Bittersweet New Year

This time around, starting a new year is bittersweet.

It's sweet because we just came off of a really wonderful year. Watching Emily grow and learn is such a beautiful, rewarding experience. She brings so much joy not only to our lives, but to the lives of many. People literally beg us to let them babysit. I kid you not! (How lucky are we?!) She's got such charm, such charisma. Like my mother always says, she's a beautiful child, both inside and out.

Our travels were another highlight of our year. Stephen's parents celebrated 50 years of married life in June, and that gave us the perfect excuse to get out to the Midwest. Our first stop was Illinois, where we visited Angie (one of my best friends) and her family. Angie and I met my sophomore year of high school, when my parents and I were living in the small town of Morris, Illinois. We only lived there for a year, but Angie and I developed a very strong, lifelong relationship. We hadn't seen each other since I moved away in the spring of 1994, so even though it had been over 12 years, we picked up right where we left off. It seemed like not much time had passed at all.

Angie married her high school sweetheart like I did, and she and Chris now have two beautiful little girls. Their older daughter is a month younger than Em, and the baby was born in April. How nice it was to hold a newborn again! They have a great house in Minooka, which is very close to Morris (and even smaller than Morris!). We stayed in a beautiful guest room that Chris had just finished down in the basement, which I loved. (Why can't our houses in SoCal have basements?) It was so special going back to the area, seeing where Mom, Dad and I used to live, and sharing it all with Stephen and Em.

We of course did some sightseeing in Chicago, which was awesome. We enjoyed the view from the top floor of the Hancock Observatory, we walked around Navy Pier, we drove by Wrigley Field, and we ate dinner at Poag Mahone's Carvery & Ale House. (Gayle King declared Poag one of the best places in the country to get a burger, and boy was she right!) Stephen really liked Chicago. It's a beautiful city with wonderful architecture and lots of great sites. My Mom always said it was one of her favorite big cities (and she's been to a LOT of places, let me tell you!).

Angie also took us to the Brookfield Zoo, which is just outside of Chicago. We had a nice time walking around there. Emily and I even got our picture taken inside a kangaroo's pouch! :-) The best part of our Illinois stop was spending time with Angie, though. We spent five days with her and her family, which felt just right in terms of having enough time to visit without wearing out our welcome.

Our second stop was a quick one: we drove a rental car from Minooka to Hartland, Wisconsin to meet up with Stephen's sister, Alicia, and family. We stayed the night at their charming home and drove up to Duluth, Minnesota the following day. Before we left, though, we had to swing by Smoky's Club (a steakhouse) in Madison for dinner. Mom and Dad recommended we treat ourselves to the mouth-watering, corn-fed beef that the Midwest is famous for. It's interesting how the meat really does taste different. It's delicious! I think that if I were more of a steak person I'd have been able to appreciate it even more, but even still, it really was a scrumptious meal. Stephen was in heaven. :-)

I had always wanted to visit Alicia in her new home, so that was a special highlight for me as well. We had been to the home they lived in a few years ago, but never to this new one. The VHs seem very happy there, homeschooling, playing, and toiling in their beautiful garden. The kids have an acre to work with (right, Alicia?), and they seem to thoroughly enjoy planting and growing beautiful flowers and yummy vegetables.

We arrived in Duluth the day before the Big Party started. Sharon's is another house I've been dying to see, as I've heard so much about it. It's massive and has such character. There are numerous rooms and cute little stairways and doors and a cozy attic and a great basement, laundry room and wine cellar. I think the best adjective for this house is FUN! I had a lot of fun walking around the house, exploring.

It was also wonderful to see Monica again (we hadn't seen her since she left San Diego five years earlier!), and to FINALLY meet her two children! Her son will be four soon, and her daughter is Emily's age (11 days younger, to be exact). Even though they're the same age, I could hardly believe the difference in size between the two girls! Lexi looks like she's a head above Emily. My daughter's a munchkin, what can I say?

Mom and Dad's anniversary party started on Saturday, July 1st and ended Sunday, the 2nd. It was so nice to be around the family again, just sitting, relaxing, and enjoying Mike M.'s delicious food. (By the way, Sharon, those olives were to die for!) The wine flowed freely (Mike has an incredible wine collection and I found myself drinking a bit too much on Saturday night!), and there was plenty of laughter and conversation. It was a wonderful time. Unfortunately, Em and Stephen both got sick with the flu. Em's might have been more of a cold, whereas Stephen's was definitely the flu. He was feeling pretty miserable with aches, pains and a high fever. The poor guy slept most of Sunday, but we were thankfully able to rejoin the festivities that evening.

We sadly left Duluth on Monday and drove to Minneapolis. We visited the Mall of America that evening, and also the following day (which was the 4th of July). (I swear a person would need a good week to see everything in that mall!) We then turned in our rental and flew home. We arrived in San Diego late afternoon/early evening, just in time to celebrate Independence Day with my family. Mona was in town, and what a better way to end that special vacation than with tasty burgers on the grill? :-)

The other trip we made last year was to New England in October. Both my brothers live in Massachusetts (one in Boston, one in Marblehead), and it had been 12 1/2 years since I had been back East. I had always wanted to take Stephen there, and after many years of putting it off, we finally decided that now was the time to go. We figured it was an ideal time since Emily's at a good age, and she's currently the only child we have (well, that is, if you don't count our two furry, four-legged kids ;-). Since she was under the age of two at the time, Em flew for free. Stephen also had some extra time off he could spend, so we decided to just go. I'm so glad we did!

We spent our first few days with my brother, Jaime, and his family at their home in Marblehead, Massachusetts. We went sight-seeing in Salem and swung by Captain Carlo's Restaurant in Gloucester for a lobster (that rhymes!). Boy, was that good grub. We also took a road trip to Fitchburg to pick apples at Marshall Farm, and on the way we stopped at Walden Pond (where Henry David Thoreau lived), which was absolutely gorgeous. We had such a good time apple-picking, walking around and just enjoying the beautiful scenery, not to mention the spectacular colors of New England's Indian Summer.

The next part of our trip back East was a drive to New York City. Mom, Dad, Sister, Ken, Stephen, Emily and I stayed on a naval base in Staten Island for one night, and rode the ferry back and forth to Manhattan. (We actually rode the ferry that was involved in that horrible accident a couple years ago. 11 people died in the crash.) Stephen and I had never been to NYC before, so it was a real treat. We were able to ride the ferry and see Lady Liberty. We also checked out Wall Street, Rockefeller Center, Times Square, Grand Central Station (I guess it's referred to as Grand Central Terminal now?), Magnolia Bakery in Greenwich Village (Mona recommended this one, and boy was the banana pudding and red velvet cake scrumptious!), St. Patrick's Cathedral, Ground Zero and more. The weather was perfect (cool and crisp, but not too cold), and the sites were awesome. I kept thinking to myself, "So this is New York City! It's just as I imagined it to be." Emily enjoyed riding the subway (here she is having a ball with Grandma and Grandpa on a subway bench), and I had a fabulous time just walking around, people-watching. I'm quite amazed that we were able to see all that we saw in just one day; Stephen and I agreed, though, that we MUST go back. And when we do, we need to stay for no less than a week. I'm aching to check out Central Park, maybe a show on Broadway, and some of the museums. That would be a blast.

The Statue of Liberty was as breathtaking as I thought she would be. As my eyes fixated upon her, I imagined that I was an immigrant from a faraway land, catching a glimpse of her for the first time, knowing that I had finally made it home. What an experience it must have been for so many people, after enduring and surviving such a difficult, painful journey, to finally see Lady Liberty, the ultimate symbol of hope and freedom. Wow.

Wall Street was the site that Stephen was dying to see. That was a fun stop... my favorite part was when I asked one of the three cops who were guarding the New York Stock Exchange if we could take their picture, and he said, "Well, we're not supposed to pose, but if you wanna take one, I can't stop ya"... Uh, I beg to differ... ;-)

St. Patrick's Cathedral is gorgeous on the outside, but I found its interior a bit disappointing, to be honest. The colors and the things inside were somewhat dull and muted. Quite the contrast from the awesome architecture of the cathedral's exterior.

Times Square was unlike anything I’d ever seen. All the lights, the movement, the hustle and bustle, the chaos -- it was fascinating. I stood in the center of the Square in awe, just trying to take it all in. My eyes darted from one thing to the next: the huge television screens, all the flasing lights, the Nasdaq sign, the advertisments... it was truly something else.

And then there was Ground Zero. By the time we visited, the construction crews had started to clear out much of the debris (for lack of a better word) and stuff left over from 9/11. They were beginning to build again, so what we saw of Ground Zero was much different from what my parents saw when they were there a year earlier. Nevertheless, it was quite an experience just to stand there, to be there. I didn't expect to get so emotional, but I did. A very detailed timeline is posted in front of Ground Zero, and as I stood reading it, I was overcome.

After our very short stay in New York, we returned to Massachusetts, but this time we arrived in downtown Boston. The following day was my brother Rich's birthday, so we all (including Jaime) went to celebrate at his and Heather's favorite brewery, just a few blocks from their home. We had a nice time. Mom, Dad, Stephen, Em and I then camped out in Rich's living room. He and Heather live on the 28th floor of a high-rise downtown, with a magnificent view. What a glorious feeling it is to be out on their balcony, with a fabulous view of Beacon Hill (and practically all of Boston)! I just LOVE their view. If I lived in their apartment, I'd be out on that balcony all the time.

The next day (Rich's birthday), Mom, Dad, Stephen, Em and I took to the streets of Boston. We toured Cheers (the Bull and Finch Pub, which was the inspiration for the hit show Cheers), Boston Public Gardens, the Old North Church, the Granary Burying Ground, Faneuil Hall/Quincy Market and more. We had the best clam chowder I've ever tasted at a great little Irish pub called The Black Rose (it's been a family favorite for years). It rained a bit during the first part of our sightseeing, but the weather then got to be rather pleasant. The only somewhat difficult part was carrying Em around in her backpack, because she'd rather be walking herself than being lugged around in that thing. :-) Next time, I'd like to visit the John F. Kennedy Library, among other places.

That night, we all gathered at our friend Ron's house in Abington. Ron is my uncle's brother; that is, my Mom's sister's husband's brother. (Got that?) He's such a warm, loving, fun, kind, generous person whom I adore and love being around. He lives in a condo with his West Highland White Terrier, Theo. Ron invited his family over and we all enjoyed each other's company while eating a ton of delicious food. Ron made so much yummy Italian food, enough to feed an army! Mom, Dad, Stephen, Em and I ended up staying with Ron for a couple of nights, and we had such a pleasant stay because he's such a delightful host. :-)

The following day, Ron, my parents, Stephen, Em and I tackled Cape Cod. On the way, Ron surprised us with a stop at the National Monument to the Forefathers, which none of us had ever heard of. What a beautiful statue she is! Stephen was quite impressed with the monument and he took lots of pictures. Before we got to the Cape, we also stopped by Plymouth Rock (the monument is actually in Plymouth as well), and we saw the restored Mayflower and the actual Rock. It's amazing how steeped in history New England is (specifically Massachusetts)! Next time we’re there, I’d like to visit the Plimoth Plantation. My parents took me when I was a child, and I remember really enjoying it. By the time we got to Cape Cod, it was getting fairly late, so we unfortunately didn't have much time. We ate some Portuguese food (Ron's Portuguese and loves this little restaurant) and we walked around a bit in Provincetown. Not enough, though. After stopping in a couple little shops, we hurried over to the John F. Kennedy Memorial in Hyannis, but by the time we made it there, it was already dark. Stephen took a couple pictures with the flash, and they came out pretty decent, considering. Next time we'll have to devote more time to some of these places.

On Friday, Sister, Jaime and his family joined us and we trekked out to Newport, Rhode Island. For so long I've wanted to show Stephen the Cliff Walk, but unfortunately it was very stormy when we arrived, and we didn't feel comfortable taking the kids out onto the cliffs in such wet and slippery conditions. Instead, Jaime, Debbie, Stephen and I walked a very tiny stretch of the Walk and snapped a few pictures. It's absolutely gorgeous out there. The Walk is lined with amazing mansions, but the best part is the natural beauty of the cliffs, rock and ocean. I honestly did not want to leave. I wanted to stay and enjoy the peace and serenity for a while, but I couldn't. (Someone needed to pee! ;-) Before we stopped at the Cliff Walk, we swung by the home where my whole family lived before I was born. Jaime was very excited to stop and show his children the spot. My family said that the place looks different now, but we took pictures in front anyway. The smile on my brother's face was priceless. :-)

After the Cliff Walk, we stopped at the Newport Creamery for a treat before heading home. My family used to frequent the Creamery and remembered it being quite good. My Mom said, however, that it wasn't as good as she recalled. That's okay. It was fun having sundaes and splits with everyone.

That evening we went back to Ron's home, but just to pack up and head back to Marblehead to stay with Jaime again. Sister and Ken headed back to San Diego on Saturday, and Stephen, Em and I did so on Sunday. On Saturday, we all attended one of Ben's football games, which was a lot of fun. Jaime and Stephen helped out on the field, while Molly, Emily and I went back and forth between watching the game and playing on the swings. I was told that Ben made some good moves in the game, but I couldn't tell because I kept losing him in the sea of black and red uniforms!

Before we left, Jaime took Dad, Ben, Stephen and me around Marblehead to show us some of the sites. We got to see some incredibly old houses (some dating back to the 1700s!), and we took some pictures at Crocker Park, the place where the U.S. Navy was "born". He took us to the Marblehead Neck, where there are many gorgeous (affluent) homes. The scenery around there is stunning. Again, I didn't want to leave.

I think Em shares my love for Halloween. She caught on to trick-or-treating really fast, holding her little black basket out, over and over and over again. (She wanted to visit the same spooky house repeatedly! :-) Emily was a ladybug this year, which suits her to a 'T' because she loves bugs. She has a Baby Einstein DVD that features all kinds of animals and insects, and when the grasshopper appears on the screen (a particularly ugly-looking one, I might add), she runs to the t.v. and kisses him! (Strange child. ;-) She loves bugs SO much, that one of her first words was "spider". Okay, she doesn't quite say "spider" so much as "pyesh". But it's the cutest darn pronunciation of spider I've ever heard! It's hands-down my favorite Emmy word.

Welcoming Thello into our home was a wonderful part of our year as well. Xyno turned three in September, and Stephen had been mentioning that we might want to start thinking about getting him a baby brother. Xyno has always loved having friends (other dogs) around. Every time Mona would come to visit with Mylo and then they'd leave, Xyno would become depressed and would mope around the house. (No joke!) Same story when he'd go visit with Lily and then would leave. (He wasn't the only one -- Lily would actually go on hunger strikes when Xyno would leave!) Stephen always said that we should try to stagger the dogs in terms of their ages, because when one dies, it helps to have another one around to ease the pain.

While we were in Massachusetts, we came across a couple Boston Terriers and we fell in love. They were the cutest things, and so friendly! (Here's the picture Stephen took of Lucky, a friendly little guy we met at the Boston Public Gardens. We unfortunately don't have one of Rose, who was the sweetest little dog!) While Stephen was hoping for a huge dog (like a Mastiff), I've been wanting a lap dog. Since Xyno's a big dog (not like a Mastiff, but still big), Stephen decided to let me get my lap dog. After much research, we tentatively decided on a Boston Terrier. When we got home from our New England trip, I began to look for breeders. We set up an appointment with a breeder in Escondido (she had a 10-week-old male named Bobo who needed a home), but first we went to see a litter of three male Boston Terrier/English Bulldog pups in Tierrasanta. Needless to say, we instantly fell in love. These guys were adorable. Only two were available, because the breeders were keeping one. Of the two left, one was a little chunkier, and he had a black spot on the top of his head. He was also more mellow, and liked for me to pick him up. Actually, he fell asleep on me as soon as I did so. I knew right away that this guy was the one I wanted.

We left this couple's apartment with me thinking that Stephen wouldn't want this puppy. I was in for a surprise! He loved this baby just as much as I did. To make a long story short, Stephen ended up saying, "Let's get him!", and we did. After much consideration, we named him Thello, which is short for Othello (because he's black and white). (In case you were wondering, Xyno is 'onyx' spelled backwards.) Thello's mother is the Boston and his father's the Bulldog. He's got a great mix of both breeds, and is very well-behaved for his age. He was born in September (he's three years and three days younger than Xyno), so he is now three-and-a-half months old. His potty-training is going really well at this point (the first month was rough!), and he's getting MUCH better about not chewing everything in sight. Actually, he's really good about chewing on his toys, something that I can't say about Xyno when he was a puppy.

Em and Xyno really dig having Thello around. It's the cutest thing to see the two doggies cuddled up together, Thello curled into a ball in Xyno's arms. Thello makes Emily laugh with his antics. The only thing that concerns me is when she tugs on his ears or legs a little too hard!


Stephen has had a great year working as a software engineer for General Atomics-Aeronautical Systems, Inc. He's very happy there, and they treat him well. Actually, they love him over there, seeing as how he does such great things for them! The only downside of his job this year was the fact that he worked such long hours. In the fall, he participated in the "Extended Work Week" program, during which he worked 54 hours/week (10 hours Mondays through Fridays, and four hours on Saturdays). It's okay though, because participation was optional, and he was compensated for it. He's also been on a bunch of trips to the desert this fall/winter. He was gone for over a week in mid-December, which for us is a really long time! We've only been apart that long two other times: when we first started dating (in June, 1996), Stephen was up in the Bay Area for Daniel's wedding and was gone for a week or a little more; and when we were engaged, I traveled to China to visit my parents for about three weeks (that was in January, 2000 -- wow, seven years ago!). So being apart was tough for us. But we made it!

As for me, I've been having the time of my life being home with my Emmy. Sure, it's hard at times, but she's so much fun, and we have the best time together. (It's amazing to me that she's been in our lives now for two years!) The dogs are joys, too. All three "kids" are best buds. It's so neat to see them watch out for each other and take care of each other. Especially Xyno with Emily -- he's so protective of her! If Stephen (or anyone else for that matter) is playing "rough" with Em, Xyno is not happy. He barks and cries and begs for him to stop. I think my Mom takes comfort in the knowledge that Xyno's here, "just in case". (I know I feel better having a big, scary-sounding Black Lab around when Stephen's away!)

It’s also been a sweet year because of our family and friends. Stephen, Emily and I are incredibly lucky to have so many people who care about us. Thank you to all of you who love and support us. It means so much.

Now for the "bitter" part. I say "bitter" because bitter's not really the accurate term here. Sad and painful are more appropriate words to describe the situation.

We're beginning this new year without my sister and her three children (H, Z and G). They moved out of state on December 30th due to various circumstances. As most of you know, we (my parents, Sister, Ken, Stephen and I) are all quite attached to these three yahoos, and out of everything that could possibly happen, I don’t think any of us ever thought that the day would come when we’d have to say goodbye to them. This is painful for so many different reasons. It was extremely difficult to let them go, and we will miss them immensely (we already do). My sister says that they plan to only be gone for 18-24 months, and I hope that this turns out to be the case. Even so, it’s going to be an awfully tough stretch without them.

Needless to say, we spent a lot of quality time with them before they left. They stayed at my parents’ house the few days before Christmas and the five days after. During this time, Mona baked cookies and the kids and I helped her decorate the sugar ones; Z helped Grandma make tamales; Mona, H and I went shopping for a new dress that H could wear to her new school; Mona, G and I went to see Charlotte's Web; and we all just spent a lot of time hanging around, talking, watching DVDs, playing games, and even a little time crying.

Sister, Ken, Mona, Stephen, Em and I all spent the night of the 29th with the kids at my parents’ house. G seemed to think that that was awfully neat. I heard her say several times, "Every single person here is spending the night tonight!!" The morning of the 30th was rough, as we knew it would be. My sister came to get the kids at about 10:00 a.m., and they were on the road close to 11:00. We all embraced and sobbed, and those of us left behind waved goodbye from my parents' driveway.

It's amazing to me that when Em was born, she had close to 20 cousins living in the area. Now she has ZERO. All of Stephen's family moved away (Mom and Dad moved away in October, 2005; Mike, Kathy and family moved away in December, 2005; and Tim, Therese and family moved away this past September), and now my three are gone. It's really quite depressing. I do realize that this happens in life; people come and go and there’s nothing I can do about it. But that doesn’t make it any less sad.

Mona went back home the following day (New Year’s Eve), and Stephen, Emily and I just took it easy. Actually, Stephen was finally able to sell Tim's car to a guy who drove up from Chula Vista. We've had the car since September, but due to his extensive work hours and all his traveling, poor Stephen just hadn’t been able to put in the time that was required to sell the car until now. He went ahead and posted the ad on craigslist, and in less than two days, the car was driven off of our driveway!

Christmas with Mona, Mylo and the kids was nice, like always. It, of course, was in and of itself bittersweet since we knew that the kids were just about to leave, but at least we got to share that last special holiday with them.

It was also wonderful to have Stephen home for such a long stretch, especially after all his trips to the desert. It was hard to let him go back to work on the 2nd! It's kinda nice having that guy around. ;-)

Emily got a lot of cool stuff, including: a tricycle from Mommy and Daddy (or I guess you could say Santa); a nice toddler table from Aunt Mona; talking animal blocks and a stuffed penguin she named "Chickachu" from Uncle Jaime and Aunt Debbie; a really cute Baby Einstein chair and an alphabet puzzle book from Grandma and Grandpa; and other neat things. Pictures will be posted on Flickr soon.

Em got sick about a week before Christmas, and Stephen and I took her in to the doctor on the 21st. (We took her to Ann Evenson, the nurse practitioner I love.) Ann said that all looked fine, and she told me to just continue applying vapo rub to Em’s chest and turning on the humidifier while she sleeps. Em seemed to be doing fine for the next week, but the past few days, she appears to be getting worse, not better. Her nose is still runny, she can’t breathe (and drools nonstop as a result), her cough is worsening, and the phlegm is evidently now settling in her chest. She can't sleep well, and I’m starting to get worried. Reason being, she came down with pneumonia this past summer, and from what I understand, if one gets pneumonia once, he/she is prone to get it again. It's interesting because Em seems to follow a pattern when she's sick. She seems to do better after a few days, but then she relapses (and that's what's happening now). If it continues, I’m afraid I'm going to have to take her back in to get her lungs checked out. (I'm sick of subjecting her to x-rays, though. No more x-rays!)

I never thought I'd write such a long-winded post, but I guess I needed to. Thank you for reading (if you got this far!). Please keep my nieces and nephew and my sister in your prayers if you can.

We appreciate each and every one of you.

Happy New Year!