Holidays 2008

The first half of my 16 days off I spent mostly on the road. I went to Santa Cruz for a night to see my best friends and pick up my new snowboard. Then I headed north and surfed a beautiful granite cove just south of the City. After a quick stop at home I drove to Sacramento and spent the night with some friends. I then went up to the mountains and snowboarded with my brother and his girlfriend for a couple days. They left the second night and I stayed in the mountains for one more night. It snowed hard that night, so I got up early and floated through fresh powder until I could hardly stand. Sore legs and I had not slept well for several nights due to decompressing from a very busy year and the Southern Pacific tooting right outside my window.

Darth Vader is a snowboarder.

I left the mountains a day early and went to my favorite hot springs. Drove the back roads from Sacramento through the Capay valley. I made it in time for dinner and one "basic" room was available; thank god, because it was cold and raining hard. My first visit to the pools revealed good friends. Later I went to the the Tuesday night dance, where I got to spin around the room with other familiar faces. Finally I collapsed in my room and slept 10 hours, beginning to make up for the sleep I missed the days earlier. I woke to snow dusting the tops. I made it to my friends yoga class and cracked more of my body open.

It took almost a week for me to really start letting go the stress and drive of the last year. I was beginning to feel very grounded as my family all started to show up at the house. First, I picked up the Grammas from the airport. Next day Jasper and Silas came home and we ate the beginnings of a big pot of Dada's pinto bean soup. Late that evening Andy, Beth, Mia, and Hayden arrived.

My goal had been to complete my little kitchen remodel before the family holidays. We were able to get it done and I spent most of the Holiday in the kitchen cooking for the family. Pots of beans, roasted chickens, homemade soups, enchiladas, jams, and cookies. I was in domestic bliss. And the new dishwasher was running twice a day!

A little excitement.

We had a wonderful belated Christmas gift exchange and a lot of slow times in the house, on the beach, or wandering our neighborhood. We were blessed with epic winter surf, so I got plenty of exercise, which always mellows me out. It was a great seven days of family, time shared as a group and between individuals. Everyone was so gracious and loving and full of gratitude.

Some CrockerBoys in Golden Gate Park.

See more photos in our Holiday Album.

Ring Bearer Bearer Bearer

So the first of the San Diego cousins gets married... presenting Ben and Carrie Weston. The ceremony and reception were at the Martin Johnson House at Scripps Institute of Oceanography in La Jolla, apparently the same location that my father celebrated finishing his PhD. It was an amazing, hot day overlooking the Scripps Pier and Blacks Beach and a short loving ceremony presided over by Reverend Andrew Crocker. Hayden was the ring bearer, Silas was the ring bearer bearer, and Jasper was the ring bearer bearer bearer as you can see in the picture. Mia was the flower girl, and after a couple diva moments, she got into character and did a great job slowly walking down the path tossing white rose petals.

SILAS SAY: I got to hold Shaq (Hayden) in the wagon and Jasper got to pull us. Mia was the flower girl. Dada just watched, he was nothing. Shaq wore a white shirt and me and
Jasper and you know that Mia was the flower girl and she wore a yellow dress. Shaq is one year old, Mia is 3 years old, Jasper is 8 years old and I am 5 years old. There were a couple little hills and Jasper pulled us and we went sown and it was super fun. I got two Juice Squeezes. There was white chocolate shells on the cake and even i got to eat one. I did a toast and I went up and I sang "By the Rivers of Babylon". Mia was really sad because she didn't really want to be the flower girl.

JASPER SAYS: It was fun. I did not really have to hold the wagon, because it was downhill and I had to keep it from rolling all the way down. When it got dark I started playing Gin with my dad and I beat him by 185 points in one hand.

Rockin with the Grammas

Gramma Ila and NeNe watched all four California cousins this past Saturday night. Andy and Beth brought Mia (almost 3) and Hayden (almost 1) and spent Saturday night in Mill Valley at Stefan Marti's wedding. I went to Amos' 40th birthday party near downtown SF with a new friend. We stayed in a great hotel downtown and enjoyed a very fun party with many old friends. The Grammas corralled the four cousins, bathed them, fed them, read to them, and got them all to bed... then fell over I am sure. Thanks Grammas for enabling a wonderful night for all. We all love you dearly.

DMCs and SFCs in SF

Great weekend with the Del Mar Crockers (DMCs) Andy, Beth, Mia, and Shaq (Hayden) spent three nights at the "Boys Club". Silas and Jasper were here for Saturday all day and overnight and got lots of great hang time with the cousins. Mia is talking up a storm and loves to repeat what you are saying. She adores Jasper and Silas and says their name over and over as she chases them around the house. Several times Mia called across the room "Charlie" and gave me that sweet look only she has. That little girl knows how to connect with people and clearly loves her family. Shaq is a thug-baby in size, but a real calm teddy bear. Joyful on is back watching the swirl of the bigger kids. Silas and Jasper would make him laugh until he was way over stimulated. And Shaq will get the giggles, if you have ever seen a 6 month old with the giggles, it is contagious. One thing very high ion the cuteness meter was Mia sleeping with Silas in his bed and then Jasper, Silas, and Mia all snuggling quietly together in Silas' bed the next morning. CUTE!

Went to a party in San Anselmo and got to see many of Andy and Beth's old friends and make some new ones. And we got to see Hud and his wonderful daughters Hannah and Hayden. Hud and I used to play music together and have not seen each other in awhile. It was a good homecoming.

Mia never stopped laughing.

The Crocker cousins are connected and getting these two families together is a high priority. We can't wait for more adventures to come.


Shaq gets his first taste of Pokemon.

SFCs at the stables in Presidio.

Cousins for a Price

We brought our extended collection of Fisher Price play sets down to Del Mar to give to the the California cousins. This is, of course, an extended loan since I plan to retire by selling this priceless vintage collection on eBay in 10 years. The kids really enjoyed playing with the "Price" at the beach house, Silas even remarked that he was not quite ready to give them up even though he had not played with them for over a year. Mia and Hayden are the proud recipients of the Fisher Price house (pictured) and airport sets along with miscellaneous little people and accessories that I have accumulated from thrift stores, garage sales, and eBay over the last 10 years. Thanks for sending the picture from your phone Andy.

Enjoy my little nephews!

More Cousin Bonding

All four cousins got a lot of great face time together cruising around Del Mar and dinners at the beach house. Look at these beautiful kids, definitely related through the powerful Crocker genes.

The California Cousins

Thanks Beth and Andy for sending us great pictures of the California Cousins Mia and Shaq (Hayden). They led to a major Shaq-attack for the boys this morning. Silas had to run through the slide show three times.

We are looking forward to the cousins getting together in mid-May for a week on the beach in Del Mar.

The Crocker clan expands and they are growing up fast.