I certainly have not been keeping up with blogging - life has taken over! But I did want to update it for our friends and family that live near and far that don't keep up with us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and even the telephone!
It has been a busy, busy year for all of us - and one filled with many blessings. I think, hand's down, we would all agree that the highlight of our year was a family cruise with my parents, sister, brother, sister-in-law, nephews and nieces.
My parents graciously paid for the cruise for all of us - and we all paid our own expenses, airfare, etc. We all met in San Juan, Puerto Rico and got on the cruise ship there. We went to St Thomas, Barbados, St Maarten, St Kitts, and St Lucia (not in that order) and then back to San Juan. We had a wonderful time together and seeing all the fun sights. And what a great gift from my parents - memories that will last a lifetime!
No sooner had we returned from 10 days in the Caribbean, Trey, Paige and I headed to Orlando for a whirlwind trip of 4 parks in 3 days...don't think I'll ever be doing that again, no matter how fun it was!
Bella
Bella finished her freshman year at La Cueva and is halfway done with her Sophomore year - which is going a lot better than last year! She is studying hard and doing very well in her classes, bringing home all A's and B's. She just finished her driver's ed class and is now working on fulfilling her required practice driving hours. She does a great job and I can't understand why I've been so nervous to let her drive - you'd think after the two boys, this would be a piece of cake. However, it is not!
Speaking of cake, Bella's cake business is booming - to the point of us having to sometimes turn away work so she can work on homework and have a life. This year, she did her first two wedding cakes ever - and made some very nice money by doing so. One of her cakes (in the photo below), will be featured on "The Knot" blog sometime soon.
Bella will be turning Sweet 16 on New Year's Eve and I have been doing a sixteen day countdown for her - a small gift every day, with a picture from each year of her life, with a message on the back. It is sure fun going back through all the pictures of her and seeing how she has changed through the years. She is such a fun girl with a funny sense of humor and, most times, a sunny disposition. She has taught me so many lessons about myself and being a mom...and always knows how to make me smile and laugh like a 12-year-old girl at a slumber party!
Paige
Hard to believe our "baby" is growing so quickly...and moving right along through life, and we're watching her blossom right before our very eyes!
In May, Paige moved on from elementary school (after 17 years of elementary school, I am finally done - woo hoo!) and started middle school in the fall. She continues to excel at school and earn A's and B's, just like her sister; she studies hard and is a very conscientious student.
Paige is a lot of fun - even though she is entering her "tween" years and we get a little bit of an attitude every now and again, it is rare. She does, however, have very definite opinions, some of which just make us laugh. Last year she finished up swim team, as she got an upper respiratory infection that she just couldn't shake, and the pool water was not helping. But she went out with a bang, when she finished 7th in butterfly in the UNM Holiday Classic. I miss watching her swim and hope that she will go back to it - she is such a talented swimmer.
She is a sweet, sweet girl and I love that she still thinks I'm cool, that she likes to spend time with me and even comes for a cuddle on the couch every now and again. I'm sure these times will grow few and far between, so I will enjoy them while I can!
Trey
Trey still owns his own business, Lobo Wealth Strategies, and it continues to grow and prosper. He has worked hard over the past year building his business in Farmington, New Mexico, and travels there every other week to meet with clients.
When he's not busy working, he likes to golf, camp, fish and, of course, hunt! This year was no exception and he got in a couple of turkey hunts, an elk and a deer hunt. Unfortunately that was it for him this year - hopefully more next year. Trey also loves to garden and right about March, he can be found out in the yard doing what he does...and the results are FABULOUS! We love to hang out in our backyard, as long as the weather allows us to.
Trey is a great dad and husband - he is still trying to get used to being the only male in a house full of women...poor guy! But he handles it pretty well and likes to spoil his "girls"...and our dog, Max!
alicia
As for me, I am staying very busy with work and working towards another promotion. Human resource consulting has certainly taken off and I find myself with more work than I can do, so hopefully they will hire someone to help! I did get to take an exciting business trip to Sitka, Alaska to meet with a client in December. It was actually warmer in Sitka than in Albuquerque...although very rainy and dark.
I am also on the Heroin Awareness Executive Board and spend a lot of time volunteering for this awesome organization, which provides education and support to our community. As many of you know, this is something that I hold very dear to my heart due to the experiences that we've had. Helping others has helped me to heal from our own personal situation and, when I speak to a group of kids, I always think that if I can touch one person to not use drugs, then I have done my job. Recently, our group, along with Christopher Productions, won an Emmy award for a documentary that we created and that is currently being shown in all high schools throughout New Mexico, and some in California. It was such a huge honor to go to the ceremony and to have our work recognized - a true testament that a small group of people CAN and DO make a difference.
When I am not busy working or volunteering, I am busy crafting and spending time with my family and friends. I am fortunate that I have a career that challenges me, and I am also fortunate to have learned how to balance that with fun things in my life. As Trey and I always say, "we work hard so we can play hard."
And play hard this year, we did!
You're probably noticing we're missing a couple of people from our card...I'm still trying to wrap my head around that too! Travis and Andrew, who are 22 and 20, respectively, are now out of the house and living their own lives. They both have girlfriends, and jobs and are just doing what kids their age do. I guess them being missing from the Christmas card is just a natural progression of life - but they are still a part of our lives...just not every day. But they are both happy and healthy!
We wish you and your family a wonderful New Year's filled with blessings, love and laughter.
Love,
Trey, alicia, Travis, Andrew, Bella & Paige