“Ladies and Gentleman, The President of the United States!” Applause. “Thank you, thank you. I’m pleased to join you all tonight and to let you know that the state of our union is strong!” Well, at least the state of our little union is strong. In the year since we watched Barack Obama inaugurated on a big screen in civic center with thousands of other hope-filled citizens, much has happened with the Kelefors clan. One family matriarch, Dottie Kelemen, turned 95, and the whole Kelemen clan turned out to celebrate. We said goodbye two two other matriarchs, Aunt Bebe Matthewson and Aunt Elizabeth Pavel, who lived long and storied lives. Jeannette hit 4-0 and rode a bicycle for 500 miles in one week. We picked peaches in Fresno again. We admired the spires and red rocks of Sedona on a family trip with Mimi and Pop-Pop and celebrated a White Christmas in the Mid-Atlantic with the boisterous brood of cousins. And, oh yeah, we bought a ski house in Tahoe with two other families — our friends the Dunhams and the Waldman-Grunbaums. Maybe now you’ll come to visit.
In ascending order, here are the updates for 2010:
Adela is a vibrant four-year old with an independent spirit and joie de vive that brings us all much delight. Skiing for the first time in February on our trip to Steamboat, CO, she already demonstrated a love for speed as she giggled down the slope with no intention of slowing down. She also enjoyed her first soccer season this fall with a fabulous coach and a good friend from pre-school. Her love of the arts reflects her grandmothers’ gifts – this holiday she marveled at the SF Ballet’s Nutcracker and this week she requested we go to another museum after last weekend’s trip to the deYoung. While quite social, she is equally content to play independently in her own make believe worlds or “read†for hours. If you come for a visit, you’ll likely experience her changing into 2-3 different costumes, and she may even sing for you.
Dylan is thriving at school and in his activities. He is part of a terrific 1st grade class this year with two outstanding teachers and he’s grown so much as a reader and writer this year, both in English and Spanish. Captivated by our collective reading of Harry Potter – four volumes so far – he convinced us all to dress up as characters from the series for Halloween. Dylan’s exuberance and intensity come through not just in his love for school but on the soccer field, in his drama club, during dance classes, while beat-boxing, at the capoeira studio, and in front of any game-board. He plays a mean game of Monopoly, but if you play him, you might want to let him win. He wouldn’t mind at all if we moved permanently to Tahoe – he loves skiing, sledding and our shared time up in the mountains with friends. Finally, Dylan’s passion for soccer continues. Recently, he announced that “I am going to exercise every day until I’m on a traveling soccer team.†We think the Barcelona v. Chivas friendly and our upcoming trip to South Africa may have inspired him.
Matt continues to grow his consulting practice and volunteer portfolio, all rooted in the pursuit of better educational opportunity for underserved youth. Much of his work centers around the Obama administration’s education agenda and the rapid impact it is having on the strategic direction of school districts and other educational organizations across the country. (Here’s a prediction: Given the way, the economy and health care are going, Obama will run for re-election as the “education President” and it may actually be true.)Â These are challenging times in public education, with already inadequate budgets shrinking even further, but it is exciting to be part of a movement toward better schools for kids, ours and everyone’s. Matt turns 40 this year and will mark the occasion with a family trip to South Africa for the World Cup (Ole!) and a yet-to-be-determined physical challenge. If you call him, be sure to ask him if he ran today.
Jeannette celebrated her 40th birthday this year with a close circle of friends, enjoying a delicious 5-course meal prepared by the loving Chef Matt. Two weeks later she embarked on an amazing trip as a cyclist in the AIDS Lifecycle, pedaling more than 500 miles from San Francisco to LA. The inspiring company of so many folks dedicated to ending the threat of HIV motivated her through the demanding trek, as did all of you with your generous donations and emotional support. Her arrival into LA was made even sweeter by having Dylan, the Bennetts, Avery, Mimi & Bob and the Yu-Liter Family there to meet her. In July, Jeannette began a new position as Director of Professional Services with Teachscape, Inc. (www.teachscape.com). Ensuring teachers and school leaders improve their impact on students motivates her as it always has, and the frequent trips to Washington State help her stay connected with family and friends in the Northwest. She treasures her family time and reunions with friends near and far.
As we write to you, we are still reeling from the terrible tragedy in Haiti that claimed an unimaginable number of lives. And we are frustrated that our political leaders have been unable to make a dent in the pressing problems in our country and our state. But we remain hopeful, inspired by the good works of our amazing network of family and friends. We bid adieu to the “aughts” and welcome a decade of hope, change, and peace.