My dad passed away on Easter Sunday in 2019, just three weeks after our last trip to Disneyland. He had been terminally ill for a couple of years and we didn’t expect ….

On Tuesday, after dropping Arya off at camp in the mountains above Aptos, I took a stroll on West Cliff Drive in Santa Cruz, overlooking the ocean. It was a beautiful day: sun shining in a bright blue sky, a light breeze, and many happy people outside enjoying the day. I walked north past the surf museum and…

Yesterday’s court proceedings produced the outcome we were hoping for! The judge ruled in favor of the prosecution regarding the issue of conflict of interest in the public defender’s office, which means that the defendant must…

This has been quite the week with two court appearances and two court ejections! Yes, that’s right- I was kicked out of court twice this week! As mentioned in my last update, the first time was from the Teams Meeting on Monday due to what has been labeled as a “miscommunication,” and on Wednesday the deputy threw me out because…

Today I am not ok. Of course, the grief and the overwhelm of all we need to take care of in the aftermath of Jeannessa’s murder are always at play. In this moment, I am particularly upset by…

We recently got word that the District Attorney’s office will be meeting with the Public Defender’s office in court this Monday morning, February 23 at 9:00am. It is a motion to declare conflict of interest. Apparently, the defendant contacted his…

Happy 25th Birthday to my dear sweet baby girl, Jeannessa!

We are reminded of her light with the gorgeous weather the Bay Area is enjoying this week, just like the week she was born 25 years ago. Although she was not born there, I remember holding my newborn baby on the top floor of UCSF and…

When I heard the news of Bob Weir’s passing, my first instinct was to text Jeannessa. She was always interested in that sort of news- often the one breaking it to me. I’m not usually a person who is very attached to celebrity news, but this one was…

Lots of people are asking me “How are you?” or “Are you ok?” I’m so grateful for the check-ins, but I’m not sure what “ok” even means anymore. Under normal circumstances, these are the polite, yet surface inquiries humans make on…

During the brief proceedings, Deputy District Attorney, O'Bryan Kenney called attention to the numerous friends and family that were in the courtroom on Jeannessa's behalf. In his debrief with us afterward, he let us know that he routinely makes note of…

Jeannessa's Celebration of Life last weekend was absolutely perfect and everything Kev and I hoped it would be. We wanted an event that truly represented the person she was- an opportunity to laugh and cry and bring people together and have fun and reflect. The ceremony was…

It’s been nearly two months and it’s not getting any easier. If anything, I think the darkness is settling in. Perhaps it’s the natural progression of things or maybe it’s the short days and stormy weather as winter approaches. The stages of grief are not linear, but…

For those who are interested, this is the place in which I will share information regarding how our family is getting along, how our community may be of support, and how Jeannessa’s Friends is developing to ensure Jeannessa’s passion of working with animals continues long after her senseless death.

It’s easy to feel gratitude when dancing with a bunch of joyful hippies at a show…when times get tough though, that’s when remaining in that place of gratitude truly matters.