Mom and Dad's chorale concert, Bonnie and Scott's party, Jonas' birthday party

What a full weekend! We went down to Houston for one of Mom and Dad's Texas Master Chorale concerts. This one was open to the community, hosted at the Willowbrook Methodist hospital and broadcasted to all the patients in their rooms. It was so uplifting! I pray that those who are healing were able to experience comfort and joy in this season of hope!

Can you spy my sweet new sister in law Kristin? I gush about her at least five times a day!

We zipped up to the Woodlands to a couple's home, near and dear to our heart, Bonnie and Scott, who hosted a wine tasting and gingerbread making party. Bonnie is a dear friend of mine (one of the first friends I made when I moved to Texas) and Scott is a friend me, my brother and my sister Lesley all shared in high school. They are like FAMILY to us! :) Bonnie is a pediatric endocrinologist and an AMAZING BAKER. We share a love of books and being fascinated by quirky people! I love my Bonnie.

And Sunday, we celebrated Jonas' 6th birthday with a small group of friends at DeGallery, where we painted a winter scene as a group! It was perhaps a bit ambitious of me to take this on with 5 and 6 year olds, but I think we all had fun!!!! :) 

I'm so grateful for my sweet sister and parents who braved the cold and drove up from Houston. We missed our Senele this night!

Richard and Max concentrating on their winter skies! 

Bronius, Milo and Dominic start to build their snow covered landscape.

Juna and Eli, cute as buttons!

Haley and Mason almost ready to let it snow!

Lucy and Leah are ready!

Mom and Dad don't play around when it comes to snow flakes.

A sweet little group shot of the artistes!

Here we are with our Advent baby boy. <3 nbsp="" p="">

Sweet Jonas. You fill our hearts with joy! Happy birthday blessings, wonderful boy!

CATS, Grandparents day and Thanksgiving 2016

Welllllllll. We weren't trying to be cat owners per se. I made my regular weekly trip to the library and there was a lady there giving away free kittens. And the rest is history!

This is Rascal (formerly known as Pork Chop)

And this is Chase (formerly known as Chase). They are brothers, and very sweet ones! Aside from an apparent allergy Dominic seems to be struggling through, and a great aversion to changing the litterbox, these guys are AWESOME PETS!

We build a lot of kitty forts for them of various materials. We also love cuddling up to read with them. :) 

We were so grateful Grammie and Papa came up for Grandparents day and made the boys feel so special. I am so thankful. They were so happy to meet the teachers and visit with the administration of our school. They love connecting as educators!

Jonas' precious Thanksgiving pageant. Video to come!!!

One of our favorite traditions as a family, helping prepare meals for delivery with Saint Vincent de Paul for Thanksgiving.

Thanksgiving was at Mom & Dad's and was filled with food, family, faith sharing and music!  Bronius and Dad played the Chardach, as they customarily do.

Lesley's boyfriend Josh studied performance in college and brought his clarinet and bonded with Dad over Mozart's clarinet concerto. 

He also carved the turkey for us this year and arranged it in a way that would give Martha Stewart a run for her money!

Dominic and Grammie whipping up the cream for the pies!

                       
                                            All kinds of wild shenanagins!

                                                           
                                                                Lesley and Josh.  A very special couple!

                                                        My Mama. Always beautiful, always serving others.

I just love her.

Thank you Lord, for blessing me far more than I deserve. I pray to grow in gratitude more each year!

Steve & Kristin!

What an amazing weekend we had! Four days non stop of family togetherness as we celebrated my brother Steve and sister in law Kristin's wedding. I am so grateful for the time to reconnect with family!

My baby cousin Janine, who today is an incredible speech pathologist who works with children in public schools in Florida. I used to love to make her laugh when she was little! And I still do! 

My Dad's sister Joyce and husband Felix (visiting from my home town Coral Springs, Florida), Janine and Jeremy (two of Joyce and Felix's three children, Jeff is probably sweetly entertaining the kids, he's the best! Jeff, I need a picture of you on here!) Dad's brother Dennis (visiting from Ireland), his daughter Nikki (visiting from London),  my uncle Eugene and his sister Carmen (not pictured). In this small group alone we had 3 doctors, so we felt especially safe the whole weekend! :)

A different angle of these wonderful faces, so many happy memories in these people's homes growing up! 

My sissies Sarah and Lesley. Oh how I love them!

My ROCK!

The fabulous four.  My happiness and inner contentment and peace is inexplicable when I am with my siblings.  Also, they can annoy me sometimes, just to keep it REAL. We definitely can push each others buttons. As we get older, we have learned to appreciate and respect each other's differences more and more, rather than trying to influence one another. It is a neat dynamic. I'm proud of us. I just love these guys, no matter what, love comes first.

Nikki and Janine.  Nikki is the president of her own company in London. I'm not cool enough to be part of my own family! Really and truly! She is also one of the kindest, most gracious, most generous and beautiful and brilliant souls I've ever known!

Froyo with our McCoy cousins and sweet Austin (Jeremy and Allison's son who we've been dying to meet!) Allison, I need a picture of you on here!!!

Les and I with Megan, our cousin who works for L'Oreal in Chicago. She's a rock star! Megan is the second child of my Mom's oldest brother Larry, who came with his wife Kay. They are always so much fun! We missed our other cousins and family from Wisconsin but hope to see them this summer! 

McCoy cousins all the way from Oregon :) 

Our family group shot at Steve and Kristin's wedding. More pictures are on their way!

A sweet moment we grabbed with our precious Uncle Beef before he became a married man! 

Me and my best girls, minus one beautiful bride who was getting ready to walk down the aisle!

November 12. 2016 - Congratulations Steve and Kristin! We love you!

My Group Centergy class, Friendship Date with Melissa, Downtown Houston day, Bike Ride on Columbus Day and Date night

These are a few of the fantastic members of my Group Centergy class that I teach. It has been such a joy and privilege to lead this group fitness class!

I took advantage of a trip to Houston for my sweet sister in law Kristin's bridal shower to spend a friendship day with Melissa downtown!

Aunt Les had the boys for a sleepover and we enjoyed an al fresco dinner before coming back home. 

We were given a mini fall break in October this year and it was wonderful! A great time for my boys to catch up on sleep and play!

A much needed date night to Cafe Eccell! I love my hubby!!!