2023 ended with Delilah turning eleven on Christmas Day (morning is for Christmas, evening is all about Delilah)! At the same time, Bill and Carrie joined the Prewitts at Lightscape at the San Diego Botanic Garden.

February brought a couple of birthdays, Austin turned 18 and Nathan turned 32! Bill and Carrie hopped over to Honolulu to catch two concerts - Henry Kopono at Duke's on Sunday (2024 was the 30th anniversary of Henry and his band playing at Duke's every Sunday), followed by Jake Shamabukuro and Mac McAnally performing together at the infamous Blue Note in Waikiki. A few weeks later, they flew out to Maui to enjoy island life and the requisite sunsets.

In March, Will celebrated his 44th birthday, while Sophia started working on her Harley street-cred.

In April, Bill and Carrie headed to Hollywood for what promised to be the ultimate send-off for Jimmy Buffett. Titled Keep the Party Going, the evening included not only musical geniuses like Paul McCartney, James Taylor, Snoop Dogg - all playing with the Coral Reefer Band - but it also included Hollywood elite such as Woody Harrelson, Harrison Ford, and a host of others toasting Jimmy. Needless to say, the send-off was spectacular. A complete write-up can be found on Bill's Facebook page here. Also in April, Austin did a final round with his high school golf team.

Just two weeks later, Bill and Carrie headed to San Diego to catch Sting and Billy Joel at Petco Park - a stunning pair of rock royalty together!

May kicked off with Nate and Retta heading over the pond to Cortona, Italy, where they explored sites such as the Siena Cathedral (in Sienna). They enjoyed their time there so much that they went back in October (more on that in a bit). Also in May, Will proposed to Megan (yes, she accepted), Delilah went to Science Camp (learning about starfish, among other things), Austin received several awards as a top golfer on the team, and both Austin and Shaylee finished the month with their high school prom, while Will and Megan attended a Coast Guard Banquet in New Orleans.

June brought a bevy of birthdays - starting with Shaylee turning sixteen and Amy celebrating another trip around the sun. Ryan celebrated his 36th birthday, and Austin hit a major life milestone with High School Graduation! Austin's extended family spent the weekend in Ukiah to participate in the congratulations of a very happy graduate,

In July, while the Pardini's celebrated a traditional July 4th, Ryan, Breezy, and Sophia enjoyed the Magic Kingdom in Orlando, where Sophia got to meet Mickey. Ryan has never passed a golf course without checking it out, this time including their next jr golfer. For Austin's graduation gift, Amy and Danny, along with Hayley (Austin's girlfriend) and Danny's Dad, spent a week in an all-inclusive resort outside of Cabo. The night before they headed out, they celebrated at Benihana's, then dropped off Delilah and Savannah at Bill and Carrie's for the week. The girls hit Legoland, Universal, and the San Diego Zoo - when they weren't on the road, they were in the pool - where Delilah pretty much stayed - a true mermaid. July ended with Sophia turning two as well as the celebration of Ryan and Breezy's seventh wedding anniversary. Sophia is very lucky - she lives just a few miles from the San Diego Zoo, and gets to visit regularly, getting to interact with seals, and check out flamingos.

In August, Amy and Danny celebrated their 17th anniversary. Bill and Carrie went back to Hollywood, joined by friends Steve and Lisa, for another Mac McAnally concert in the infamous Troubadour. The next day, they visited Universal Studios, checking out Jurassic World as well as Hogwarts. Finally, after 30 years in high-tech, seven years as a dive store owner, seven years as a programmer, and four years in materials management, Bill retired! August ended with Savannah starting 3rd grade, Delilah starting 6th grade, and Shayley starting her junior year at high school.

September brought another birthday, as Savannah turned eight!

As mentioned above, in October, Nate and Retta flew back to Cortona, where they again explored the area, including the Avignonese Winery and the town of Perugia. And, as always, October ended with Carrie celebrating another trip around the sun.

Once again, the Prewitt's spent Thanksgiving Day with Bill and Carrie. Bill had spinal surgery a few days earlier, so Ryan was put to work on the Turkey. He stepped up looking like Jamie Oliver at his best! In early December, Missy, David, Estafan, and the kids spent the week in Carlsbad, using it as a base while visiting Disneyland and Legoland. While in Carlsbad, they got a chance to see a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch! Sophia even had a chance to play fairy with her cousin Elisheba during the visit. Sadly, during that visit, Sophia fell face first into a scoop of ice cream - as you can see, she seems to have fully recovered.

Bill and Carrie spent the Saturday before Christmas with Ryan, Breezy, and Sophia - starting with a gondola ride, then an evening at Winter Wonderland - including a visit with Santa! And with that, we bring this year's stories to a close. Bill and Carrie wish you a bright and hopeful 2025, filled with joy, laughter, and the fulfillment of your dreams.