My Christmas Letter 2010

Totally Different Than Expected...

You know today I was driving along on the 5 freeway, I glanced to the side, saw a small glimpse of Angel Stadium in between two buildings and I smiled.  And I thought, "Who would have ever thought I would work there?"

When I was 16 years old, almost exactly 18 years ago, I was in the living room of our small farm house in Northern California decorating for Christmas with my dad.  I grew up in that house.  I will never forget that day because I was telling him of my dreams to just live in that house for the rest of my life.  I was planning to live at home while I went to college and teach in the Morgan Hill School District after I got my teaching degree.  I told my dad, "I don't need a lot of adventure.  I'm a very homely person."  My dad laughed really hard and said "Well, that means your ugly, but I do know what you mean."

I didn't ever plan to leave that house, but luckily there were bigger plans for me.  It was just a short year later that my dad's work moved him to North Carolina, I had to move out of that house I loved and into a house about 45 minutes away in the city.

My world changed that year, totally against my will.  And what a joy it is that my life did not end up the way I planned, because I couldn't imagine a better life for myself if I tried.

Me and my dad on the farm.