December 2005
Dear Friends and Family,
I am finally motivated by all the Christmas letters we have received to write one of my own! Here, in our little corner of the world, we feel extremely blessed to have one another and to be safe and healthy. This year, like for many of you, has had its ups and downs. Early in the year we spent some time traveling to Maryland and then Vermont so both sets of grandparents could spend time with the girls (as we fondly refer to them now.) In April, I was in my first “bad” car accident, but thanks to my guardian angel, I was wearing a seatbelt (something I rarely did) which saved me from much more pain and injury. I now have a car that makes me put my seatbelt on in case I get to the top of my street and forget.
We spent a low - key summer either hanging out at our community pool or walking next door to our neighbor’s beautiful new pool to see if they wanted company. We enrolled Emma in swim lessons for the first time but that didn’t go so well so we’ll be trying again next year!
Jon is starting his second year working for Indus International and is fortunate to work from home when he is not traveling. He recently spent a week in Scotland on business and came back home with some awesome pictures of Edinburgh Castle, which were fascinating. Emma, however, was not impressed because it didn’t look like Cinderella’s castle.
I am a stay at home mom, which is a bit of a misnomer. It seems that we are constantly on the go between pre-school, ballet lessons and play dates. I absolutely wouldn’t have it any other way, though. I treasure watching the girls grow and learn. My favorite parts of being with them are the little moments when they say something out of the blue that usually makes me laugh. Nora, who just turned two, is learning to talk and recently said her first full sentence, which was the question, “Mommy, what’s this?” after touching a scarf I had on. She also just learned to say “I love you” which melts our hearts every time! Emma is a deep thinker with an incredible memory. She can’t wait to start kindergarten (or “go to the big kids’ school”) and wants everyone to know that she already has a six year old tooth. She is full of opinions and has lots of questions. A couple of months ago while taking a walk in the jogging stroller; Emma asked if I thought she would get any gifts from Santa. I told her that she had been pretty good this year so I thought she would probably get something. She replied with “maybe God knows if Santa is going to bring me some toys.” “Yes,” I said “I’m sure he does.” She then proceeded to fold her hands and pray that Santa would bring her some toys. I wish I had that moment on video so I could play it over and over again just to be reminded of life’s simple pleasures and the innocence of a four year old.
In September it was time to visit the grandparents again. Both girls really enjoyed their trip to Maryland where they went to an apple orchard and got to climb the apple trees. In New Jersey they spent a day at Sesame Place with all their favorite Sesame Street characters. They are becoming seasoned travelers!
October brought some very sad news that my step mother, Stacy, had passed away suddenly and unexpectedly at age 45 of a pulmonary embolism. Her sudden death was a very surreal experience and it is a reminder that there is no guarantee of tomorrow here on earth, but I am comforted, especially this time of the year, by the guarantee that we will all one day be together again!
As Jon and I celebrate our 7th wedding anniversary, we look forward to what the New Year has to bring and wish all of you the very best.