:00 am, our cats Peach and Spencer were so happy to see us. A neighbor had been taking care of them while we were away, and they were all over us the minute we walked in the door. On Friday, Jessica and I drove to St. George, Utah, to meet Grandma Amy and the kids. They had been camping further North, making visits to Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park.
Before heading back home, we hung out and had lunch at a really cool park in St. George. It’s about 2 hours each way, but you end up going through three states because 27 miles of that drive goes through the northeastern corner of Arizona. The canyons in that Arizona portion of the drive make it worth it, and Southern Utah is also very pretty.
Home Sweet Home
It’s great having everyone back home together. Summer is already nearly halfway over, and we haven’t even reached July! We’re looking forward to the 4th of July; then Miss Elise will be turning nine a little more than a week later. Grandma and Grandpa Rudd will be coming for a visit in mid-July, so we’re also looking forward to that.
Thanks for sticking with me on this long-winded post. I wanted to do our trip justice. If we recently saw you in Seattle, all I can say is thank you! We very much enjoyed the trip and look forward to doing it again. Hopefully with the kids next time.
On a recent hike with friends in Mt Charleston, NevadaLunch in the backyard
A breakdown of the Pellegrini family’s Spring Break 2022 road trip to San Diego. We had a blast visiting family, going to beaches, and visiting the SD Zoo!
After spending several days with Auntie Dana and Uncle Brad at their beautiful home in Fallbrook, California, we recently returned home to Henderson. The occasion was Spring Break, and this was our first time leaving Clark County since moving here last June! Before I get into the trip’s details, I want to thank Dana and Brad so much for their hospitality. They took terrific care of us, and we had the best time seeing them, their house, and reconnecting with Southern California.
Driving to San Diego
The trip began for us on Friday evening. After picking the kids up from school, we packed our final few things in the van and hit the road. Traffic wasn’t an issue for us because not many people are leaving Las Vegas on a Friday evening, but the traffic heading to Las Vegas from California was awful. I highly recommend not driving to Las Vegas from Southern California on a Friday afternoon or evening.
We made great time, and even though we stopped twice, it still took less than 5 hours to get to their house in Fallbrook. If you’re unfamiliar with Fallbrook, it’s in North County, just a bit east of Carlsbad and Oceanside. It has a small-town feel, even though it’s only 45 minutes from the beach. I actually bought a car once in Fallbrook, back when I was first living in Las Vegas. I’ve always loved how it’s known as “The Avocado Capital of the World.”
It used to take us about 5.5 hours to drive from our house in San Diego to my Mom’s house in Las Vegas, but we were much further south. Driving to North County is a lot easier, and even the kids agreed that the drive was no big deal. They’re road trip pros at this point.
Beach Day in Carlsbad
We knew from the weather forecast that Saturday, which was our first full day in town, would have the warmest weather of our trip. Based on this, we decided to make Saturday our beach day. Of course, we would still visit other beaches during the trip, but this was the only day where we would change into swimsuits and play in the water.
Although the water was cold, it was still so much fun splashing around and playing in the sand. It feels weird to say this, but the kids had never been to a sandy beach before. Technically, Ava did when she was a baby, but that’s it. They always loved going to beaches in Washington, but there’s nothing but rocky shores unless you’re going out to the coast (which they were not).
Seeing the kids having a blast at the beach gave Jessica and me a lot of joy. We moved from Seattle to San Diego almost exactly 12 years ago, and we were essentially starting from scratch. There weren’t many extra luxuries in our lives at that time, but one thing we always had was the beach. Going to the beach in San Diego was a huge part of our lives during our first couple of years of marriage, so this experience with the kids felt like we had come full circle.
Getting to experience all of this with Dana and Brad made it that much more special too. I got some great footage of Enzo and Brad playing catch on the beach, and Dana was super helpful with the kids, filming, and keeping everything in order. On our way home to Nevada, we talked about our favorite days of the trip. Although the girls chose the zoo day, Enzo and I both said the day at the beach in Carlsbad was our favorite.
In my opinion, nothing else could replicate the pure sense of joy everyone had during that first beach day. I think you can clearly see it in our video, but I also love this group photo. The funny thing about this photo was that I was doing all the manual settings on the camera to get the exact exposure I wanted, then I had to arrange everyone. Once the whole thing was set up, we posed for the photos on 10-second timers. I took a couple of pictures and thought we were done, only to realize that I had accidentally been recording video the whole time and had taken zero pictures. So then we got to do the entire thing over again.
Elise, Enzo, Ava, Brad, Dana, Jessica, & Michael (L to R, front then back)
Visiting Pacific Beach and Mission Beach
Dana and Brad decided to lay low at home on Sunday, so the 5 of us headed down to Pacific Beach to see our old stomping grounds. First, we rolled through La Jolla and showed the kids the famous cove on the way there. Then, we cruised through Bird Rock on our way toward Pacific Beach, and it was at this point, Elise declared how much she loved beach houses. Although, I think her opinion changed a bit after seeing the type of beach house we used to live in. Let’s just say it was nothing like what she had just seen in those posh little neighborhoods.
Luckily our favorite old pizza spot, Woodstock’s Pizza, was not only still there but open for lunch. So we took the kids there, and most of us really enjoyed our pizza. Unfortunately for Enzo, he accidentally received some type of sweet dough for his pizza, although he didn’t say anything until it was nearly gone, so we didn’t feel like we could ask for another.
Getting ready for Woodstock’s Pizza!
After finishing our lunches, we stumbled upon a cool-looking hat store as we walked toward the beach. Jessica and I have a bit of history purchasing hats on vacation, and the trend continued with this trip. Ava got a pair of sunglasses, but the rest of us walked out with new hats on our heads.
Family photo with our new digs
Feeling extra stylish, we walked down the Pacific Beach boardwalk as it turned into Mission Beach, then eventually turned around and made our way back to the van. During the walk, Ava kept commenting on how many people seemed to be showing off for my camera. It’s funny how people react in the presence of a video camera; some try to do something silly or funny, some try to show off, and some try to hide their faces. Ava is very aware of how people react when they see me filming, and the stuff she says in the video cracks me up.
Ava, Enzo, and Elise on the Pacific Beach boardwalk
Taking the kids to Coronado Island
We weren’t ready to call it a day after our boardwalk stroll, so we drove out to Coronado Island and showed the kids the hotel we stayed in on our honeymoon. If you’re not arriving by boat, visiting Coronado Island involves driving over a tall bridge. Think the West Seattle bridge times three. Once you get there, it feels like you’re on a movie set. The neighborhood streets are the most picturesque thing you’ve ever seen.
On the beach at Coronado Island
We watched the sunset while the kids played on the beach, then made our way back north to have dinner with Dana and Brad.
A change of plans on Monday
Monday was originally going to be our Zoo day, but unfortunately, it didn’t work out that way. Instead, I woke up in the middle of the night was a splitting migraine headache. Migraines have become more common for me over the past few years, and I was prepared for this. I took migraine medicine right away, but it didn’t work, and I couldn’t go back to sleep.
By the time everyone else was getting up for the day, I was a wreck. I couldn’t make it to the zoo, so Dana and Brad took the kids out for the day while Jessica stayed home with me. I was really bummed out about messing up our plans, but we were able to shift some things around and do the zoo on Tuesday instead.
Visiting the San Diego Zoo
Tuesday was our last full day of the trip, and we made the most of it. We spent the whole day at the San Diego Zoo, and as previously mentioned, it was Ava, Elise, and Jessica’s favorite day of the trip. As expected, we saw a wide variety of animals throughout the day. The monkeys were wildly entertaining, although I liked watching the flamingos as well. In addition, we saw a peacock on the roof, but oddly enough, I’ve seen this before when visiting the zoo in Seattle.
The most memorable part of the day came near the end inside one of the aviary exhibits. I was zooming in on a peacock when I heard Jessica yell out that she had just been pooped on! The same thing had recently happened to my Mom while holding parrots with Ava at Pirate Fest. Unfortunately, I wasn’t there and couldn’t capture that incident on video, but not this time.
I was rolling video the whole time during Jessica’s incident and found it pretty hilarious. It soon became clear that the birds were aiming at us because poop was coming down everywhere. We had to regroup under a small covered area and then make a run for the door. Jessica got hit again as we ran, and I couldn’t stop laughing. For once, it felt like I was filming at the perfect time.
I accidentally used the wrong camera setting here, putting myself in focus and everyone behind me out of focus. I still like the photo though. Sorry family.Elise bought a lion’s mane headband with her own moneyAva looking cool at the zoo with her new shadesEnzo looking as colorful as everEnzo and Dad taking a selfie break
Back to Henderson
Driving back to Henderson, or “Hendo” as we call it, was just as easy as our drive on Friday night. Again, we picked the right time and benefitted from the fact that not many people are driving to Las Vegas on a Wednesday afternoon. Like our drive on Friday night, we stopped twice yet still made it in less than five hours.
Our cats were as excited to see us as we were of them. I need to give my Mom a big shout-out for coming to our house twice while we were gone to check on them. As always, it’s good to come home, but this was our first time coming home to our house in Henderson. As I said earlier, we hadn’t left the county since moving here last June, but one of the things we liked about moving here was that it was a central location for road trips.
There are so many more places we want to drive to, but it felt fitting for our first road trip since moving here would be to San Diego. Obviously, our family has a history there, and introducing our kids to the area was special for us. I hope it won’t be long before our next road trip, but this is one we’ll never forget. Check out the video above to see more of the trip, plus here are a few more photos.
Jessica after the bird poop incidentBack on the boardwalk after all these years!Grabbing a coffee at Better BuzzElise loving the first beach dayAva on the beach at Coronado IslandOne last little walk in Fallbrook before heading home
A quick update about my new team at Microsoft, as well as my recent trip to Las Vegas.
After spending the past 6 years at Microsoft working on the azure.com website, today is my last day on the Acom team. I’m certainly not leaving Microsoft, but Monday I’ll be joining the Treasury Engineering team, working on systems related to employee payroll, business-to-business payments, and currency conversion. As the tech industry goes, 6 years is a pretty long time to be on the same team, so I’m excited to get a chance to switch things up by working on new projects with new people.
The funny thing about this new role is that I wasn’t even looking for it; it completely fell in my lap. The manager of the team is someone I collaborated with about 3 years ago when I was assigned to work on startups.microsoft.com, and we have remained friendly ever since. He wasn’t managing a team at that time, but somewhat recently he started managing the Treasury Engineering team and ended up reaching out to me about an opening on his team that he thought I would be a good fit for. Obviously I was flattered about the opportunity, and after hearing more about it I decided that there was a lot of potential for me in this new role. I interviewed a couple weeks later and ended up receiving the offer shortly thereafter.
Anytime you’re making a change like this it’s going to be bittersweet because you become close with the people you’re working with, and there’s a bit of a comfort zone there, but I have no doubts that this change will be good for me. I also think there’s a great life lesson here for my kids to learn from, which is that you should always treat everyone with respect because you never know when the good impression you made will come back around in the form of a new opportunity. I will certainly have more updates about the new role in the coming months once I’ve gotten ramped up, but for now I’m just feeling energized and excited to dig in!
The other exciting thing in my world is that I just got home Wednesday evening from spending 5 days at my Mom’s house in Las Vegas. I hadn’t gotten any one-on-one time with her in years and Jessica was very encouraging of me to get down there for a visit. As expected, it was a great time. We got a lot of quality time together, watched almost all of Schitt’s Creek Season 3, and had some delicious vegan meals. In addition to getting time with her, I got to see my Uncle Bob, plus my friends Devin, Tiko, and Tina. I also got to attend classes at Zenith Jiu-Jitsu, which is a famous school in Las Vegas owned by Robert Drysdale, who is a world champion. I ended up getting a day pass so I could attend a morning class and an evening class on Monday.
On Saturday night Devin had a few of us over to his house to watch UFC and have dinner, then on Tuesday morning he picked me up in his Tesla Model S and we took a drive out to Red Rocks Canyon. I got to drive his 550hp beast on the highway out there, which was obviously a blast. I also bought a beautiful Shoyoroll Jiu Jitsu gi from him that he bought last year and never wore. It’s a limited edition gi called the White Mamba, which was a tribute made in limited numbers after Kobe Bryant’s untimely death. It’s white with purple and gold patches, and just such high quality that I instantly fell in love with it. I wore to class last night and broke it in properly. I even got a blood stain on it, although I’m still not sure whose blood it was and have since washed it out.
While I was away Jessica went out of her way to do a lot of special stuff with the kids. They went roller skating, swimming, got takeout, and rented movies. Overall they had a blast and probably missed me less than I was missing them. Obviously we were all happy to be reunited on Wednesday, and went straight from the airport to Avocados, our new favorite Mexican restaurant, to enjoy a nice dinner together. In addition to making all the classic Mexican dishes we all know and love, they have a nice selection of vegetarian and vegan dishes, so it works well for our family.
Now that the Vegas trip is behind us, our focus moves onto Disney World, which is only 6 weeks away! At this point we’ve been planning the trip for 2 years so we’re super excited to go. The weather in Florida should be beautiful and everyone is ready for some sun and hot weather. Right before that, however, we’ve got Kristy, Beto, and Madi coming over to spend Easter Sunday with us. Madi’s 15th birthday is just around the corner, and based on her new love of cooking vegan food, Jessica and I got her a really nice little chef’s knife from Cutco. It’s a 7” Santoku with a red handle, and I actually have the exact same knife (except mine has a black handle) which Jessica got for me years ago. It’s an awesome little knife so hopefully she loves it.
That’s all for now. I’m intentionally keeping it short because I know we’ll have a lot to write about in the coming months. Here’s a few photos from my trip to Vegas.
Visiting with Uncle Bob and checking out his awesome Seahawks mobileTaking in the views with Devin in Red Rocks CanyonOut for a spin in Devin’s TeslaHad to get a pic with Marcelo Nunes after class at ZenithMy new Shoyoroll White Mamba Jiu-Jitsu giThe kids having fun roller skating with our neighbor AveryLove my mom so much! It was a great trip
