Well, it’s that time of year again. Time for family, weather to make you snuggle up inside with hot cocoa, advent wreaths and all the other great family traditions that make Christmas a special holiday. It’s also a time for reflection on the past year, and to touch base with our friends, far and wide.
Two thousand and nine was a very eventful year for us. We have been extremely blessed… more than usual even.
January and February brought much snow, and lots of playtime outside in the heaps of it. Fun!
In March, Gabriela celebrated six fabulous years! We had friends and family over for a Pink Pony Party. Crafts, food and presents abounded.
April was the arrival of our nephew, Felipe! Maria was able to doula for her sister-in-law and be present at his birth. Talk about privilege! For the first little while, it wasn’t a good day unless Maria was able to share a nap with him on her shoulder!
May brings Memorial Day and we were able to share the weekend in Ohio at Maria’s parents with our long time friends the Guzmans. Horse rides, parades and s’mores were all part of the fun. Fares had also been offered and accepted a new, full-time position in Northern Kentucky!! Our summer would be off to a running start!
Gabriela graduated from Kindergarten at the start of June! She had a great year with a great teacher and made some good friends. Maria stopped working at the end of the month in order to focus on the move. We then began to search for a home to purchase (a dream with much sweat behind it in the preceding years).
We were able to find a home that suited us and after a few road bumps, closed on the house July 17. Boxes were beginning to be filled and moved, but before we could move entirely, we spent a week up on Lake Michigan with Maria’s cousins for a family reunion – a reunion that she was responsible for organizing! The move was finalized at the end of July.
Fares began his new job as Spanish Instructor at Gateway Community College August 1st. He is their first full-time language instructor, and is working hard to develop and eventually expand the language offerings at the college. By now, Maria was beginning to feel the tiredness and nausea of the first trimester of pregnancy! We are also expecting our second child! (arrival expected sometime in March 2010).
September, October and November have been full of school routines, starting projects in the new house, and spending time with our new neighbors and friends. Included have also been visits from our dear friends that we left not too far away in Indiana.
We look forward to this month of celebration – we hope to focus on family that is only an hour away, enjoy our last few months as a family of four – yes, we consider our dog as part of our family (he was able to rejoin us once we moved into our home) -- and to remember that all of our blessings have come from above.
May we all remember to celebrate even the littlest of blessings we have received, and to hope for those that have yet to arrive. God Bless!!
The da Silvas
Fares, Maria, Gabriela, Baby #2 and Neguinho
3 comments:
I don't know how this looks to you Maria, but there is a lot of computer gunk in this.
Huh... that's weird b/c it looks normal to me... anyone else can't read the post?
Your post looks normal to me now.
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