2019
Train rides, beach days, camping, swimming, T-Ball, soccer, prayer labyrinths, weddings, Parish Festival, pumpkin patch, birthday celebrations, fire trucks, children’s museums, first bike ride, hiking, Monterey Bay Aquarium, parade, kindergarten, Camp RYLA, backyard at Nona and Pouli’s, pool at Nana and Papa’s, gardening, wrestling, exploring San Francisco, art projects, Hiller Aviation Museum, Legos, Easter weekend with friends, basketball shots in the hallway, soccer goals in the hallway, football touchdowns in the hallway, night time stories, singing O Come O Come Emmanuel around the Advent wreath, books and more books, play dates, date nights, potlucks, Sunday cooking…memories made in 2019. The highlights: witnessing (and standing up for) Ben and Kelly’s wedding in Denver, celebrating Nona’s 100th birthday, Mateo’s laughter and joy, and William starting kindergarten at St. Charles. Gathering with family and friends during this time of year always makes us miss our friends in Nicaragua. One way we’ve been able to stay connected to them is through a nonprofit we helped found with other volunteers from VMM, the San Nicolas Education Foundation (SNEF blog). The mission of our non-profit is to fund university scholarships for students from San Nicolas who would not be able to afford continuing their studies. Erick, our first recipient, excelled in university this year. It is our hope to fund three new students in 2020. Please consider making a donation to support the community of San Nicolas and the youth who desire to pursue their education. With this in mind, we leave you with a thought from Henri Nouwen, an acclaimed spiritual writer: “I witness many signs of hope. I don’t have to wait until all is well, but I can celebrate every little hint of the Kingdom that is at hand.” Prayers for hints of the kingdom in 2020. Merry Christmas! CON AMOR, Billy, Kristin, William, and Mateo
The following are photo descriptions clockwise from top left: 1. William playing basketball in Yakima at Nana and Papa’s. 2. Holy Family Nativity display depicted as refugees in cages at Claremont United Methodist Church in California. 3. Post haircut lollipop for Mateo. 4. Exploring the City with William, while recreating the Good Night San Francisco book. 5. Easter weekend getaway at Bodega Bay. 6. William batting for the Nationals in TBall. 7. Meeting Piggy & Gerald at our local bookstore. 8. Showing off their artwork at GNon’s house. 9. Posing before Ben and Kelly’s wedding. 10. Byrnes Family at Ben and Kelly’s wedding. 11. Simms Family after the wedding ceremony. 12. Our family at the wedding. 13. Celebrating Kristin’s birthday. 14. Jellyfish at the Aquarium with Nona and Pouli. 15. Mateo after nap. 16. Our dear friends, aka the Potluck families, on a hike in Bodega Bay. 17. Post Easter Mass photo. PAGE 2 18. Mateo walking the labyrinth in San Carlos. 19. Mateo posing on the bricks. 20.William’s birthday party at the bowling alley with his friends. 21. The boys….22. Daddy with the boys. 23. William with his Aunt Stephanie. 24. Thomas the Train at Roaring Camp Railroads. 25. Nona at her 100th birthday celebration. 26. Mateo sporting the mohawk at bath. 27. Gardening in the spring. 28. First day of Kindergarten at St. Charles. 29. Us with the Byrnes family at William’s 6th birthday. 30. Us with the Simms family at Kristin’s birthday. 31. Uncle Billy and all the grandkids after his amazing art lesson. 32. William after his first bike ride!