Happy 80th Birthday Dad!

Me and Dad June 2012 (the day after I saw the Beach Boys Reunion Tour and the day I won a Nalu Ukulele at the Strum Shop in Roseville!  The day ended perfectly with an awesome visit with my Dad who truly gave me that sense of adventure...and a ukulele seems to be involved in all my latest adventures no matter where I go or what I do!)

Happy 80th Birthday Dad!!! 

Today you turn 80 years old...! and we'll all be up there to celebrate with you tomorrow...I managed to get ALL the kids together, which is not easy, as you well know, and Baby Jeremiah as well. 

Dad, thanks for all the wonderful adventures and experiences you gave us throughout our lives...from numerous trips to Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk, the old Frontier Village, Muir Beach and beyond...even hanging out at your office by the zoo and beach in SF rolling around on chairs, pushing buttons and playing many board games...we always played games, even while in the car...and thanks for all the theater shows, the movies, the music concerts...even that one time when you got an emergency call for your job and we ended up at the Oakland Greyhound Bus terminal in the middle of the night...We got to experience shows all over the place, from the Circle Star Theater in San Carlos (which no longer exists) to see Aretha Franklin, Chuck Berry and many, many others...to movie theaters and theaters all over and around San Francisco...

Thanks for the big hikes up at Mt. Tamalpias and for the adventures, even driving through that part of golden Gate Park with no street lights in the middle of the night and how we'd always freak out when you'd turn off your car lights for a moment even though we knew what would happen next.

And how thrilling it was to watch you in so many plays and musicals throughout the years. Then, remember how I'd drive down from Oregon each year with my kids and we'd camp out in your apartment in Sunnyvale and go on many adventures, like to Golden Gate Park in San Francisco, Tommy's Joint and Pasquale's Pizza on Irving Street...showing my kids all the places I went to while growing up...The kids got to see you in some plays an musicals as well.

I truly believe that I get my sense of adventure and fun from you, Dad and I'm so grateful to you for that. Always following our passions and dreams no matter what and living life to its fullest. 

You rock, Dad!!! I love you...Happy Birthday!! 

Melissa and me visiting Dad for his B-Day (2011 I think)...Melissa and Alex drove up and we all went out to lunch at Dad's FAVORITE Mexican restaurant!

Me, Dad & Baby Jeremiah (he was just tiny baby then!

Christmas Eve 2012!

FOUR GENERATIONS!!! 

Christmas 2012

FOUR GENERATIONS! Dad, Me, Jeremiah and BABY JEREMIAH

for some reason Jeremy and his Grandpa always end up in these intense conversations when they get together!

THE GRANDDAUGHTERS!!! 2006, San Francisco right by Children's Playground! (hehe!) someone gave them a whole bunch of balloons (Rangitau, Megan, Melissa, Merehuka and TeRuiHui)

me with my Dad in the 1980s

1980s!!! in Sunnyvale, CA at my Dad's apartment

with my brother's family in 1999!!!!

1962 San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers! there's my Dad on the very left...pointing at the camera! The tiny one is my sister Jennifer, my brother Michael on the right and I'm that blonde girl with the doll! (we are 5, 3 and 2 here I believe)

Dad with us at the beach!!! 1962 San Francisco. He's holding my little sister Jennifer...I'm the blonde girl with the Raggedy Ann doll (which I actually remember) and there's my bro Michael

1999 with my brother's family!

1962 San Francisco Conservatory of Flowers
Mary, Michael & Jennifer

this is where I was right before I visited Dad last June! At the grand opening of the Strum Shop in Roseville!
and I'm with Stu (owner and good friend ukulele extraordinarie whom I also bought 8-string uke from!), Don (store manager) and Rick, Nalu Dealer!!! I was the big winner that day in all aspects! yay!

FAMILY REUNION IN SEBASTAPOL around 2006?

At my sister Jennifer's house in Sebastapol around 2006...family gathering!

around 2006...family gathering at my sister's house in Sebastapol

Michael and his family, with me, my sister, Jeremy and Megan (in front of the famous Pasquale's Pizza, San Francisco! we often had pictures taken here.
around 2007?

2004 gathering in San Francisco, Pasquale's Pizza, good old Pasquale's!!!!!