We have been happily married for nearly 13 years. We were introduced by a mutual friend who just knew we would be a good match for one another. She was right! We have a lot in common, including our love of cooking, the outdoors and relishing time with family and friends. Our first date was a San Francisco Giants game; we had the best time despite the Giants’ loss. After dating for three years, we were married, surrounded by our large families and many close friends.

When I first saw Nancy at a friend’s “hat party,” I noticed her big smile peeking behind the wide brim of her hat. Her eyes sparkled and I could instantly tell she was a happy and fun person. I love her and she inspires me with her sense of love, adventure and happiness. She easily makes new acquaintances feel comfortable from the get-go. She keeps a positive and upbeat attitude even in the face of difficulty, such as her father’s sudden death, our fertility challenges and her severe scoliosis that meant she had to wear a back brace in her formative early teen years. She doesn’t let anything bring her down – she even went out for the basketball team while wearing the back brace! Nancy loves spending time with family and friends over a delicious home-cooked meal, on long walks or just hanging out enjoying the scenery and sharing stories. She is truly in her element when in nature and getting her hands dirty tending to our vegetable garden and the roses transplanted from her childhood home. Whatever she does, she does it well, especially when it comes to our family.

Nancy has put her heart and soul into raising our children as happy, polite, curious and fun individuals. Her top priority has always been family over career. She volunteers at the children’s school, enjoys time gardening and cooking (she and the kids make a mean mint chocolate chip cookie!), helping with homework and playing with Jack & Jordan. After attending both Cal (UC Berkeley) and then Duke for her MBA, she worked for several years in consumer software marketing, but currently loves her role as a stay-at-home mom. Eventually, she hopes to open her own marketing or food/family-related business, but wants to ensure it would allow her the flexibility to take the children to and from school and enjoy the afternoons with them. What I love most about Nancy is her caring nature and that she is a wonderful role model to our children, showing them how to be loving people and good citizens, and all with a sense of fun and adventure.

John is my best friend, cheerleader and confidant. I knew after only a few weeks together that he was the right person for me as we truly balance and complete one another. He is intelligent, loyal, loving and kind. He is intensely committed to whatever he does – from running (he’s completed three marathons, including the Boston), reading nightly to our children and on his own, coaching Little League and soccer to spending time with his family and friends. Coming from a long line of San Francisco firefighters, John worked for the California Department of Forestry (CDF) fighting fires during his summer breaks from college and looks forward to someday becoming a volunteer firefighter in the Sonoma Valley.

John is also an avid Cal Poly alum and fan – his friends joke that he loves talking “Polytics” because he talks about the school so much! John truly loves the outdoors, wanting to go on hikes or camping trips whenever possible. He currently works in brand strategy and marketing, yet he hopes to one day start his own business targeting “active seniors” in order to combine his business and engineering degrees with his dream of being his own boss. He often says the highlight of every day is coming home to Jack and Jordan. Watching him play with them, whether it’s a board game, roughhousing on the floor, or reading to them at bedtime is so special. The love he shares with them and with me makes me feel incredibly blest. He is an amazing father, husband and friend.

Jack is a fun-loving, very athletic 2nd grader.  While baseball is his favorite sport, he loves every and all sports that he tries, from soccer and basketball to swimming, karate and golf.  Not only is he very talented from a physical standpoint, he is does well in school.  He loves math and reading, but PE is his favorite subject.  We have so much fun with him, either playing catch or just hanging out reading together. 

Jordan is a very happy child with a real belly laugh that is quite infectious.  She loves to play dress-up, color, dance and sing.  She is very creative and artistic, something that shines thru in her 1st grade class.  She has a very pretty singing voice and loves gymnastics, soccer and karate, too.  Jordan loves being surrounded by friends and is always asking for playdates.  She is a good mother to her “babies” and loves playing with her friends’ younger brothers and sisters.  She will be an amazing big sister!  She is looking forward to reading “Green Eggs and Ham” and “Amelia Bedelia” to her new brother or sister.