Now having settled into our home and undergone most renovations, we decided to host my division’s end-of-year gathering and formally send off our two retina fellows. In preparation, we bought an Ikea island for the patio area, got our propane tank refilled, and even purchased a nice ficus bonsai tree with a gift card from last Christmas. This was our first time hosting more than 10 people, so we decided to make a Costco run to prepare. For appetizers, we got a crudites platter to go with Melody’s quiche. We also prepared a tomato and mozzarella caprese salad, an avocado pasta salad, and pre-packaged Asian sesame salad. For grilling, we had beef tri-tip, chicken thigh, and shrimp skewers; along with burgers and hot dogs for the kids. We got a fruit tart for dessert, which was outdone by a fruit-basket cake from Ettore’s. We started the event at 10am Sunday to avoid the heat, but by noon, most of the kids had retreated under our oak trees’ shade. Even Westley got to enjoy the festivities, chumming with our house guests while mom and dad ran the show. We had so much leftovers that we invited over our in-laws and niece for another round of grilling on July 4th the next day, and still had enough food for the following week. Meanwhile, Westley continues to grow and learn new skills each day. He is getting better at supporting his head, and has learned to flip front-to-back and back-to-front. Now with a new batch of residents and students, I can only wish that they will be fast learners like him!