This summer we had a couple of trips. Chase & I flew to the Midwest to see our family there and attend a family reunion. We had a really nice time together. John and Beck stayed home and a sweet friend kept Beck for us during the day while John worked. So thankful for our community here.
We saw both sides of my family while we were there as well as my mom.
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| Three generations of Klipstein's but one generation missing |
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| All second cousins and second once removed (I think !) |
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| Four generations of Heinkel women |
At the end of the summer we went to the Pacific Northwest to see John's sister's family and my brothers and sister in law. This has become an annual trip and it works out really well to see everyone. We even got to see my parents as they flew in for a baby shower for our new niece to come. We also took a family vacation to the Oregon coast for a week in there.
Chase started Transitional Kindergarten in August. She is not eligible for Kindergarten due to her birthdate. She is really enjoying it. Her teacher is very seasoned and is excellent with the kids. It's been fun to finally be able to attend the community elementary school. It's wonderful - we walk everyday to/from school. It's been fun for me to volunteer in class on Monday mornings too. I take Beck with me which is a bit of a nightmare, but the teacher is ok with it and Beck has gotten better. The kids are adorable.
In October John and I celebrated a belated tenth anniversary celebration in Maui for about 10 days. This was our dream trip and it was complete bliss. Both of our mothers came out to stay with the kids and everyone seemed to get along great! It was quite sad to leave the kids but eventually we were able to relax!! We decided that after almost 11 years of marriage and two kids that honeymoons are not needed in life - but that parent moons are - like after several years of kids you should get a vacation from kids. Much more needed in life :)
We had a sweet new niece born at the end of August. Sweet Camille Monroe. Chase and I got to go up to Portland and meet her in November. Unfortunately we took some bad germs with us and got everyone sick. But I did get to spend two days with Cami while Rachel was able to rest up and get better.
Of course we had many visitors throughout the year. Two of our nieces came down from Seattle for about two weeks and that was a lot of fun. Both sets of parents came out once or twice (or more!) The kids continue to grow and change and challenge us both. We are thankful for the deep friendships that we continue to have here in San Diego. It truly is home here for us. We have said good-bye to several very dear friends this year as they have left the area. That is always tough for me. I'm not sure that will ever get easier. I'm going to start interviewing friends before I deepen ties with them :)
John continues to enjoy his job at HP. He is continually challenged in his role there. I enjoy my days at home with the kids (mostly). It is amazing to me how the days, months and years go by. Life is a marvel. John and I will be married 11 years in two weeks and I've now lived in California for 12 years. Amazing!!
We hope that 2013 was full of many joys in your life and that 2014 will be a year full of blessing and growth.
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year!
