Year 2000 Christmas Letter
(Click on the small images to see bigger ones.)
Another
year gone by and after Katie’s third birthday in January the first few months
are already a blur. 
She is
still attending Bing Preschool at Stanford and has “graduated” from the
two’s class to the threes+ and is enjoying three mornings a week. She would go five days a week if we’d let her!
She continues to be thrilled with her Bing teachers and the activities
they enable for her every school day. What
a great place to grow and learn.
This
all-of-three-year-old joined her Grandpa Henry, Daddy, Mommy, and family friend,
Susan Rockrise, to do her third cultural marathon in the San Francisco “Bay to
Breakers” event in May. 
Of the
seven+ miles, Katie walked about half and it wasn’t until we got home that we
found she had done at least some portion with blisters on her feet, never
complaining. Still, she was in much
better shape than her elders – except for Henry, of course, who continues to
embarrass us all by his fitness.
After
20 years at one of the greatest technology companies, Jami left Intel mid year
to take a pause in her career and decide what new challenges should be next.
Looking back, fate must certainly have been involved as the summer
schedule was so packed it would not have been possible with a full time career
needing tending. Part time consulting and being on the board of the Tech
Museum have kept her out of trouble in the meantime.
Walking
out of Intel and nearly onto an airplane to the Florida Keys was a great way to
start the summer (Stephen did the anniversary planning this year).
From there, a trip to Minnesota for Jami’s high school reunion where
her parents joined us to remember old times, old friends, and old neighborhoods.
Katie relished the opportunity to spend time with her cousins 
and have
family around her.
Family
was the theme for the rest of the summer with great fun and then great sadness
following unexpectedly. Shortly
after the Minnesota trip, the Dover side of the family got together in Kansas to
celebrate the reunion of the extended family of Anna Dover.
What a great turnout! 
Again,
Katie thought it was so cool that so much family surrounded her….”none of
them are strangers”! Fate brought
us all together one last time as a farewell first to great Uncle Ken and then to
Grandpa Dover (Katie’s great Grandpa) who both died just a couple of weeks
after the reunion. Grandpa is no
doubt happy now, but we miss him.
Did we mention Stephen
bought a boat? No self-respecting
Minnesotan would let their children grow up without learning to water-ski (said
Stephen) and so a power boat was purchased enabling us to have a wonderful time
with Stephen’s brother’s family, Chris, Rene, Abby and Andy Nachtsheim,
joining us for a week in the wine country.
Abby and Andy did a great job learning to ski and, yes, even Katie got up
on skis not wanting to be left out. Nearly
scared her mother to death!
As we wrap up the home stretch of 2000, with the frustrating election, near power outages in California and Intel stock at an all-time yearly low, it is satisfying to look back on a year that has been rich with family time. We got the priorities just about right. And as a fitting end to the year, we’ll be joining family just after Christmas in Houston and for the New Year in St. Paul
We hope all of you have a great Holiday Season and a wonderful 2001!