At the Firm

We held a chocolate chip cookie baking contest in October. The CCMI team (and spouses) had six entries in the contest, with Matt Ryan and our building security guard Pam serving as the overall judges. All the cookies were delicious. Congratulations to Abby for being the winner of the contest as determined by the judges!

The CCMI team celebrated the upcoming new addition to Matt Ryan and his wife Jess’ family with a COVID-style baby shower.  We took lunch to a park where there was plenty of space to spend time together and let them open gifts to welcome Baby Ryan. 

Brian, Matt Showley, Matt Ryan, and Kim attended the virtual Schwab Impact conference over two days at the end of October. Speakers included Arthur C. Brooks, Simon Sinek, Greg Valliere, Condoleezza Rice, Sal Khan, Ian Bremmer, and Arne Duncan, among many others. CCMI values education as we strive to continuously learn to bring the best solutions for our clients.  

Sheila took a few days off in mid-September to finish up her Capstone project, which was the seventh and final course in Certified Financial Planner coursework she was taking through Boston University’s Center for Professional Education. For the Capstone, she had to write a sample plan and record herself presenting it on video. She successfully passed the Capstone along with the six other courses and received her Certificate in Financial Planning in the mail. Now that she has completed the required coursework in topics such as Professional Conduct and Regulation, General Principles of Financial Planning, Education Planning, Risk Management and Insurance Planning, Investment Planning, Tax Planning, Retirement Savings, and Estate Planning, the next step is studying for the examination leading to CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® certification. Our other four advisors are able to use the CFP® mark after their names as they have already completed the “4 Es” of CFP® certification: Education, Exam, Experience, and Ethics. Sheila is excited to continue this journey in their footsteps!

Kim has been testing tax planning software to help analyze tax returns and look for planning opportunities. The CCMI team always strives to find better ways to serve clients and find strategies to help them. She also enjoyed an afternoon al fresco at Castelli Family Vineyards in Ramona for a fun and safe in-person Women in Business (WIB) event. It was nice to socialize with members and guests in person, plus Kim had never been to the area before and thought it was lovely.

On the Home Front

Brian’s family has continued to look for pandemic-friendly ways to get out of the house. Adventures have included hiking up Stonewall Peak in the Cuyamaca Mountains, mountain biking in Cuyamaca and Mt. Laguna, and attending a socially distanced pumpkin- carving contest to get ready for Halloween.

Matt Showley and his family have ventured out into the San Diego area a bit more with a day at the zoo and a full day at the beach that ended with a bonfire, s’mores, and a sunset. Matt and his wife Alex also celebrated their 14th wedding anniversary at a French restaurant in Carlsbad; it was their first night out without the kids since COVID began and the meal was excellent.

 

Kim and Tyler celebrated their 8th wedding anniversary with a few days in Santa Monica for a change in scenery. They had a nice relaxing time and enjoyed their hotel room, which included a kitchen to minimize restaurant dining. They enjoyed walking around, watching sunsets, and spending time by the pool as they almost had the entire hotel to themselves! They vacationed during the week so Kim was able to continue her weekend road cycling without disruption.

 

Sheila and John celebrated their 8th wedding anniversary on October 6 by going out to dinner with Anastasia. They chose an Italian restaurant in Banker’s Hill so they could have their wedding cake for dessert, which was tiramisu. Afterward, they took a nice family walk over the Spruce Street suspension bridge and checked out the Halloween decorations on the houses there. They have also been going on regular “spooky walks” to enjoy the Halloween decorations in their Normal Heights neighborhood, and Anastasia has decided she wants to be a cat this year in honor of her next-door neighbor’s cat, One-eyed Jack. He was born with only one eye and Anastasia enjoys playing with him when she gets her morning break from online kindergarten.      

Matt Ryan and his wife Jess hosted some friends from college for a long weekend. Many of the activities revolved around the beach. They went biking on the boardwalk, played Spikeball, and had a picnic on Sunset Cliffs with California burritos. One of their guests’ favorite places to eat was Din Tai Fung at UTC.

Matt Ryan’s wife Jess had her baby shower this month. The two are getting more and more excited for their baby boy, who is expected in December. 

The Larson family celebrated the 15th birthday of their dog, Dash, this month. That’s 105 in dog years! Monica attended a bridal shower for her best friend’s daughter. She is looking forward to the outdoor wedding in November and will assist in baking cookies for the wedding reception. (She had plenty of practice this month with the CCMI baking contest.)

This past weekend, Abby and her kids ventured out to Catalina Island for a one- night weekend getaway. Her kids had never been and the last time she was there was at least 20 years ago. They had a wonderful time; they rented a golf cart to tour around the island and also rented a motorboat, which they all loved. They enjoyed everything about it. Her kids want to make it a yearly trip as they loved the island vibe and what it has to offer. 

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