christmas 2018

I sure do love these monkeys.

christmas 2017

We were all together for Christmas in 2017. It was so nice having all the kids at home. I loved it. That morning we had some breakfast and then exchanged gifts. The kids wrote letters to me and Gary, per tradition started by Sky years ago, when she was a child. Back then she asked me what I wanted for Christmas. I told her, "Just write me a letter about what you are grateful for." Years later, they all do this for not only me, but each other and their papa. It is my favorite part of Christmas.

I have been reflecting on what I am grateful for lately. In the wake of so many recent difficult world events, it seems like a good idea. In fact when I awake, before I get out of bed I make a mental list, in gratitude, like a prayer. 

May 2018 be joyous and happy to all!

christmas 2016

This year my parents came all the way from the east coast to visit us for the kids' holiday break. We had a great time. It was very special having them with us as it had been some years since they had visited us in our home, and we got to spend Christmas and New Years together. They flew to California and saw Sky and then a couple days later the three of them all flew in to stay with us. We enjoyed decorating our tree, shopping for gifts, cooking lots of meals, seeing Shawn's school exhibition night, Christmas eve mass at St. Theresa's Church (yes I am a saint hahaha), going out to dinner and brunch, playing board games, watching movies, walks on the beach, having them meet lots of our friends, seeing all of the tropical flowers in bloom, our New Years Eve neighborhood party, and of course, lots of laughs.

Our family has a tradition of writing letters to one another every Christmas. It started when the kids asked me what I wanted one year and I asked them to write me a letter. It has evolved over the years and now Gary writes letters too. My parents enjoyed getting letters from the kids this year.

What a blessing family is. How lucky am I to have the love of so many people in my life. Sometimes I am astounded at how I ended up with the richness I have. The deepest richness, I have come to see, is in the people.

new beginnings

This is all of us back in December.  It's our very first family selfie.

Today is Easter Sunday, a day of new beginnings.  It seems apropos to think about new beginnings now.  Sky will be deciding about college this month.  Then in a few months we will be embarking on a big adventure, moving the family to a new place in California for the fall!  We found a great housing situation in an area with top public schools. The colleges Sky is considering attending are all in California.  I am going to start a new travel blog soon.  I will continue writing this one as well.  We will be releasing Annabel's first album of original songs very soon.  Shawn is now playing baseball in the major leagues.  And...I got a brand new computer, and I love it.  My old one was so slow, this one is so much faster.

Life just keeps evolving.  Cheers everyone, and Happy Easter!      

christmas in march?

Last Christmas came upon us quickly, right after Sky finished most of her college applications.   The day was spent with family opening gifts and enjoying one another's company.  The day after Christmas two of Sky's childhood friends came from California, and stayed with us for ten days.  We set her room up, dorm style, and adopted two more teen girls for that time.