From Uncle Gregg

Hey Zach, it's been a long time. been some pretty significant events lately, and I thought it was a great opportunity to share them with you. Time flies you know and before you know it milestones are passing. The first one is your auntie Kim. September of 2011 she celebrated her 50th birthday. i'm happy to share that at half a century later she's still as vibrant ,active, and spirited as ever. To celebrate I took her to Santorini Island of the coast of Greece (it's actually part of Greece). We were there for 18 days long enough for her to forget about work; which is something she has trouble doing as you know. It was a wonderful trip for both of us and a long time to be in one spot on a tiny island. Guess it proves we really do enjoy each others company. Needless to say we took in the whole island… in detail. It was like we were living there, and as a result we met and befriended a lot of locals. the island is the fractured carter of an ancient volcano surrounded by a deep teal colored sea. The photos we took are stunning, and capture how dramatic the landscape is and the magical nature of the island. usually after a week or so somewhere I get the itch to move on, but not here. It's difficult to describe, but it's definitely one of the most unique and stunningly beautiful places on earth.

Move forward seven months and we went half way around the world again. You may not remember, but your auntie Kim and I were married in Maui and Honeymooned in Tahiti (Bora Bora specifically). Well time flies mi amigo; in May of 2012 your auntie Kim and I celebrated our 10th wedding anniversary. In so doing we decided to re-visit the place where we spent our first married days together. This time we took some close friends to share with them the magic that is Bora Bora. My best friend got us hooked up with a great hotel where the rooms are over the water! this place was incredible; the room was as big as the top of our house in Sausalito. Out back were two decks that opened up to this gorgeous lagoon with water as clear as glass. needless to say every morning I woke up and walked out to dive in for a quick swim. :) The resort itself was on a Atoll which is a fringe island around the main island. As a result your pretty isolated, so you better like who your with (LOL). There was lots to do so we never were bored. each day we paddle boarded, sailed, swam, and snorkeled in the lagoon and road around the atoll on bikes; your auntie Kim crashed a coupe of times… she's not that good on bikes. We were there for 10 days, dove with sharks, swam with stingrays, had a deserted island lunch cooked in the water! yes we were served while seated in the ocean, too cool. We hiked, explored, and played games together; all in all we had a great time. I would have to say it was better than the first time, and I love your auntie Kim even more than before.

We have a ton of photographs from both trips; one of these days you'll have to take a look, I think they tell the story better. Both places were magical, but I think most of all what I learned is any location is wonderful if you are in love. Auntie Kim is pretty special.

Next up it's my turn; this old uncle will hit fifty February 16th of 2013. Doesn't seem real really, and I certainly don't feel old. No idea what we plan to do, but like any birthday I will simply embrace it as more good time with friends and loved ones; never was much for numbers. :) I think my life just keeps getting better as I age, feel like I still have a lot to learn and many experiences to have.

Day to day is pretty good for Kim and I; we both enjoy are work and enjoy time at home with our three cats (Soho; you know him; and the new editions Bora and Bali). We been hiking every weekend rain or shine for over a year now. The trails are right behind our house, so it's pretty easy to get out. Keeps us in shape and we see a lot of wild animals… makes me think they are awfully close to where we live. :) other than that we have been pretty low key staying at home given the long trips. we do host a lot of dinner parties for friends. Small groups so we can spend quality time together, and you know I love to cook, so I get to plan some interesting menus. Other than that we are home bodies really most of the time listening to music, talking, or watching the occasional movie.

Guess it's been longer than I thought; have a lot to share, but hey I think the novel I just wrote is enough for now. I hope your doing well and still pursuing the arts; you were good at that, probably even better now. Will not wait so long to write again, let you know what's up.

Merry Christmas and Happy Birthday!

Love always Auntie Kim and Uncle Gregg