2005 HOLLAND FAMILY REPORT

Welcome to the second edition of the yearly Holland Family Report! Lots to talk about this year, but we'll try to offer just the highlights. Family Jackson has officially entered toddlerhood and we've officially become the parents of a real boy, or so it seems. At 19 months, he's no longer a sweet, helpless little blob. He started walking in April and talking in June, and by year end he'd become a running, skipping, hopping, pushing, pulling, laughing, crying, yelling, squealing, non-stop bundle of energy. We're finally understanding the reasoning behind babyproofing and why all the books talk about constant supervision being key! He hasn't flushed the cat down the toilet yet, but it's not for lack of trying. But that doesn't mean we don't love (nearly) every minute of it. He's a sweet, impish kid with an inordinate fondness for footballs, baseballs, soccer balls -- in fact, any kind of balls! -- and bats; Mom and Dad's tennis racquets; Elmo and any other red, fluffy objects; his stuffed cow, Dodo; dried cranberries; bouncing on our exercise ball (at least SOMEONE is using it!); trucks and trains; and Curious George books. His dislikes include getting dressed, wearing bibs, and failure to be the center of attention. We adult Hollands are doing well, although our families are dealing with some tough times. CC's dad was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in February, but so far has been beating the odds thanks to chemotherapy, a new nutritional regimen, and the support of his family. Dave's mom had a scare late in the year with a mass in her neck, but the doctors believe it's benign and that its removal will actually improve her breathing tremendously. The non-human Hollands have had a tough year healthwise. Bobo the cat, at 14, is feeling his age and his kidneys are slowly starting to fail, while Lucky may be in line for a second knee surgery, this time on her "good" leg. And Pico the parakeet is all alone, having lost her two siblings and cagemates to old age. Still, we're happy with our little menagerie and Jackson is a big fan of all the furry and feathered creatures in the house. Work Dave accepted a new position within Wells Fargo this fall and is excited about the new challenge. He's doing a lot of high-level strategic thinking and financial modeling for the commercial mortgage division, which is providing a welcome change from his last few years in the wholesale finance side of things. He's really enjoying his new team and actually sometimes gets up in the middle of the night to jot down particularly clever insights and ideas. (This doesn't thrill CC, but no one said geniuses were easy to live with!) CC is still attempting to work only part-time at her freelance writing business, but her clients are making that goal hard to attain -- her hours seem to keep creeping up! It's great for the family bottom line, and very flattering, but sometimes difficult for her to juggle work, baby, and home. She landed several new clients this year on the corporate side, including Sun Microsystems and a San Francisco design agency that handles Disney, ESPN, Cingular, and several other big names. Because of the increase in her writing workload, CC has shut down (at least temporarily) Magpie Design, her jewelry business, although she's still crafting one-of-a-kind pieces as a hobby. Travel Now that we are more calm about parenthood, we're resuming some of our world-wandering ways. Jackson had his first taste of snow in February, with the annual Holland Ski Trip in Lake Tahoe. We visited Hawaii not once but twice this year, the first time to Oahu in the early spring with CC's parents and brother, the second time to Kauai in late summer with our friends Gwen and Steve and their son, Spencer -- one of Jackson's little buddies. Both trips were great experiences, and Jackson has been proving himself to be a pretty good traveler. He even won a contest on his first flight to Hawaii, correctly guessing (with a little help from dad and mom) the exact halfway time between San Francisco and Honolulu. (He was awarded a big basket of macadamia nuts, but being too young to eat them, graciously gave them to his parents instead.) We also traveled back East to visit CC's family in May and again in July, and included a short trip during the latter visit to see family friends Brian and Ed in Maine, where Jackson experienced his first New England thunderstorm (yes, it was a LOOOOONG night!) as well as his first lobster. There were also several jaunts to Sacramento to see David's parents and extended family, where Jackson got to know his four California cousins and had his first trampoline, surfboard, and ping-pong experiences. House and Home With any luck, this situation will change in 2006. We started househunting in October and actually made offers on two homes, only to be outbid on the first and beaten to the punch (by 12 hours!) on the second. With Jackson slowly marching toward school age -- and rapidly outgrowing our townhome situation -- it seems to be time to expand our living arrangements, especially as we look toward the future and a possible new Holland (no, nothing's cooking yet, but we're considering it). We're hoping to find a place in the Montclair area of Oakland, which boasts excellent schools and a lovely forest/mountain setting. Recreation Both of us are still heavily into tennis. CC resumed competition this spring, after a break to focus on Jackson's first year, and found herself recruited to one of the top USTA teams in Northern California. The team went undefeated and made it well into the post-season, only to lose on the third and final day of the District Championships -- thus ending a shot a competing for the national title. Oh well, there's always next year! Dave also competed in USTA play and had a respectable season, but really made his mark by winning the men's singles championships at our new tennis club (which we joined in July) and being invited to play for the elite 9.0 Mixed Doubles team. We've been doing a lot of hiking with Jackson on board -- literally! We have a great kid carrier/backpack, and Jack has been happy to join us on our jaunts into the Oakland hills and nearby regional parks. The sight of him bobbing along on Dave's back has given many a fellow hiker a good chuckle. So there you have it -- in a nutshell, that's our 2005! Here's hoping that 2006 will find all our family and friends happy, healthy, and with lots of joy in their lives. Love, CC, David, and Jackson