We wish you and your family a joyous holiday
2003, whether you're celebrating
Christmas, Hannukah, Kwanzaa, or Festivus -- or all of the above.
We also wish you a happy, healthy, prosperous, and successful New Year in 2004.
Here's what we've been up to in the past 12 months:
Karen: Changed jobs from Visa (the credit card people) to Kaiser-Permanente, a huge medical provider. She works in Oakland and enjoys the pulse of the city and her view of the San Francisco Bay. She's managing the Communications team for Kaiser's 5000-person I.T. organization. Continues to enjoy cooking as a primary hobby we all appreciate, and took advanced classes at Tante Marie's, a renowned cooking school in San Francisco. Karen was "main chick" in the wedding of friends in Santa Cruz during May, traveled to San Antonio, TX with friends from the Prudential years (the annual 'Spa Weekend'), and to New York City for a girlfriends-only adventure in December. Mark was 'allowed' to join Karen for a 11th wedding anniversary trip in October to Gualala, a speck of a town overlooking the beautiful and rugged Northern California coast.
Mark: Left Sun Microsystems in the first half of 2003 to take some R&R time to recover and re-group for the second-half of career and life. Spent two weeks and 3200 miles on a solo Harley adventure thru the southwest states in April, and another set of day trips -- including to Lake Tahoe -- in August, and with Karen to an annual motorcycling event in Hollister, CA. Worked with Sun colleagues on a start-up, then opened his own Marketing firm (M4i) in September (need leads!). Many job interview trips to Texas, Ohio, Arizona, and North Carolina. Other trips included several weeks in the Philadelphia area with Dan, a side-visit with old Unisys friends in New Jersey, a trip to Santa Barbara with Karen and friends, and to visit Mark's sister and her husband - Kim and Ray - near Cincinnati, Ohio.
Dan: Entered 11th grade in the fall. He's newly motivated and is consistently making the honor roll now, with an eye on future colleges. Depending on the season, Dan can be found on the ski slopes, playing lacrosse for his high school, on a golf course, or a soccer field. He spent a couple weeks in California during winter and summer. Big news: 17-year-old Dan got his driver's license and his first car in October, and he's working as a 'bagel boy' weekends to earn gas and date money.
Kendrick: Continues as a junior at Cal Poly (the California State Polytechnic University) in San Luis Obispo on the central CA coast. Achieved a milestone in June: turned 21, to much fanfare. He's getting great grades as a Journalism major and is working at a steak/seafood restaurant in town to earn walking-around cash. We see him primarily when the laundry needs doing or when the refrigerator is empty; a sign he's enjoying and keeping busy at school.
Kim & Brian & Carson: The Newman family grew with the addition of Carson in August 2002, so much of 2003 centered around him. Carson did the usual new-baby stuff in 2003, including lots of growing, eating "normal" food, learning to walk (wobble), beginning a vocabulary with a handful of words, celebrating his first birthday, and exploring the world. He's a fabulous and joyful kid who is adored by his parents and spoiled by his grandparents. Dad Brian continues to work as a sales rep for FedEx and enjoys cycling (roads, but especially trails). Mom Kim works for the Medical School at the Univ. Calif. at San Francisco (UCSF) managing new doctors during their residencies. All three Newmans moved inland from the chilly/foggy coast in Pacifica to warmer Castro Valley, CA just 15 miles from Mark & Karen (convenient and willing babysitters).
Grandmom Harris: Karen's mom spent the year puttering around the house. Still in good health and going strong at age 92. Enjoyed visits by lots of family from back east who made the San Francisco area a destination in their travels.
Val: Our ridiculous dog, a 12-year-old black lab, surprised us all by surviving another year. She has a bad case of arthritis and is more neurotic than ever, but lives for morning errands in the car and for sleeping under a blanket on the sofa, with her people nearby.
We're still looking forward to Kendrick home from college, Dan flying in from the east coast, and Brian+Kim+Carson traveling over the mountain pass to join us for Christmas this year.
We're also anticipating a great year ahead -- visits from friends back east, travel, career success, and more.
Mark & Karen Yolton and family
** The Yolton family includes
actual Yoltons, a Carson, a Harris, and a trio of Newmans:
- Mark & Karen Yolton (Pleasanton, CA)
- Dan Yolton (Lansdale, PA)
- Kendrick Carson (San Luis Obispo, CA)
- Brian & Kim and Carson Newman (Castro Valley, CA)
- Marion Harris (Pleasanton, CA)
- and extended family in Ohio, Delaware, Florida...
See the
home page for easy
access to the photo collections.
Feel free to
drop us a note.