Dear Shelby,

Today is a very special day, do you know why? It is a very special day because today is your second birthday! My goodness, you are so grown up and such a big girl now. In fact, I believe your mom told me that you are sleeping in big girl bed too? Wow! That is just fantastic and I am so proud of you. Just remember, your mom has to sleep at night too, so do your best to sleep all night without waking her up! So what are you going to do for your birthday? Hopefully you will eat lots of yummy cake, run crazy and wild through the house, and do whatever you like! I wish I was there to cause some trouble with you.

Yesterday afternoon we arrived in Mazatlan and had good winds the entire night. We made pretty good time and pushed upwards of 8 knots throughout the entire night. Last night Chris and I headed into the historic part of town, walked around, and grabbed a fantastic meal on a street-side stand. Although I have not seen much of Mazatlan, the small portion that we explored last night far surpassed my expectations. Buildings are restored, streets are clean, and people are very friendly. Within the historic center of town there is a small theater, which featured some sort of performance last night. Locals in their fancy clothes walked the town afterward, sat in small cafes, and provided a bit of European feel to the town. I could see myself spending a lot of time here.

Today is a bit of work day as we have to take care of few items on the boat, do some grocery shopping, and prepare for our southern Sea of Cortez crossing. We monitor weather closely every day, and it appears Tuesday is our departure day for the crossing. It should be a fairly intense passage with significant winds and seas to start, although the wind is scheduled to slowly dissipate through Tuesday afternoon. Much to my excitement my Dad comes down for a visit on Wednesday, so we plan to pull into port just as he arrives! Nothing like cutting it short.

Well Shelby, you have yourself a wonderful birthday and I wish you the happiest day ever! Dig into that Elmo cake and feel free to smear it all over your face as I think it tastes better that way. I can't wait to see you when I get home, and plan on giving you a big and snuggly hug!!

Happy Birthday Shelby,

Your Uncle Drew......aka....."Annnrrrrew...boat"