PRITCHARD LIFE

With 2017 fast approaching, I think it’s time to check the rear-view mirror for one final glimpse of the year that has passed. As is our tradition, we rang in the New Year under a starry sky in the depths of Death Valley National Park. We took day trips to explore the salt pan at Badwater and the lush labyrinth of Darwin Canyon. Some day, these kids are going to figure out that other families don’t drive to the middle of nowhere to celebrate the New Year in the cold and inky black of the desert night. But we wouldn’t have it any other way. Later in the year, we logged two more camping trips to The Presidio (3 minutes from home) and Pinecrest Lake (3 hours from home). And with respectable Sierra snowpack, there were two ski trips to Kirkwood and Alpine Meadows. With both kids in ski school, Jody and I were finally able to ski together for the first time in too many years.

The highlights of the travel calendar came in the spring and summer. In April, we surprised the kids with a trip to LA where we got to watch our favorite show (BattleBots) being taped and doubled the surprise with a day-trip to Disneyland. In June, we made good on a promise to return to Italy and took a two week trip with the whole family to Tuscany, Rome and Sorrento. The kids are becoming more capable travelers, aided no doubt by the promise of gelato and ample pool time.

Carson

Our little man Carson bid a fond farewell to his pre-school homies from the Builders’ Workshop at 150 Parker School. He spent his summer days building forts at Camp Doodle and working through the wobbles with his sister at bike camp. After three years of drop-off duty, it was finally Carson’s turn to line-up for morning pledges and become a Lafayette Dolphin. Having both kids at the same school has been a game-changer for our family, and Carson loves his kindergarten class. He joined his friends on the pitch at Marina Green for his first season of soccer and has made it to the final stage of his swimming class.

In March, Carson and Dad packed the car for an epic seaside adventure. We started our weekend touring the historic ships at the Hyde Street Pier. Heading south, we hiked along Devil’s Slide and tiptoed through the tidepools at Moss Beach. We spent two nights “camping” at Costanoa, checked out the otters and jellyfish at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, and stopped by Pigeon Point Lighthouse to round out the weekend.

Carson still loves building with Lego and we keep him well-stocked on cardboard and masking tape. He’s quick with a smile (and sometimes tears) and enjoys knocking-out a hasty set of push-ups to impress the ladies.

Career Aspiration: Home Builder
Favorite Gelato: Arancia (orange)

Autumn

The little lady of the house is growing every day and in every way. She spent a lot of time with her nose buried in books this year, flipping through the adventures of Ivy & Bean, Clementine and the Babysitters Club. Like her brother, she has an affinity for building blanket forts and sand castles. She’s become a pretty good helper in the kitchen and always seems to be working some angle for more dessert.

Autumn continues to play soccer in the spring and fall with SF Sol soccer club, and has become a capable (if somewhat distracted) defender. She is gaining confidence on the ski hill and graduated from La Petite Baleen swimming school in the fall. She spent most of her summer at the de Young Museum summer camp, making time with her first love: art. Autumn moved upstairs with the rest of the big kids at Lafayette Elementary this fall. And while the third grade brings new challenges (multiplication!), she enjoys their regular field trips and lessons from Art in Action, which are taught by her mama.

Career Aspiration: Artist or Architect
Favorite Gelato: Limone (lemon)

Jody

Earlier this year, Jody’s grandmother, Natalie Salsig, passed away at the age of 95. Jody was close with her Grandma, having lived with her for a period during her childhood and again as fresh college grad. While her passing was tough for the family, they took time to celebrate a life well-lived and a legacy that will carry on for generations to come.

Jody clocked many hours on the ice working toward her pre-bronze skating test, which she passed in May. And while she enjoys her time on the ice, she decided to give it a rest for the time being. Seeking some new way to challenge herself physically, she discovered the pleasure and pain of barre class and makes time to get to the studio a couple times each week. She continues to take on evermore challenging sewing projects, completing several dresses for herself and concept-to-completion halloween costumes for both kids.

Jody and Kristin celebrated five years of PritchardPeck Lighting with a well-lit client party at their new digs on Market Street. In October they flew south of the border to deliver a presentation at the IALD Enlighten conference and took a few extra days to refine their plans for complete domination of the lighting world.

Transcendent Moment: floating in the ocean beneath a full moon in Mexico
Favorite Gelato: Cocco (coconut), Cioccolato (chocolate)

Matt

This summer I celebrated my 40th birthday surrounded by family and friends at a party in Golden Gate Park. Jody and I stole away a few weeks later to Napa for a relaxing weekend and once-in-a-lifetime dinner at The Restaurant at Meadowood. I’m staring down my fifth decade on this planet and feeling pretty good about where I’m at. I can’t say that every day is a highlight reel of epic accomplishments, but I post enough wins at work and at home to keep the arc of my smile bending in the right direction.

I continue to love cooking for the family and friends. Whether it’s school day lunches for the kids, sous vide steaks for dinner, or dutch oven biscuits in the backcountry, it continues to challenge me in the best way possible. I continue to log plenty of miles on the bike (1,500 this year), and started focusing more intently on my health as a remedy for too many hours behind a desk and too many “anything-in-a-breadbowl” lunches around my office. I look forward to more time in the shop and behind the lens focusing on creative projects in the new year.

Favorite Concert: Metallica at AT&T Park with Scott
Favorite Gelato: Cioccolato Fondente (dark chocolate), Stracciatella (chocolate chip)

I’m writing this post on December 27th, the day before we leave for our annual pilgrimage to Death Valley. I push myself to write this post every year, usually while Jody is frantically packing for our trip. Maybe it’s a silly tradition, but it helps me bring closure to the year that has passed and open a new page for the year in front of us. With that, we invite all of you to be part of our lives and our memories in the year to come. No matter how often (or seldom) we see you, we miss your faces and voices and hope this new year brings us closer together. Peace be with you and your loved ones, this season and always.

Matt, Jody, Autumn & Carson
San Francisco, CA

Before 2016 kicks down the front door and makes himself comfortable, let’s take a look back on the year that has passed in this Pritchard Life. Knowing no better way to reflect on the days of auld lang syne, we welcomed the new year from our fortress of desert solitude: Death Valley National Park. For a taste of something new, we visited the northern reaches of the park, camping at Mesquite Flat and taking day trips to Ubehebe Crater and Scotty’s Castle. A couple of days in, the weather went from bad to ugly and we made a hasty exit, leaving that desert tempest in the rear view mirror.

In October we found a few days to escape to Yosemite. It had been about 3 years, and while the waterfalls (and everything else) were dry, we enjoyed some beautiful weather and tackled our first (minor) summit as a family. Lembert Dome in Tuolumne Meadows rewarded our effort with incredible views of the Yosemite high country and a first summit for the kids. On the same trip, the kids earned their Junior Ranger badges and we made our first fireside pizza in a new dutch oven that we’ve affectionately named The Crusty Dutchman.

The marquee adventure in 2015 was certainly our trip to the Canadian Rockies, where we visited Banff and Jasper National Parks, along with Golden, BC. After a week of camping, hiking and relaxing, we boarded the plane home with plans for at least two return trips: a winter trip to sample the epic powder of the region and another trip to venture further afield and experience the backcountry of the region.

And sometimes an amazing experience is just outside your front door. During a sunny day in early October (AKA: SF Summer), we were splashing and swimming at China Beach and were suddenly joined by a huge pod of dolphins just off shore. A month later, while snacking on Arizmendi pastries at Lands End, a pod of humpback whales put on a show for us around Mile Rocks Lighthouse. We logged these events as reasons #437 and #438 why we live where we do.

Carson

After four memorable years (with both kids) at Presidio Preschool, we went on the hunt for Transitional Kindergarden program for Carson. We were fortunate to find a spot at 150 Parker Avenue School. While touring, we were smitten when we saw the Dirt Kitchen and designated wrestling area. Carson has made fast friends and is thriving in a program that lets him explore his curiosities.

At home, his obsession with Lego, robots and anything with wheels shows no sign of waning. In May, we gathered all the Pritchard men together for a trip to Monster Jam, where Carson and his big cousin Rowan got to see what [horsepower + massive wheels + huge air] looks like. It looks awesome.

Favorite Movie: The Iron Giant
Favorite Breakfast Food: Waffles and Chocolate Croissants

Autumn

Our super silly, super serious girl Autumn just keeps growing up, despite our best efforts. In the spring she made her off-off-Broadway debut in the first grade chorus for the school play, Shrek Jr. She continues to devote most waking moments to her first love: art. This summer, Autumn found her own little nirvana during three weeks of summer camp at the DeYoung Museum. Daily tours of the galleries, hands on projects and instruction, and plenty of time to run around outside made for a very happy little girl.

Throughout the year, her confidence on two wheels has grown and we’ve begun taking short bike rides through Golden Gate Park, down to the beach and around the neighborhood. Autumn played soccer this fall with the all-girls SF Sol. The team’s first and only win, late in the season, was met with a degree of jubilation generally reserved for no-hitters and overtime bowl game victories.

Favorite Movie: The Sound of Music
Career Aspiration: Fashion Designer, Artist

Jody

Jody has chosen the mantra, “Ice is Nice” and most Monday nights she can be found skating at Yerba Buena Center. Some weeks are great and some weeks are not, but she loves her time on the ice and is making progress toward her pre-bronze test. The team at PritchardPeck lighting shows no signs of slowing down. Feeling the squeeze of their small office, they upgraded to a bigger space in the heart of the city’s mid-Market neighborhood. They are doing complex and beautiful work on a number high-profile projects while managing to lean into a very demanding work-life balance. Growth like that requires strong roots, and Jody returned to hers in late August at the 20-year reunion for Glencoe High School Class of ’95. There were drinks, laughter and enough awkward conversation to last another decade. Roll Tide!

Favorite Book: The Neopolitan Novels, Elena Ferrante
Guilty Pleasure: Taylor Swift 1989

Matt

Earlier this year, I was selected for a leadership development program at Williams-Sonoma. Along with an incredible cohort of peers, I’ve had the opportunity to see facets of our business that are far removed from my day-to-day role. The program focuses on developing self-awareness as a leader, which has been an enlightening and sometimes challenging journey. Away from work, I let my geek flag fly: building robots, rockets and making plans for a high-altitude balloon launch in the spring. I squeezed in one weeknight bikepacking trip to the Marin Headlands and continue to enjoy the world’s greatest daily commute. Next year is the big 4-Ohhh…steel yourselves for the requisite mid-life shenanigans.

Favorite Book: Cryptonomicon, Neal Stephenson
Best Sunset: Seeing the Green Flash from Sutro Heights Park

It seems that Old Man Time just won’t slow the fuck down, so we’ll try to make these years count. It was so good to see many of you throughout the year. Let’s all continue to live, love and make memories. Peace be with you and your loved ones this season and always.

Matt, Jody, Autumn and Carson
San Francisco, CA

P.S. If you’d like to see more of our family portraits, they’re posted on Flickr.

It is time once again for a look back on a year in the life of the family Pritchard. This year was one of growth and travel, laughter and tears, creative inspiration and not nearly enough sleep.

We rang in the new year deep in the heart of Death Valley National Park. Our little hideaway offered quiet days, incredible views and plenty of low-altitude passes from the local F-18 squadron. In May we celebrated our ten year anniversary! We kept the promise we made to ourselves years ago, and marked the occasion with a trip to Paris. Autumn and Carson remained stateside with the grandparents. We enjoyed a week of late nights followed by lazy mornings, incredible food and beautiful sights. It rained every day and we couldn’t have cared less. We spent the entire week in the city, scouting restaurants, museums and ice cream parlors. Highlights include an evening concert at Notre Dame Cathedral, more than a few mind-blowing meals and several hours sitting on park benches doing absolutely nothing.

We returned home feeling a little guilty for leaving the kids behind and promptly planned an end-of-summer trip to Disneyland as a thinly-veiled attempt at penance. It was a memorable trip…you can read more about it here. A general lack of planning and preparation threw some salt in our camping game, but we did manage to sneak outside for a night or two under the stars. We woke one night in Samuel P. Taylor Park to the rumbling of an earthquake – an interesting experience when you’re connected to the earth beneath a canopy of mighty redwoods.

Autumn came bounding out of Kindergarten and tumbling into the First Grade at Lafayette Elementary. She devotes much of that energy to her art: drawing, painting, cutting, gluing, molding, sewing and generally creating. She entered the PTA Reflections Art Contest this year and saw her entry recognized at the school and district level before moving to the state competition. Autumn also began playing soccer with the SF Micro Soccer league. What the matches lack in competitive game play, they make up for in giggles and priceless views. The soccer pitch is at Marina Green – a stone’s throw from the water, with views of GG Bridge, Alcatraz and Angel Island.

Carson started his second year at Presidio Preschool, where he made strong connections with his teacher Dustin and a small group of friends (both real and imaginary) who seem to focus their energy on building things up and promptly tearing them back down. When he’s not busy playing with Lego, he can also be found playing with Lego (this kid has a habit). Carson and Autumn got to experience MakerFaire for the first time in May. Fire breathing robots, giant bubbles, remote controlled battleships and massive Tesla coils sparked enough interest to make this a perennial adventure. In the fall we got our hands dirty as we designed and built our first medieval siege weapon and hurled unsuspecting gourds into the wild blue yonder.

Twain Harte has long been a special place for the Salsig clan, and this year Jody poured herself into revitalizing the family cabin there. It’s a throwback to the mid-century, and has been renamed Winter’s Camp, in honor of Jody’s grandfather William Winter Salsig. This all came to life in stolen moments between growing a business and fulfilling her role as SuperMom. PritchardPeck Lighting continues to ascend in both the profile of their work and recognition from their industry.

It was an engaging year for me at work. I took on a bigger role at Williams-Sonoma and had the opportunity to do a bit of travel. In May I traveled to Nashville to visit St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, an amazing organization with whom we have a long-standing partnership. That inspiration led to some quick, creative work with a team of talented folks to bring online donations to our brand websites in time for our annual giving campaign. In September, I had my 20-year high-school reunion and had a chance to connect with some close friends and some vaguely familiar faces. All in all, I’d say we’ve aged pretty well. In March we said goodbye to my Uncle Dennis, who left us too soon, but left behind an amazing family and memories that will keep us laughing and smiling for decades to come. We miss you, Uncle D.

We loved spending time with you all this year – whether it was a weekend brunch, a trip to the mountains or just a fleeting moment as our paths crossed. And if it’s been too long, let’s do something about that in new year. May peace be with you and your loved ones this season and always.

Matt, Jody, Autumn and Carson
San Francisco, CA