Merry Christmas 2012!

Our Christmas Card for 2012

Here we are at another Christmas - seems like just yesterday that summer was yielding to the cooler temperatures of football season.  Dylan was a lot of fun - we mailed our list to Santa and hoped for the best - all the while trying hard to show the Elf on the Shelf that we were on our best behavior   The man in red came through again this year and Dylan took in quite a haul of new toys, Mummy and Daddy weren't left out either.  Notable was a new toy minivan for Dylan and a (toy) Porsche GT3 for Daddy (what can I say...the kid likes Minivans!)

Dylan gets a "puffer fish" from Nanna in Australia

This year Les's parents made the trip - flying in from Wisconsin.  They looked on as Dylan opened (most of) the presents.

More cars for the collection: a British double-decker bus and a London Taxi Cab!

With the temps breaking into the lower 50's Michelle was able to get away for a short paddle out on College Creek and the Severn River.

Michelle takes a break 

Here we go...

It's "only a Category 1" but we're sitting directly in its path --- we've been feeling it's far reaching effects all day.  The worst should arrive in about 30 minutes.

We're well prepared.  We've stocked the house and can sit this one out should we lose power for a few days.  The Naval Academy runs off its own power grid so, we're not expecting the problems that the locals will surely have.
The biggest challenge was securing the 160+ sailboats in our program.  On Friday we secured many of our large keelboats to hurricane moorings on protected creeks north of the sailing center.  Our small dinghies are derigged and secure in the field house.  The program has been through these challenges before and it showed - great teamwork prepared us for this storm as well.
Nothing left to do now but pour a glass of wine and hold on!

Cricket

Must be the Aussie influence - Daddy doesn't even know the rules!  But here is the little man trying out a spot of cricket.  The fireman helmet and boots aren't required but Dylan thought it appropriate.  After these photos we got serious and Michelle beat Les 5 to 2.

Nice stance (I think)

Keep your eye on the ball!

Australian-American Leadership Dialogue

Benjamin Franklin State Dining Room (US State Dept)

Another great opportunity came our way when the Australian American Leadership Dialogue came to Washington for its annual meeting.  I was asked to take the group sailing on the Naval Academy's 44' sailboats.  We had a nice couple hours on the water and scored an invite to the group's Gala Dinner in the Benjamin Franklin State Dining Room at the State Department.

Kevin Rudd, 26th Prime Minister of Australia (2007-2010)

During cocktail hour prior to the dinner Michelle and I met the former Australian Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd and the current Australian Ambassador to the US.  Secretary Clinton was delayed in Egypt and had to decline the invite to speak to the group but her last minute replacement, the Asst Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Kurt Campbell was very entertaining.  It was clear that ours is a very special relationship - he couldn't have gotten away with some of the things he said if it was the American-French Leadership Dialogue!  In the end it was a nice evening out in DC.

Family Canoe

Mad River Adventure 14 Canoe

We added this little beauty to the gear roster this year.  We've had it out on the Severn River a few times - Dylan loves it and he even has his own paddle...which he uses to splash daddy with.

Lemons

Dylan has been exploring new foods - you wouldn't know it by looking at these photos but he loves lemon.  We're even able to get him to eat his veggies if we douse them in lemon juice.

Spaceman D

It's been a rainy Sunday so we headed back to the Air & Space Museum in Chantilly Virginia: they were celebrating the arrival of the Space Shuttle Discovery.  Dylan loved the space-man stuff and we all learned a bit from the scientific experiments.  Here we are "making clouds:"

Of course we had to try on some space suits...

...and a Dylan-sized Space Shuttle:

We had a great time playing with the other kids at Toddler Space Camp:

but we had a safe re-entry from our time in space...

British Officers Club of Philidelphia

I was invited to speak to the British Officers Club of Philadelphia on Saturday.  They were touring the Naval Academy for the weekend and asked if I would join them for dinner at the Annapolis Yacht Club.  Michelle and I had a wonderful time.  The setting in the Commodore's Room overlooking the docks was very nice; the dinner, drinks and conversation were most enjoyable - I think Michelle enjoyed hearing some "proper English" being spoken for a change!  Our hosts were a very impressive collection of former British military officers and their wives, most now living and working in the US.

Welcome Home Matt Rutherford!

I had the opportunity to represent the Naval Academy and our sailing program at a welcome home ceremony for Matt Rutherford.  Matt had just completed a circumnavigation of North and South America in a 27 foot sailboat.  This trip took 309 days, he did it solo and during that great expanse of time he never went ashore - non-stop north through the Northwest Passage, around Alaska, down the west coast of North, Central and South America, around the treacherous Cape Horn and up through the Atlantic.  He departed from and returned to Annapolis and did it all to raise money for a disabled boating charity called C.R.A.B (Chesapeake Region Accessible Boating).  I shared the stage with Gary Jobson, the head of US Sailing, Maryland Governor O'Malley, the Mayor of Annapolis and several Congressional Aides.  Senator Harkin teleconferenced in via an onstage iPad.  It was a great event, honoring a truely heroic undertaking 

Cousins

One thing we miss, but really appreciate, is the opportunity for Dylan to get together with his cousins.  Here's the entire American gang...

Best buds for life...

Happy Easter!

The practice paid off - Dylan and his cousins had a great Easter Egg Hunt!

Easter Egg Practice

We were all excited about the Easter Egg Hunt - so much so, that we thought that a Saturday practice session was in order.  Dylan loved running around in the back yard of Grandma and Grandpa's house.  He got off to a great start...

But the morning wasn't without a few set-backs...better luck tomorrow!

Frequent Flyer

The little man has been airborne so often that he's now on a first name basis with most of the United and Southwest pilots - here he his hanging out in the cockpit, talking about recent developments in the Airline industry with the Captain of Southwest Flight 1460 to Milwaukee:

Safety at Sea

In the wake of the disastrous 1979 Fastnet Yacht Race which claimed the lives of 15 sailors the US Naval Academy began a seminar entitled "Safety at Sea" to focus on offshore boat preparation, weather forecasting,  heavy weather sailing and survival.  That seminar endures today and each spring we partner with the Maryland Marine Trades Association to educate Midshipmen and civilian sailors in the safe operation of offshore sailboats.  My staff put on a truly world-class event, moderated by John Rousmaniere and Ralph Naranjo.  It was a great refresher in the risks of offshore sailing - and a great opportunity to meet some of the foremost experts on the water.  Briefing slides from the event are available online.

Naval Academy Sailing

I've been settling into my new position as the Director of Naval Academy Sailing.  It's a great job - that probably goes without saying.  The program is actually far more complex than I could have imagined - 160+ sailboats in the fleet, a 6 acre marina, a mixed staff of Navy officers and enlisted sailors, Government civilians and athletic department coaches, 20+ funding sources, a charitable foundation and an advisory board.  I'm trying to get out on the water as much as possible but each day brings new challenges.  I'm very fortunate to have an amazing staff.  Within my civilian ranks are veterans of the Whitbread/Volvo Around the World Race, the Americas Cup, former Olympic hopefuls and a Collegiate Sailor of the Year.

We'll be right back...

Sorry we've been radio silent for a few months.  We're settling into a new life in Annapolis Maryland and will be back up online shortly!

Skiing at Keystone

We've bypassed the amazing back-bowls of Vail for the more family oriented experience of Keystone, Colorado 40 miles to the east.  The snow this year was miserable with a scant 38 inch base (and that was probably all man-made!).  Still, we had a great time in the mountains, got a few runs in and put Dylan on skis for the first time (at 2 years old!).  The best I can say is that he didn't hate it - and I think he's looking forward to getting back out there.  In addition to the skiing we put the little man on a new pair of snowshoes - great for stomping around...and we explored a huge ice fort at the top of the mountain.  One great aspect of Keystone is the night skiing - rare in Colorado.  Michelle and I took turns in the evening, ripping a few solo runs without the little man.  Overall a great family vacation - we're already planning another early January trip for 2013!

D on Skis!

Follow me...

Kings of the Ice Castle

Snowshoe stompy to the Mountain Top

The Top of the Mountain