Hello dear family and friends! :) Thank you for coming by to visit. We know these past few years have been challenging for all of us in different ways, but we hope that you have been able to find the blessings amidst the trials.
🙏
We find ourselves immensely grateful at the end of 2021 to have faith, health, family and friendships which have been our greatest gifts. Though we promised ourselves we would simplify our lives a bit more after emerging from 2020, it turns out we still managed to have a pretty full 2021 :)
In January, we enjoyed our annual tradition of visiting Fredericksburg and this time, did not forget to buy a pass in advance to hike up enchanted rock! It was my very first time and we all loved it! We have come to appreciate the great outdoors in Texas, and in general just discovering our state on a whole new level as a result of the pandemic.
In February, Bronius and I celebrated our birthdays in a low-key way...and we survived the infamous Texas 2021 Snowpocalypse, which definitely took family bonding to a new level. It's so important to try to find the silver linings in life! We were so thankful that all of our Texas family made it safely through the storm and all the challenges it created. Oh! And speaking of silver, I decided to start allowing my silver hair to grow!
In March, we took the family and joined with friends to visit a retreat center outside of San Antonio called Tecaboca. We enjoyed archery, riflery, animal grooming, nights under the stars around a firepit, chapel time and kayaking. Our kids favorite memory was staying in a bare bones bunk house and of course, shooting rifles, while I fulfilled my dream of trying out the pioneer lifestyle for a bit! :)
In April, our most significant highlight was having a fully vaccinated family that was able to gather in person for Easter in Houston. This was a long awaited and a very joyful and hopeful time! Also in April, Dominic received the sacrament of Confirmation with his Catholic peers, and with his sponsor and our dear friend by his side.
In May, Jonas graduated from elementary school, which was a great feat after spending almost a year in virtual school. It was the end of an era, as we no longer have anyone in elementary school! We were so glad he was able to participate in this tradition in his school with his classmates. He also participated in the FIRST opening of live theatre in our community since the pandemic, and performed as the "centipede" in James in the Giant Peach Jr. with the Theatre Company. This was such a special event for our whole family, as it really represented a sun rise on the horizon of life getting back to normal. Milo's art was chosen for the school district's art show and he turned 13, and had the first birthday party we've had in well over a year! Milo also learned the ropes of doing lighting for the plays at the Theatre Company. Dominic was featured in his first ever "Film Fest" at CSHS with his AVP organization, and he is enjoying learning about all things film...and already looking at college programs!
In June, we kicked off summer with a trip to Corpus Christi where we enjoyed inventing our own version of speed mini golf to beat the heat, swimming in the surf (except for Milo who was stung by his first jellyfish!) sculpting monuments in the sand and visiting museums. We were blessed to be in Corpus Christi on the feast day of Corpus Christi, and attended a beautiful service at the Cathedral to commemorate! The boys also attended Dr. Quiring's ettiquette camp, which surprisingly, they participated in willingly. I love that my boys are learning how to enjoy dancing!!! We enjoyed visits from the Garza and Bell families, and participated in gardening work at the Brazos Valley Food Bank with our volunteer group!
In July, Dominic turned 16 and had a fun Japanese dinner with his good friends! We also attended a Festival Hill Concert at Round Top and feasted at a French restaurant with the grandparents. Most people know Round Top for antiques....we only know Round Top for Shakespeare and classical music festivals! ;) Dominic also attended his first discernment retreat with a group of young men from our church. This was a beautiful experience for him, and made a lasting impression upon his faith life. We visited Lake Buchanan and enjoyed a hike with our friends in Inks Lake Park while he was on retreat. Dominic was also fortunate enough to be asked to assist in filming the fireworks for Texas A&M University and it was by far one of the coolest experiences for him to date! He also had a brief summer internship with KAMU radio for Texas A&M. In July, we also enjoyed visiting Broken Bow, Oklahoma with our "bubble families" - our dear friends who we got together with regularly during quarantine time and who kept us SANE! :) We had so much fun discovering shaded hikes, rafting and cruising around in a pontoon to my 80's playlist. Some things never change ;)
Bronius and I celebrated 18 years of marriage in July as well!!!
In August, the boys participated in youth retreats, theatre camp and we attended a Matt Maher concert as a family which was an incredible experience of faith and a great way to kick off a new school year! We have been so blessed by such a vibrant youth ministry program at our church, this has been a steady anchor for our kids throughout the many ups and downs of life. In August, we also began taking piano lessons virtually with a music educator and dear family friend in Florida, and continue to take virtual violin lessons with another incredible musical educator in Virginia!
In September, we hosted our Word of Life group and it blessed us many times over! Dominic received his learners permit to drive and we are still unable to find the time to practice driving....the boy is a busy bee! Also in September, we were ALL back to school....including me! I enrolled in an Advanced Master Health Coaching certification program, focused in Motivational Interviewing, with the Dr. Sears Wellness Institute. I have been so thankful to be able to bridge my education in Psychology & Counseling to my passion for wellness, and I am truly thrilled to be working with clients to help them discover their best selves. I am aiming to be board certified by October of 2022, and I have lots of big ideas and plans for my practice. I welcome your prayers as I take this on this adventure! Bronius has been working for the Ocelot company for almost 3 years now, and continues to astound with his loyalty, "above and beyond" attitude and his gift of working with people of all personalities. He also still serves as the current president of our Brazos Civic Orchestra, and hopes for exciting new initiatives in 2022! He helped the community facilitate a program called Art in the Park this summer, and has had fun exploring his handy side, with repairing our fence, building furniture, tearing down dead trees and repairing appliances. We both enjoy our time volunteering as parents in our school district and within the youth groups and music ministry at our parish.
In October, Dominic attended his first homecoming with a group of sweet friends! Each of our first milestones this year were especially significant after being virtual students for the year of 2020. He also received an award with his AVP group in Austin for their film "Panning for Gold." We enjoyed our first murder mystery dinner with friends from The Theatre Company. On Halloween, the older boys attended a Halloween costume dance while we trick or treated with dear friends! We also made a trip to Galveston to mark the beginning of Veronika's milestone birthday and live the beach life for awhile! The boys had all earned straight A's this year, which gained them free entry into the Moody Gardens pyramids, which we had never seen before!
In November, Jonas attended Kemah Boardwalk with his school choir for a competition, and they earned a superior rating! He is very much enjoying his choir community. He also participated in the "All Together Now" national theatre fundraiser and discovered his love for of learning choreography. Our McCoy family in Virginia was also participating in "All Together Now" on the same weekend! While I chaperoned Jonas' field trip, Bronius took Milo to Johnson Space Center and they couldn't tear themselves away to come back home!
Also in November, we welcomed the Motekaitis family from Chicago and the DeVoe family from Manhattan back "home" to their roots in College Station as we celebrated Veronika's birthday, our nephew's birthday and Thanksgiving. We were so grateful for this family gathering, especially as kids are growing and life is changing so rapidly!
In December, we had a fun visit from Aunt Les and Benne, and also Uncle Steve and his family! Dominic was inducted into the National Honor Society, and both Dominic and Milo qualified and performed in Region Orchestra. Grandma and Papa joined us for the journey to Waco to hear the concert! We are so proud of their musical achievements, but most importantly, their hard work! Milo was selected again for his artwork to be displayed in the boardroom of our school district this month, and we are marveling at his continued love of sketching and his strengths in engineering. I haven't had a chance yet to freak out about Milo being a freshman and Dominic being a senior next year, so by the way, stay tuned for THAT! :) Also this month, Jonas turned 11 and he's no grinch about celebrating his birthday during the most joyful month of the year! :) He enjoyed a birthday party with his friends from school whom he has been with since he was 5! Both Jonas and Dominic are participating in UIL competitions this month, and Bronius and I are guzzling coffee so we can keep up with our kids. Everyone is SO excited to be home and on break for the next two weeks!!! We are all looking forward to the highlights of helping Saint Vincent de Paul deliver gifts to neighbors in need, and hearing Bronius sing Handel's "Messiah" with our BCS community to welcome the Christmas season - two traditions we have missed over the last two years. We are also looking forward to time with family in Houston over the break and celebrating more family birthdays!
The theme of this year was definitely "discovery." We discovered a deeper faith and gratitude, a stronger family bond and a more meaningful connection to close friends. We discovered a focused commitment to our values and our goals. We discovered the beauty of staying close to home, and everything that meant.
But we definitely look forward to exploring NEW depths, NEW horizons, NEW heights in 2022!
As for now, we hope to finish the year with peace and gratitude in our hearts, and praises to God with our breath, for who He is for us all on earth, and for how He loves us each immensely! We hope that you and your loved ones are safe and well, and that you will experience great joy and love in this season of Hope, Light and Love!
We wish you a very Blessed Christmas and a very happy New Year...
We hope to see you in 2022!!!
=
