At the Firm

Brian, Matt, Kim, and Tina spent a day offsite planning for the quarterly goals (or “rocks” as we call them internally). The day is spent looking at long-term goals, and then breaking them down to annual goals and quarterly milestones. The team works hard to keep improving the business and this planning meeting is part of our commitment to continual improvement.  

Brian and Allie worked on closing out last year’s compliance activities and setting up those activities for this year. There are a lot of tasks that need to be coordinated and the beginning of the year is the time to take care of all the setup for them. 

Kim continues to attend weekly Rotary meetings and has been getting to know more people along the way. She plans to give more of her time to some of the wonderful initiatives Rotary supports. Kim is preparing to support clients through tax season by helping provide tax documents to their tax preparers.

Tina attended an Estate Planning Council meeting where industry experts discussed the current state and short-term outlook for the commercial office and residential housing markets. It is always fascinating to learn about how demographics play into the trends in these sectors. 

On the Home Front

Brian, Nikki, Emma (16), Kai (14), and Koa (11) enjoyed participating in a morning of service with a lot of friends at Sleep in Heavenly Peace, a charity that builds beds for families coming out of homelessness or domestic violence situations that may not have the funds for them. The Matter family enjoyed cutting, sanding, drilling, staining, and branding the wood used to make the beds. Brian and family also enjoyed a trip up to Brian Head, Utah, for a few days of skiing late in the month.

Matt and his family had a busy month celebrating several family birthdays, highlighted by Jacob turning 10 and having a fun laser tag party with his friends. The Showleys also had the unique opportunity to tour a US Navy submarine at the Naval Base in Point Loma. The kids take up most of the free time these days with Lizzie restarting ballet and Jacob starting a new sport: lacrosse!

For Valentine’s Day, Tyler left work early to surprise Kim with a prepared surf and turf steak and lobster dinner! While Kim’s parents have been in town, they’ve enjoyed time together at home and are in the process of completing a 2,000- piece jigsaw puzzle featuring Paris scenery. Additionally, they’ve spent some of the dry nights enjoying the firepit.

A highlight this month for Tina was a trip to the Ojai Valley to celebrate a friend’s milestone birthday. Additionally, Tina, Dave, Sara, and Sara’s boyfriend Galloway attended the AMA Supercross event at Snapdragon Stadium. It was their first time attending a motorcycle event and it was exciting to watch the riders maneuver a muddy field after a day of rain!

Monica and her sister attended a gluten-free cooking class to learn how to make sourdough bread. She made her first two loaves, which were semi-successful. She is going to try again to see if she masters the art of breadmaking. She also learned how to make gluten-free cinnamon rolls, which were much easier to make, and Alex really enjoyed them. Monica and Mike celebrated their 31st wedding anniversary with a nice dinner at one of their favorite local restaurants.

Abby had a nice month and enjoyed a weekend getaway to Palm Springs for a girlfriend’s birthday. They enjoyed cooking, taking walks, and just being in each other’s company catching up. They visited a spa which was nice and relaxing. Also, a very important part of Abby’s family is her dog, who turned nine in February (pictured celebrating). 

Jessica and Mike surprised the girls with a trip to Disneyland. It was a beautiful day that was especially appreciated between the recent rainstorms. Olivia’s favorite ride is the Millenium Falcon Smugglers Run and Gigi’s favorite is It’s a Small World because she thinks it’s a giant doll shop. The family walked over 11 miles at the park without a single complaint; a steady flow of snacks and treats may have helped!

This month brought calm seas for Alana, allowing a perfect surf day with her friends.
Even bigger news was her college roommate and best friend’s September wedding. Their proposal took place on a footbridge in Paris. Thrilled for their new chapter, Alana joined her friend for a weekend dress-shopping trip—and her friend said yes to the dress on day one! Alana is very honored and excited to be chosen as their officiant.

 

 

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