Health:  Deanna's dad and step dad are courageously battling against cancer.  They are have both had chemo treatments.
Deanna had a hysterectomy.  Her smile is a result of modern chemistry.  Later in the year, she had some basil cell carcinoma removed from her face.  She also separated her clavicle while playing volleyball, which limited her activity and has kept her in a brace for months.
Willy's mom had a kidney operation.
Kirk cut his finger.

Camping:  Willy and Deanna camped for a week in June, at Hume Lake in Sequoia National Park.  We were there with several other families, comprising a group of about 70 people.  We sailed, played games, hiked, biked, swam and ate frog legs.  We were with the Gleason, Lokkart, McKinley, Mutz, Salsbury, Sparrow, and Wais families.  During a bike ride, some of us saw fat rattlesnakes by the trail.  Deanna returned to Hume for a women's retreat, in addition to one in Cambria.  Willy also went to a New Life Men's retreat at Mt. Hermon in Santa Cruz.

Hawaii:  Willy & Deanna took the boys and their girlfriends to Oahu.  We stayed in Waikiki in the Queen Kapiolani hotel overlooking Waikiki beach and Kapiolani Park.  On our trip we were delighted to be able to meet with both girlfriend's parents.  Nancy's parents live near the San Francisco airport, and her father Lee shuttled us to the airport, and kept our car while we were gone. Her mother Marilyn gave us a yummy care package for the drive home when we returned.  Melanie's parents Jeff and Jayne live in Kona.  They flew over to Oahu, took us to a fabulous restaurant in the Kahala Hotel, and did a beach day with us.  Of course we visited with the Keizers, and had the Mongolian BBQ at the Kaneohe Officer's Club.  On day one, we went to Sandy Beach. The surf was so big, only Chad got in the water.  The rest of us watched and worried.  We snorkeled, surfed, boogie boarded, and went to a waterfall on other days.  We raced through the Dole Pineapple hedge maze.  We saw bunches of sea turtles.

New York Violence:  Kirk was with teammate Matt Palmer at a NY intersection.  Palmer interfered with a group of women beating a woman by stepping between them.  The group of women did not approve of this, and began to attack him.  Apparently from the same gang, men standing nearby also took offense and turned on Palmer.  Kirk moved in to rescue Palmer.  The gang was displeased by Kirk removing people off of Palmer, and began beating Kirk.  Kirk broke away and ran, and was chased by a crowd.  Some chased him in cars.  Kirk got away and hid. The gang found him and Kirk ran again.  He went to a well lit area on Broadway, and began to walk because he was tired. The gang found Kirk again on Broadway in front of Tom’s restaurant (from Seinfeld) and punched him in the back of the head.  Kirk got away again, ditching his sandals, and ran for about 5 blocks.

His last move was to run into a dorm to get help from security there.  He was followed in by about 3 gang members. In the lobby, they hit him in the face and accused him of “putting his hands on a girl.”  The gang member was referring to a girl he pushed away from Matt, one of several persons, of both genders, that were punching Palmer in the face. Kirk had pushed several of both genders away from Palmer.  The gang ranged in size from a 15 to 25.

Campus Security arrived and listened only to the gang members.  They told Kirk “You’re lucky they don’t want to press charges.”  When the gang members left, security asked “by the way, did you want to press charges?”  Matt and Kirk did not throw a single punch.

Later Kirk learned that immediately after he fled the original scene, and drew a  group after him, the situation diffused where he left Palmer and the girl.

The next day Kirk went went to the Columbia University Head of Security, was patronized, and accomplished nothing.  After all, it's certainly easier to ignore a college student than confront a NY gang.