Merry Christmas Friends and Family

Some Highlights of 2009

Feb - 09

Adriana traveled with family to Cali Colombia in February.  It had been over 10 years since she had visited.  It was a memorable stay with Adriana’s Aunt Orietta.  The boys were able to see their Great Grandparents home, have visits with relatives and family friends, taste the many delicious foods, drink the exotic fruit smoothies, travel to a coffee plantation and an animal park called Panaca.  Fred had the thrill of flying in a Sterman Bi-plane over the lush Cali countryside. 

Returning from this adventure, Fred continued working on his business.  In 2009, Bitcentral rolled out its services to CNN for news distribution.

Mar-09

In Mid-March the family was invited to go up in the Good Year Blimp for a scenic Southern California tour.  This was a dream come true for Adriana.

Later in March, the NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) Futures Summit was held in Pebble Beach and the family tagged along for an extended weekend.  Fred gave a presentation while Adriana took the kids on the Seventeen Mile Drive and toured the Monterrey Aquarium.

April-09

The NAB Convention in Las Vegas was another business venue for Fred and Adriana.  Adriana’s mom stayed with the boys, while Adriana gave “news anchor” type presentations and Fred had meetings in his suite.  Evenings were a delight with Bellagio dining, and Mirage dancing.

Adriana was also able to meet her high school friend, Susie Porter and her husband for lunch in Laguna Beach.  It was so nice to visit with them before they moved back to Portland.

Spring time included visits from Adriana’s brother, Gino and family and Adriana’s dad.

July-09

Summer kicked off with a weeklong trip up to San Francisco where we stayed in a corner suite at an old hotel on Van Ness.  Fred met with his clients while Adriana drove the boys all over the city.  Highlights included the Academy of Science and Arts, the Tutankhamen exhibit, Sausalito, Muir Woods and a scenic drive to Santa Cruz.  We watched the 4^th of July fireworks on the deck of the USS Hornet.

Mid-July we flew to Wisconsin.  Fred and Jordan camped at the EAA Oshkosh air show.  Adriana and Christopher stayed at her parent’s home.  Adriana enjoyed getting together with her high school and college friends that are in the Milwaukee area.  The end of the Mid-West trip included a weekend jaunt at the Trailside B&B (Quaker country) and daily bike rides on the famous Elroy-Sparta bike trail.

Justice, who is now 11 years old, had the good fortune of having some fabulous families adopt him while the Fourchers traveled.  He practically has a second home at Roger and Daniel Lockhart’s on Lido Isle.  He also stayed with the Pinkmans.  While not on a sleep over we had Stefan and Susan McDonald house sitting. 

Unfortunately, our authentic Puerto Rican hermit crab – Slidey – succumbed this summer while we were away.  We are not sure if the heat or simply extreme quiet was the cause.  Susan gave him a proper burial down on the beach.  R.I.P.  Slidey.

Aug-09

Swim Team and Sailing were the biggest activities for the family during the summer.  Adriana challenged her Midwestern Horeb pool beginnings and got a few ocean swims in.  The cool Pacific Ocean, currents and the concept of sea creatures lurking add to the experience.  Jordan sailed with the Sea Scouts and Fred enjoyed the Harbor 20 on our mooring.

We also had a nice reunion with the Bergers (Tokyo connection) who came out for their daughter’s baptism.  The men visited at an Angels v NYY game, while Adriana met Dawn and Audrey for lunch and shopping.  Needless to say, no one knew that the NYY would end up shutting the Angels out of the World Series later in the season.

Sept-09

September brought changes as Adriana’s parents separated after 47 years of marriage.  Adriana’s mom moved to Colorado, while her Dad remained in Wisconsin.  Meanwhile, the kids went back to school with Christopher starting 2^nd grade and Jordan 4^th grade. 

Also, this Fall Fred and Jordan went camping in the desert at Aqua Caliente.  They had a moonless weekend so the star gazing was fantastic.  Fred also got a fix studying a couple of Tarantulas.

Oct-09

Christopher lost three front teeth within several weeks of one another.  At one point his smile looked like a Jack’O Lantern.  We were unable to convince Christopher to seize this opportunity for Halloween.  Nevertheless, the family spent a delightful extended weekend at Warner Springs Ranch over Halloween. This is where Fred and Adriana were married in 1995.  The ranch was quite festive and the family enjoyed carving a pumpkin, decorating our cottage and relaxing in the hot springs pool.

Nov-09

Each November the Fourchers fly to Brawley (near the Salton Sea) for a friendly visit with the Bately family all centered on the main event for the farming community – the annual Brawley Rodeo.  The day includes a parade, a barbeque, plenty of flag waving and the thrill of seeing incredible athletics in the arena.

Adriana’s mom came out for a visit over Thanksgiving.  Fred took Joan and the boys to the General Patton Museum in Chiriaco Summit (desert).  Adriana stayed home and enjoyed the quiet.

A few days later, Adriana took Joan and the boys to see a special art exhibit of a Colombian named  Fernando Botero at the Bowers Museum.

Dec-09

Jordan turned 10 on December 1^st so the family and Grandma Joanie went to Disneyland for the day to celebrate.  It was a full day which ended with the Holiday Parade in downtown Disney and fireworks.

Pearl Harbor day took new meaning for the boys after visiting the Patton Museum and then watching the movie Patton.  That strong persona and vision was a gift to America at the right place and time.  Peace through Victory is earned not by words, but by strength in deeds. 

Christmas wouldn’t feel like it was right around the corner if the boys didn’t get to play in the snow.  On a complete whim, the Fourchers (including the dog) drop up to Big Bear Mountain the second week of December for an overnight stay.  Even though the boys were delighted with throwing snowballs, riding on sleds and generally clomping around in deep snow, our dog seemed to enjoy the snow the most.  He was in his element and you could see that he knew he was bred in Wisconsin from a hearty stock of show dogs and hunters.

With that full synopsis of our personal experiences in 2009, we must close with to all a good year and to all a good night!!!