Happy Holidays!
We can’t believe it’s been a year since we wrote our last
update! Wowie, wow, wow! That must mean a lot has happened…and boy did
it! We always think about a word to sum
up our year and it truly was about resilience. We know not every year will be the same and
some years we have to weather the storm, but as we know there usually is a
beautiful rainbow that awaits us. So we
will focus on our rainbows throughout this year and celebrate the fact that we
are way more resilient than we ever
realized!
So, the beginning of 2016 marks Christina’s 40th birthday! 40!?!? What?!?! That’s what she said. She was not very excited about this milestone, but as she has come into this year she is realizing that her 40 year journey so far has taught her that through her positivity, resilience and hard work has yielded so much: love, her kids, her dogs, amazing travels, incredible foods, beach, books, dance, life-long friends, fashion, good health and a yoga practice that keeps her centered.
During February vacation the kids experienced their first
introduction to the world of Disney…on a CRUISE!!! If you were to ask them, it was the time of
their life. Clive loved the water slide
and swimming and Natalie loved meeting the characters. The kids scored a ton of fun loot and the
best part was vacationing with one of our favorite families, the Lantaigne’s. The kids loved Mexico and Castaway Kay. Disney truly made it a great experience for
the kids. While Josh and Christina could
have camped out for a week on one of the islands, they exercised their resilience and knew that enjoying an
experience like this through their eyes was worth it as they have many
vacations ahead of them.
Their 3rd adopted child, babysitter Kailene left
the U.S. to experience the world. It was
a tearful goodbye, but we knew that she needed to explore the world as you
don’t always have the opportunity in life to be able to quit your job, grow as
a person and travel. We know she is resilient, strong and ready for what
life will throw at her on this journey.
They all miss her tremendously, but are grateful for Face Time, text
messaging and care packages. They can’t
wait for her to come home! The guest
room and welcome committee are ready!
In making a decision to pack up your life and move requires
loads of resilience! Their first full year in NH was spent getting
settled in their new home, finding their favorite spots to eat, kid’s
activities which a lot revolves around the beach and making great friends. Their neighborhood has turned into a great
place to play with so many young kids and always someone to play with!
TEETH! Clive has had
a year of losing teeth! We think we are
at a count of 6 and counting! One of
which was almost lost forever, but Christina emptied out a car seat to find the
long lost tooth. Whew! His Kindergarten year was a great one and
ended it on a solid note. He is
officially a 1st Grader and while it wasn’t as smooth of a
transition, they were impressed with his knack for math and becoming a great
reader and writer. They are so proud of
their son. He is resilient. He is strong (3
legit pull ups to boot). He is
smart. He is thoughtful. He is an athlete (with great soccer moves in
the making!). He continuously reminds
them that kids don’t come with a manual and what is most important is to
advocate, support and build a world around them filled with love. At the end, they will be ok!
Natalie has some hip hop moves and ballet twirls to make
your heart melt. It took her until Christmas to feel settled in our new home
(yes Santa and Dreidels helped) and this is why they say how resilient she was. She made some great friends and entered her 4th
year of life.
Coming out of their Disney Cruise, her love for Minnie, Mickey and Princesses were an easy lay-up. She is so excited to know that she is in her
last year of preschool! She has been watching her big brother Clive get on the bus and experience the fun school activities and she is ready to go! They continue to be amazed at how kind and nurturing she is. She is a good care-taker, helper and a good friend. She definitely is a silly girl and is happy when she can make us smile and laugh.
We are excited to report that Dora’s partner in life, Steve has recovered from throat cancer. It was a rough year filled with surgery, doctor’s appointments, therapy, tears, laughter and a whole lot of fight. Steve takes the cake in being the most resilient in our family, not to mention brave. We are so glad that he is with us to continue enjoying our family get togethers. We have a lot more memories to create!
Thanks for listening to our update. If you are curious to hear more about what we have been up to or you just need a place to crash when you come up to the beach, we are here. We love visitors, we love you and hope 2017 brings you each lots of love, good health, peace, and pure joy!
Wishing you a wonderful holiday!
The Newman’s
