We got to hear Lilia sing at a public concert in Oceanside.

Veronica enjoyed all the fun, too, and hanging out with Lilia.

We went to the annual UU group outing again. It’s at DeBenneville Pines, up in the mountains near Big Bear East of Riverside.

Veronica dived into the talent show.

We had a nice hike to the nearby lake.

Of course, we also got to relax in the lodge.

In April, we took a nice trip out the Mojave desert and the Joshua Tree Monument. It was a great time of year, because the desert heat hadn’t yet kicked in and there were flowers all over. The yucca trees, joshua trees, and many cactuses all were blooming. We even got to meet some jumping cactuses, but we’ll be more careful next time.

Here’s the photo for the church directory.

Veronica decided she wanted to ride a bike, and now she loves it! She’s been riding her bike to school some days.

When the fires closed in on Carlsbad, and we got the preliminary evacuation call, it seemed like a good time to take a little trip. Believe it or not, the freshest air for us was towards LA. We kept going up the coast until it was clear, which landed us in Long Beach.

There’s a lot of science and theory and recently, even some renewed debate about evolution.

I guess this means I’m some sort of living proof that someone can evolve and change in their own lifetime.

Jia was kind enough to hide this photo from me for my first 50 years. Now I finally know why there were all those trips to the hospital when I was a kid! I have an admission to make: during some full moons, at night, I sometimes to get a beard, the hair grows a little longer on my arms, and well, I’ve been known to howl. Now i know I come by that honestly.

Here’s Sammy in 7th grade.

We had a nice visit from Mom & Dad. Here they are with Heidi at Ki’s in Cardiff.