The 2007 Klau Family Christmas Letter
We're back! 2007 turned out to be quite a year - it's hard to know where to start an end-of-year letter to you other than to say that it's been busy. How busy? (Glad you asked!) Let's see: in the span of six weeks, we agreed to move to California, put our house in Illinois on the market, found a house in California, packed the house, moved the family out, moved in, and the kids started school.
In short, we consider ourselves quite blessed this year - a year of transition, no doubt - but a year in which we have an abundance of things to be thankful for.
First off, California. That's right, we're back. When we left nearly 7 years ago, we didn't know whether a return trip was in the cards... then Google bought FeedBurner and asked me to move out to Google's headquarters in the Bay Area.
We now consider San Ramon, California our home - and it's proving to be a very welcome place to live. (Just in time for the holidays, my friends on the Google Maps team obligingly added our address to Google Maps!) The weather is certainly a change from Illinois, and we absolutely love the view of Mount Diablo out our front door. The house is terrific - we're in a new development, which means that not only are the homes new, but so are the schools.
Speaking of which, we now have two kids in school. Ricky turned seven earlier this year, and is a second grader at Live Oak. Now reading the fourth Harry Potter book (he's happy to point out that Goblet of Fire has seven hundred and thirty four pages!), Ricky's really turning into his own little man. He can answer just about any question about Star Wars, always enjoys a good session of Harry Potter trivia, and has committed to baseball as "his" sport. (No signed letters of intent yet, so those of you who are active in your alma mater's athletic programs, it's never too early to start recruiting!)
Our other student is Robby, who entered Kindergarten this fall. While he was a bit nervous about being a "new" kid, once he realized that everyone was going to be new at Live Oak, Robby decided that moving to California was going to be just fine. Robby is our observer - no detail escapes his eye, and he amazes us with his ability to connect the dots and arrive at conclusions before the rest of us. (Look for CSI: Kindergarten if the Hollywood writers strike lasts any longer.) He really doesn't see himself as a "middle" child - he's our youngest boy, and he's Becca's older brother: he enjoys both roles immensely. Robby started t-ball this year, and remains a devoted fan of K'nex (one of the few remaining non-lead based toys sold at your favorite toy resellers) which he uses to build jet packs, light sabers, and telescopes. Robby's pretty sure he'll be a scientist when he grows up, or maybe an astronaut. Or an architect.
And what to say about Becca? She'll almost certainly read this many years from now, (hi, sweetheart!), so let me try and say this about Becca: she has personality. To spare. And she's quite sure of herself. Am I being diplomatic enough? Don't get me wrong: we love this girl. Adore her, even. But we have learned that it's Becca's world, and we do as we're told. OK, that's overstating it a bit... she really has developed into a smart, strong little girl. We marvel at her girly-girl affections (dolls, anything pink). It's a special thing to see a 2 year-old with a sense of humor, and her joy at learning and playing with her brothers is contagious. (Woe be to the brother who doesn't follow her instructions, however.) All in all we consider her strong personality and self-assuredness to be a huge gift for her future. Especially since the doctor has told us she’ll top six feet by the time she stops growing! Becca loves her Tickle-me-Elmo doll, carries her "purse" everywhere in the house, and can often be seen going room to room on her "bike" (a small indoor tricycle). Just last week she started counting to 20 - without any prompting or teaching. Did we mention she's focused?
The year has not been without its challenges. In May, my grandfather passed away. We miss him terribly, but we are so thankful that he's at peace now. Our extended family gathered in Florida for a wonderful memorial service, and, as would have suited Grandpa, there was far more laughter than tears. Grandpa had an infectious laugh, and it was hard not to think that he was with us in spirit as we told a few jokes at his expense.
Shortly after our move to California, our beloved Golden Retriever Tioga died. We were blessed to have Tioga in our lives for nine years, and we consider it poetic that he was able to see us safely back to California before leaving us. (He was named after the Tioga Pass at Yosemite National Park.) Their passings remind us more than anything else that the time we have together is precious.
As Tioga's name suggests, Robin and I have long had a soft spot for Yosemite National Park. Given how close it is to our new home, that's where we chose to spend our 10th anniversary in October. We found a house in the park that was an absolutely ideal getaway, and introduced the kid to our favorite place in the world. Check out the pictures, and I think you'll agree with us that Yosemite is pretty special!
We've been busy since moving to California, with visits to Mt. Shasta and Lassen Volcanic Park in northern (very northern) California, Monterey, San Francisco, Half Moon Bay, and Mt. Diablo. This spring the kids got their first taste of the slopes with a wonderful trip to Breckenridge with Grandma and Grandpa Klau, and the boys were ski bums in a matter of hours. They were born for this!
A quick word about Google. As mentioned above, Google acquired FeedBurner, the start-up I'd been at for the last couple years. To say that Google's an incredible place to work would be an understatement - 16,000 of the smartest people you'll meet all under one virtual roof is a pretty incredible thing. I'm working with a great team, and have really enjoyed the transition to a "big" company (though Google is unlike just about any other big company, as near as I can tell!). Much to my parents delight, for the first time since graduating law school, they can answer the question "What does your son do?" easily, and even better, people understand the answer!
We didn't see many of these transitions coming at the beginning of 2007, but are so happy to find the year coming to a close with so many friends and family a part of our lives. We hope you've enjoyed this quick update on our lives - please feel free to browse the photo album to the right, or leave us a comment to let us know what you've been up to this year. And if your travels ever bring you to the Bay Area, please let us know - we'd love to see you!
Peace,
Rick, Robin, Ricky, Robby & Becca Klau
December, 2007
In short, we consider ourselves quite blessed this year - a year of transition, no doubt - but a year in which we have an abundance of things to be thankful for.
First off, California. That's right, we're back. When we left nearly 7 years ago, we didn't know whether a return trip was in the cards... then Google bought FeedBurner and asked me to move out to Google's headquarters in the Bay Area.
We now consider San Ramon, California our home - and it's proving to be a very welcome place to live. (Just in time for the holidays, my friends on the Google Maps team obligingly added our address to Google Maps!) The weather is certainly a change from Illinois, and we absolutely love the view of Mount Diablo out our front door. The house is terrific - we're in a new development, which means that not only are the homes new, but so are the schools.
Speaking of which, we now have two kids in school. Ricky turned seven earlier this year, and is a second grader at Live Oak. Now reading the fourth Harry Potter book (he's happy to point out that Goblet of Fire has seven hundred and thirty four pages!), Ricky's really turning into his own little man. He can answer just about any question about Star Wars, always enjoys a good session of Harry Potter trivia, and has committed to baseball as "his" sport. (No signed letters of intent yet, so those of you who are active in your alma mater's athletic programs, it's never too early to start recruiting!)
Our other student is Robby, who entered Kindergarten this fall. While he was a bit nervous about being a "new" kid, once he realized that everyone was going to be new at Live Oak, Robby decided that moving to California was going to be just fine. Robby is our observer - no detail escapes his eye, and he amazes us with his ability to connect the dots and arrive at conclusions before the rest of us. (Look for CSI: Kindergarten if the Hollywood writers strike lasts any longer.) He really doesn't see himself as a "middle" child - he's our youngest boy, and he's Becca's older brother: he enjoys both roles immensely. Robby started t-ball this year, and remains a devoted fan of K'nex (one of the few remaining non-lead based toys sold at your favorite toy resellers) which he uses to build jet packs, light sabers, and telescopes. Robby's pretty sure he'll be a scientist when he grows up, or maybe an astronaut. Or an architect.
And what to say about Becca? She'll almost certainly read this many years from now, (hi, sweetheart!), so let me try and say this about Becca: she has personality. To spare. And she's quite sure of herself. Am I being diplomatic enough? Don't get me wrong: we love this girl. Adore her, even. But we have learned that it's Becca's world, and we do as we're told. OK, that's overstating it a bit... she really has developed into a smart, strong little girl. We marvel at her girly-girl affections (dolls, anything pink). It's a special thing to see a 2 year-old with a sense of humor, and her joy at learning and playing with her brothers is contagious. (Woe be to the brother who doesn't follow her instructions, however.) All in all we consider her strong personality and self-assuredness to be a huge gift for her future. Especially since the doctor has told us she’ll top six feet by the time she stops growing! Becca loves her Tickle-me-Elmo doll, carries her "purse" everywhere in the house, and can often be seen going room to room on her "bike" (a small indoor tricycle). Just last week she started counting to 20 - without any prompting or teaching. Did we mention she's focused?
The year has not been without its challenges. In May, my grandfather passed away. We miss him terribly, but we are so thankful that he's at peace now. Our extended family gathered in Florida for a wonderful memorial service, and, as would have suited Grandpa, there was far more laughter than tears. Grandpa had an infectious laugh, and it was hard not to think that he was with us in spirit as we told a few jokes at his expense.
Shortly after our move to California, our beloved Golden Retriever Tioga died. We were blessed to have Tioga in our lives for nine years, and we consider it poetic that he was able to see us safely back to California before leaving us. (He was named after the Tioga Pass at Yosemite National Park.) Their passings remind us more than anything else that the time we have together is precious.
As Tioga's name suggests, Robin and I have long had a soft spot for Yosemite National Park. Given how close it is to our new home, that's where we chose to spend our 10th anniversary in October. We found a house in the park that was an absolutely ideal getaway, and introduced the kid to our favorite place in the world. Check out the pictures, and I think you'll agree with us that Yosemite is pretty special!
We've been busy since moving to California, with visits to Mt. Shasta and Lassen Volcanic Park in northern (very northern) California, Monterey, San Francisco, Half Moon Bay, and Mt. Diablo. This spring the kids got their first taste of the slopes with a wonderful trip to Breckenridge with Grandma and Grandpa Klau, and the boys were ski bums in a matter of hours. They were born for this!
A quick word about Google. As mentioned above, Google acquired FeedBurner, the start-up I'd been at for the last couple years. To say that Google's an incredible place to work would be an understatement - 16,000 of the smartest people you'll meet all under one virtual roof is a pretty incredible thing. I'm working with a great team, and have really enjoyed the transition to a "big" company (though Google is unlike just about any other big company, as near as I can tell!). Much to my parents delight, for the first time since graduating law school, they can answer the question "What does your son do?" easily, and even better, people understand the answer!
We didn't see many of these transitions coming at the beginning of 2007, but are so happy to find the year coming to a close with so many friends and family a part of our lives. We hope you've enjoyed this quick update on our lives - please feel free to browse the photo album to the right, or leave us a comment to let us know what you've been up to this year. And if your travels ever bring you to the Bay Area, please let us know - we'd love to see you!
Peace,
Rick, Robin, Ricky, Robby & Becca Klau
December, 2007
