Happy New Year!

Happy New Year! 2005 is finally here and promises to be a great year. 2004 was certainly a fantastic one for our family. We grew by one with the addition of Ryan in April, Karsyn started Kindergarten in October, and Sonya & I continue to bask in all the great things that happen to us. It was certainly one of the more memorable years in our lives. We’re blessed with a terrific family (grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, and beyond), and have great friends to share in the ins and outs.

We rang in the new year up in Tahoe at our friends Roger and Joanne Sherrard’s cabin just outside Tahoe City on the North Shore of Lake Tahoe. We decided to try and tackle one of the biggest storms to hit California this year and drive up even though the local media was reporting horror commute stories up in the Sierras.


The Snowball Gang
The drive up would have taken us 4 hours had it not been for a jack-knifed big rig on Highway 89. The normal 15 drive from Truckee to Tahoe City ended up taking two hours. It was a small inconvenience, considering the fun that was in store for all of us.

We joined Roger, Joanne, and their two daughters Amy and Laura, and Robert and Sherrie Tsuchiyama and their kids Allison, Justin and Zachary. Sonya has known Roger and Robert for 20+ years, and commented that the last time she went on a trip with them was about that long ago.


Card Sharks
The weekend was filled with snow ball fights, sledding, poker games in the evening, and lots of r&r. Justin gave all the adults poker lessons on New Year’s eve, taking plenty of chips from everyone. Thankfully, we weren’t playing for money, or we may have subsidized his college education.

Karsyn had a most memorable New Year’s eve, after losing her first tooth. You have to understand that this thing has been loose for what seems like the past three months. It finally popped out, and our gapped tooth princess is primed to have the Tooth Fairy pay us a visit. Wonder what the going rate is on baby teeth these days?

She lost the tooth on her mom’s birthday, which will make it all the more memorable. Sonya turned 25 for the 10th time! Great milestones for my two favorite girls.


Ringing in the New Year
We all rang in the new year outside with champagne and silly string. It was snowing at midnight, which was the perfect touch to a fun evening.

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