Wow! 2015 was an amazing year and it absolutely flew by. It’s fun to do these holiday letters and have a chance to reflect on all of the adventures we’ve had, and the accomplishments we’ve had both personally and professionally.
We started 2015 in a new apartment in Potrero Hill, a much sunnier part of San Francisco. It was great to move from a walkout basement apartment to a gorgeous 100-year-old home (with a lemon tree in the backyard)!
We made it a priority to go to Big Sur a couple of times, to enjoy the incredible views and get away from the hustle. It’s definitely one of our favorite places to visit in California.
We’re also grateful to have made it home for Thanksgiving to spend some quality time with both of our families. 
We also spent a few weekends in wine country, you know, for educational purposes. It’s only a 90 minute drive from San Francisco, which is such a luxury.
Kelly had the chance to take a trip to eastern Washington wine country for an adventure with Holly, her friend from college. They explored the small towns of the Red Mountain region and gossiped and giggled over the amazing wine of Hedges Family Estate.
Pat started the year with a promotion at work, and is now designing solar arrays for residential customers. He is also taking on special projects at work, helping to make the company more efficient and improving the troubleshooting process.
Despite having a busy and often-stressful job, Pat continues to stay fit by cycling both on and off-road. In his opinion, California is best explored on two wheels. It’s not uncommon for him to fit in a three hour bike ride before going to work at 9am.
In true San Francisco fashion, Kelly started working at a startup this summer. She’s the medical advisor for TrueCare24, an awesome company that offers on-demand urgent care medical housecalls for residents of the Bay Area. It’s been a rewarding and challenging experience (in a good way). It’s also awesome to own (a very small part) of a company.
She also turned 30, which turns out really wasn’t a big deal. She continues to stay active running and now has Pat hooked on pilates.
It’s been a big year for A Side of Sweet. Kelly feels lucky to be able to do something she feels so passionate about for both pleasure and as a business. She’s been able to work on projects with brands like Philadelphia Cream Cheese, Martha Stewart, Zappos, and Whole Foods. In addition, she was featured in the holiday edition of the Williams-Sonoma catalog with a couple of her blogger friends. Only in San Francisco!
Our 2 1/2 year old lab mix, Maddie, has also had some adventures. She is our constant partner-in-crime, coming with us everywhere with us from camping trips to work with Pat. She got really sick in early November and after several days in the hospital, many tests and many doctor visits, she was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder. She’s now fully recovered, but it’s possible she could have another episode in the future. I don’t think you can really appreciate how much you can love a dog until you own one. She’s truly our best friend.
2016 is looking bright. We’re headed to South Africa for three weeks in February, Kelly finishes residency in July and we’re going to continue exploring San Francisco. In the meantime we’re thankful for our health, the adventures we’ve had together and the love and support of family and friends.
We also want to give a big shoutout to our friends, Jessica and Mitch, of Ritual Photowork for the awesome Golden Gate Bridge holiday photos you see in this post and on our printed cards. Having talented friends has its perks!
xo,
Pat & Kelly (and Maddie)
See our previous holiday letters:
2014
2013
