Hey, this is Thorn Westmoreland and I want to give you an update on how things have been going with me and my family.

Tara is still pretty much keeping me in line, and everyone who knows me claims I’m not as surly and moody as I used to be; although I can still be a thorn in their sides at times. Marriage definitely agrees with me and I can’t imagine being single ever again. Tara and I have a 4-year old son name Trace. We talked about having another child but right now we are enjoying our son. I thought we weren’t ever going to get past the naughty two’s and the mischievous three’s. Now we’re in the precarious fours and I’m loving every minute of being a father.

Everyone claims Trace favors me so much it’s uncanny. I’m going to have to agree with them. I’m also going to admit he has moody ways, which he got honestly. Tara can handle him like she can handle me. My woman still speaks her mind and has a lot of mouth. But it’s a mouth I love tasting every chance I get. I don’t regret the time I spent fighting my feelings for Tara because I believe it wasn’t time wasted. It was time where I grew to appreciate the woman she was. The kind of woman I wanted and needed in my life.

Tara, Trace and I just got back from Bike Week in Daytona a few weeks ago, and we had lots of fun. I competed in my last race a year ago in Daytona and I won that race. I now have 12 winners trophies on display in my home. I’m officially retired from the racing circuit, but I still attend the races as a spectator and in some cases, a sponsor. My main focus, in addition to my family, is my motorcycle shop. I’ve moved from the original dwelling and I’m now located in a huge four-story building downtown where I have a team of 25 people on staff. We build Thorn-Byrds all year round. I just finished a beauty, a Signature Thorn-Boyd BOSS960 for Bruce Springsteen, and a special His and Hers Thorn-Byrd LN660 for Brad and Angelina. I’m working on one now for Tyler Perry. He dropped by yesterday to check to see how things are coming alone and loves what he sees so far. It’s a birthday present he’s giving himself.

Tara is in private practice and her doctor’s office is adjacent to my building. We own both buildings. You wouldn’t believe the number of dads who take their kids in for check-ups just to have an excuse to drop by my shop. That’s why we have a staffed kiddy corner. That was Tara’s idea and a good one. Business is good and I love both designing and building bikes more so than ever. I thought I would really miss racing but I don’t. I like being home more and spending time with Trace as he grows up. No, I haven’t done another charity calendar since that first one but I’m still involved in the Children Action Network.

Yes, Tara has her very own Thorn-Byrd, it’s a JK760 model. I haven’t built Trace a bike. However, I did build him a huge bed in the shape of one of my Thorn-Byrds. There’s nothing quite like it. I’ve gotten orders for it but so far haven’t made another for anyone else. It was a special gift to my son. There’s a switch on the side where you can turn it on and it roars up like a big bike. Trace loves the sound and I have a feeling he’s going to follow in my footsteps and race as well. I’m all for it but the idea hasn’t grown on Tara yet. She’s hoping he wants to go into the medical field. We’ll see.

I did away with the whole ‘celibacy before the race’ thing after I hooked up with Tara. There was no way I could have continued it. My wife is too darn seductive and I refused to torture myself. So I discovered making love to her often before the race was the key to winning for me. And yes, Tara and I still make love on our bikes and have gotten even more imaginative doing so. You wouldn’t believe how daring we’ve become. I still say you haven’t made love until you’ve make love on a bike. One day you have to try it.

Tara and I built our home away from Atlanta city limits on a parcel of Westmoreland land that has been in my family for ages. I love it out here – peaceful and quiet – and it’s one of the few secluded areas left in Atlanta…although I don’t think it will remain that way for long. However, we plan to enjoy it while it last. We’re buying up as much of the surrounding land as we can and are trying to talk my brothers and cousins into building homes close by. So far no one has agreed to do so. They don’t like being that far away from the city. I love riding my bike into work every morning when the weather is nice. I make it a habit to have breakfast at Chase’s Place before heading in to the shop. On those evenings if bad weather comes up, I leave my bike at the shop and catch a ride home with Tara. My mom keeps Trace for us and this year he started Pre-K. Already he’s trying to read and I’ve tossed him a couple of motorcycle magazines to entertain him. He seems to enjoy looking at the pictures.

We visit Tara’s family at least twice a year and they visit us often. Trace is their only grandchild and they like spoiling him rotten. Tara’s two brothers visit a lot and her baby sister is visiting now. She just finished medical school last semester. We’re taking her with us to Denver the next time we visit. We want her to meet some of our cousins out there.

Yes, I’m more accepting of Delaney’s marriage, although I’m still not crazy about her living so far from home. Jamal is a good man and is treating her like the queen she is. When I first found out about their involvement I wanted to smash something, mainly him. Now I’m glad I didn’t. He’s made my sister very happy. Tara and Delaney are still the best of friends and talk every single day via Skype. We visited them and enjoyed spending time with them in Tehran and Dubai. And I love my niece and nephew to death. It seems that I have a lot of nieces and nephews and my Mom is happy about it. Never a dull moment for the Westmorelands around the Holidays.

Tara is a fantastic pediatrician and I am so proud of her. She’s won numerous awards for her charity work. I support everything she does. She is my helpmate and is supportive of everything I do as well. She can juggle her profession as a doctor, and her role as a mother and wife without breaking a sweat. She is everything I could only dream to have in a woman and more.

I stay in touch with my relatives out in Denver and was talking to Dillon just the other day. We’re excited at the prospect of there being other Westmorelands and can’t wait until Rico finishes his investigation.

My brothers and cousins still enjoy poker games and the ladies pitch in with the treats. Storm doesn’t curse as much when he loses like he used to. Children have a way of changing a man, making him conscious of what he says around them and how he acts. Trust me, I know.

Hope you enjoyed the update. You’ll be one of the first to know if Tara and I decide to give Trace a brother or a sister.

Take care,

Thorn