2012 - Our Year in Pictures

Greetings friends and family,

If you are reading this you must have received our holiday greetings!  2012 has been a typical year on many fronts, with a few downs, but mostly ups.  We have been experiencing some "firsts" and a few "lasts" this year.

For instance, this was the first year we didn't spend nearly every weekend at a softball complex near or far. And it was the first year we made a visit to Apple Hill in the Placerville area, even though we've been living in the Sacramento region for 6+ years now.  This year Margaret visited Minneapolis for the first time ever - for less than 24 hours! This was also the first year of boyfriends! (One each, thankfully.)

Recently, Kali has been reminding us of the "lasts" we are experiencing as a family.  The last time we'll hang Christmas lights, buy a Christmas tree, etc.  Somehow she has this opinion that when she goes off to college she no longer calls our house her home.  Duane suggested that if this were true then she should not plan to bring any laundry home when she visits!  Of course this is also the last year that Kali & Melia will start the school year together at the same school.

As many of you are friends with us on Facebook, you undoubtedly know the day by day, blow by blow, script by script info our our lives, so I'll bore you no more with my words, but instead share with you some of our favorite memories through pictures.

Happy Holidays from Margaret, Duane, Kali & Melia

 In February we enjoyed a day at AT&T Park for the annual Giants FanFest!

 

The 2012 Varsity Season was a great one for the Wolfpack and the Roberts sisters were a BIG part of that success!  Both girls made All-Conference teams - Melia earned a second consecutive first team honor in her sophomore year and was on the short list for conference MVP. Kali made the prestigious All-Conference Scholar Athlete team, only available to upperclassmen and one of two players from COHS.

The highlight of the 2012 season for Melia was undoubtedly hitting a two-run home run to get her team within striking distance of tying and winning a playoff game.  It wasn't to be ultimately, but its the memory that stands out when Melia thinks about her sophomore Varsity season.  She's gearing up for 2013 already!

We took two road trips over the summer to visit colleges in Southern California.  Getting there was a challenge for these city slickers.  As we drove down highway 5 through the southern Central Valley I looked up to see three very disgusted faces.  These lightweights couldn't handle the dairy scents we passed.

 Our first road trip covered Los Angeles area schools and we returned home via Hwy 101 to collect Uno from Grandma and Grandpa's on the way home.  Of course we had to stop at UCSB (not on Kali's list) as we came through Santa Barbara and see the campus.  We can never pass up the chance to visit the 'old stomping grounds' where Duane and I met as young kids back in 1989!  Our second visit took us to San Diego where we found time to relax on the beach and roam around the campuses a little longer.  This mural photo is undoubtedly my # favorite with Kali & Melia mimicking the women in the image behind them.

 Mothers Day weekend was full of fun and family. My sister Debbie treated my Mom and I to a day at Filoli Gardens for the three of us and my niece Katie.  We had a wonderful tea and roamed the grounds of that beautiful estate for a couple of hours.  I miss my Friends of Filoli membership!!!  On Sunday we enjoyed brunch with Dinah & Ron down in Pacifica.  It was breezy at the ocean front but and enjoyable time for all.

Whether dressed up for a nice dinner out or a family wedding, or sporting their school colors and eye black for the annual Powder Puff game (juniors won!), these smiles never fade!  And we celebrated a milestone birthday in late September when my grandmother turned 89.  I guess she needed all the help she could get blowing out those candles - even my Dad is blowing from 5 feet away!