Oakland, California (December 2025)

 In November, Joyce gave birth to Avery, her second child. Kristin and I shortened our trip to Mazatlan and headed to Oakland, California, to see Avery and help out. He was our fourth grandchild, and so cute and beautiful!

Not only did we hold Avery, but we also played with Myles, Avery's big brother. He had grown up quite a bit. He was able to talk a lot better and more. How adorable! He looked quite mature!

Kristin and I went along with Kyle and Myles to see the lighting of the Christmas tree in front of Alameda City Hall. There was a huge crowd, and we enjoyed a short time there. 

One of the things we did with Myles was take a walk along the seashore, throwing a few stones in the pond. They were precious moments.

We have a long-time friend couple who live in Rancho Palos Verdes in Southern California: Mr. and Mrs. Song. Their daughter Helen, is married and living in Northern California, close to Joyce's. They had a second-year birthday party for their son, and I went along with Kyle and Myles to see them. 

One of the things I enjoyed while visiting Joyce was walking along the seashore on the hiking trail. The birds, the sunset, the sea breeze, the San Francisco city view, and the structures at houses along the trail were all memorable. 

We had a get-together with Young Shim, my former colleague and Kristin's high school alumnus, over lunch. She has agreed to serve together with SHINE Alliance, as Regional Ambassador for the ERD USA Network. I was excited about the joint ministry opportunity! God provides!

One day, Kritin and I made a day trip to San Francisco via ferry. We walked around the city, hung out at the ferry building, and had lunch at a Vietnamese restaurant, where we enjoyed a meal sponsored by the Chase Sapphire Reserve card.

A few companies, including Tesla and Waymo, are experimenting with unmanned robo-taxis. San Francisco is one of the test cities. We saw a few robo-taxis roaming on the city streets.

By the time we returned to Alameda, the sun was setting, giving us a beautiful orange sky.

Our stay was not long, but long enough to miss our home. I had to come home to take care of some house matters, but Kristin had to fly directly to Denver, Colorado, because Amanda gave birth almost one month before the expected delivery date. - Jeffrey