Merry Christmas from the Cronin's...and a Very Happy New Year!

A holiday photo greeting from a hike to Cathedral Tree on the day after Thanksgiving with Aunt Carol.

Dearest Family and Friends,

On behalf of the West Coast Cronin Clan, we wish you the warmest of virtual holiday greetings!

This has been a pretty monumental year for us, with our recent move to beautiful Astoria, Oregon. There's so much to share, and life has been happening faster than I can blog about it. I'll try my best to give a quick replay that will do it justice.

Kieran has matured tremendously with the move, and sometimes we forget that he's just about to turn 10 in January. He greeted the news of our move with extraordinary optimism, and was instantly excited about all the possibilities (it didn't hurt that he had been on a "Man Camp" to Fort Stevens with stops at Fort Clatsop and Fort George). Interestingly, it opened up a new entrepreneurial spirit, and we're curious to see what comes of that. Kieran decided that he wanted to volunteer at the library and has been consistently walking himself to the library every Tuesday to help on various project (the library ladies love him and he was honored to get a card and gift). Kieran has been quick to make friends with boys from school and playing on a new soccer team that had a great season. He was excited to get into an advanced math class, and loves learning online with Khan Academy in his spare/screen time. Kieran is very excited about his new school, Lewis and Clark and Mrs. Bergman; he became a mini-celebrity when we broke off a third of his front tooth just before winter break, slipping on the rainy blacktop while racing to line up after lunch recess.

Makenna has had quite the year of growth herself. She lost the last of her baby face as she grew out her bangs, and is as girly as ever. She bought herself a pair of thrift store patent leather heels with some of her first money, and never misses an opportunity to dress up. She took the move in stride, while pushing Darcy's buttons when she got bored and frustrated with the tedious unpacking process. Thankfully, she snapped right out of it once school started and she could get her energy out on the soccer field. Makenna beams excitement as she plays, clearly in her element...all except the wickedly wet games in October. Makenna is practicing reading aloud any chance we can get, and really loves her teacher, Mrs. Brewington. She's still very socially motivated and loves attention as much as the next almost seven year old.

Teagan is our littlest live wire and full of personality. She's got us wrapped around her little curls, and we all work to help her meet her temperamental toddler needs. Teagan still brings us endless joy and laughter. She definitely has a fun sense of humor, and is whip smart. She can be known to use her sweet looks to satisfy her sweet tooth, and I think we'll have to wean her in more ways than one come the New Year (yes, she's a nursing addict and can't seem to get enough either). Teagan surprises us with new words every day and I know it will be astonishing to see how much she'll grow in 2016. I don't know if we're ready to give up our baby, and she'll always keep the status to some extent (or try to work it as long as she can ;-). She's actually surprisingly independent for her age, wanting to dress herself and fully potty training not long after we moved. Teagan has been attending Peace Learning Center most weekdays, which we love because we can walk there and she loves to socialize with her preschool friends. Darcy and Teagan have special time on Wednesdays, and have been doing Kindermusick together. She also really loves pastry play dates at Blue Scorcher, library visits and being able to surprise Kevin by popping in his office.

Kevin surely does love his new work, for the City of Astoria. Accepting the position of Community Development Director has really been like a dream come true, and it has been wonderful to see him so exceptionally satisfied in his work. It worked out really well that Kevin moved out in July and month before us, and it gave him a chance to get his bearings without the chaos of family and boxes. Plus, he got to hike/bike/explore Astoria as a "bachelor." His new work has really exceeded his expectations and we can hardly wait to see how he and his team will shape Astoria over time. It's also helped that Kevin has found a new coaching niche, and even decided to help lead up the futsal league, which is a must with the rainy weather. Kevin has been dreaming Hawaii as we approach the darkest days, but soon enough it'll be camping/hiking season again.

As for me, this year really revolved around our epic move, which required a tremendous amount of work to sell, buy and settle in. I started out the year dreaming of a new home, feeling like we were on the verge of outgrowing our home, only to realize that we were ready to create a whole new life. Once I really thought through the possibilities for our family, I was instantly elated at the prospect of moving to Astoria. We found an amazing historic Arts & Crafts home built in 1915 just blocks from downtown. Although it has its share of old house issues, it has felt like home since we first walked in the door. The town and people have really exceeded my highest hopes, and I truly appreciate the warm welcome that we received. I felt overcome with joy at our house warming party, and deeply appreciate all our new friends and neighbors. It's exciting to start creating our new community, and I'll be serving on the board of Friends of McClure Park, which is our lovely neighborhood park that we love to watch from our kitchen window. I ended up putting my life coaching on the back burner and beach cabins on simmer while in the midst of our enormous move, and I'm looking forward to putting more energy into blogging and other community projects. In many ways, it feels like we are really beginning new chapters in 2016.

As far as travels, it was a light year given our migration to the Mighty Columbia. However, we did managed two couple's trips to Seattle and Bend for long weekends where Kevin attended conferences, I got to do yoga and play, and the kids got extra time with Grandma and Aunt Miel. Our biggest trip was to visit Kevin's family back in Pennsylvania to celebrate his Dad, Neil's 80th birthday. It was a marvelous fall weekend of festivities and family. So wonderful to be able to share more than a virtual update. ;-)

We would love to host as many family and friends as we can manage in 2016, and Astoria truly a fabulous town to explore...and drink with four breweries and a distillery. Please let us know if you're planning a trip this way...

Wishing you and yours a Happy Solstice, Merry Christmas and wonderful New Year!

Love from Astoria, Oregon!!

Darcy, Kevin, Kieran, Makenna & Teagan

Happy New Year!!

Moving West to Astoria

Astoria's Sunday Market...so nice that we can walk there...been enjoying the fresh veggies and arts vendors!

After a month in our new home and town of Astoria, I'm feeling the desire to reflect, share and reconnect with friends and family from afar. When I logged in, I could hardly believe that I hadn't posted since last December. (I shared the news about the move on my Sustainable Family Finances blog back in June). Yes, I could just post sporadically or incessantly post adorable kid photos on Facebook, but it feels too curated to share my life via captions. They don't actually share the depth and context of our life. Our lives are continually changing as the kids grow, with new learning curves to grow through.


This move has been a big one for our family. Fifteen years into our relationship Kevin and I are finally feeling "all grown up," but we've also been working through our interpersonal ruts. It can be all to easy to predict each other's behaviors, push buttons and take each other for granted. This move has forced us to refocus on what we really want for ourselves and our family. We're still settling into our new life here, but I'm really glad that we've been open about our needs to grow in our relationship. So, the move for us feels like more than just a physical one...it's really about taking our life together to a whole new level.

Our move has definitely been the right move for Kevin's career. Even with all the public night meetings, I can tell that he truly loves his work again. Despite his best effort, he had gone way too long without feeling respected in his career. It's wonderful to see his light shining again and to feel the warm welcome of a community that truly appreciates his leadership and dedication to the greater good.

With a napping toddler, and leaving our beloved nanny back in Portland, I've simple been busy getting our household unpacked over the past month. I haven't had the capacity to coach at all, although with the big kids back in school, I'm itching to refocus on my career. I've just barely had enough time to manage the beach cabin rentals, but after a few months of summer/moving, I'm anxious to reengage with my business goals. I am indeed more thankful than ever that I've been able to create flexible businesses, and that I can do them from virtually anywhere. Definitely a blessing.

The kiddos are acclimating well (even though Kieran insisted on leaving without a jacket, and I'm curious if he's been caught in a downpour...more natural consequences). 

Kieran likes his new school, even if he thinks it's too easy (the same thing would have happened at Irvington...he's a kid who needs to be challenged...kind of like his parents). He's playing soccer, and it's obvious that we wants to coach when he grows up...either that or be a sports commentator. 

Makenna is a social butterfly and a speed demon on the soccer field. It feels and looks like she's matured a few years over the summer...not all for the best. She has been challenging me constantly since the move. She needs a ton of attention and isn't nice when she doesn't get it (or ODs on screen time), plus she thrives on routine, so moving wasn't easy for her. I'm hopeful that settling into our new school routines will even out her premature hormones, and once I'm not so busy with unpacking we'll be able to have more fun together again.

Teagan has been taking a blissful nap (while the roofers put on a new roof). She is both precious and precocious. She's signing constantly and obviously listens to every word and body language. She's still nursing (much to Kevin's chagrin) and has regressed with potty training. At the moment I'm trying to decide what to do with her for childcare, and have two options I'm considering. She is such a sponge that I want to make sure I choose the right fit for her to help her continue to excel and delight in life.

Lastly, our new home feels like a fairy tale. Settling in has certainly been a big task, but it's starting to feel like home. We bought most of the furnishings from the previous owner, which has helped a ton for making it feel homey, but it still feels new to us. Plus, we're getting a new roof and new appliances this week. (I need to do a whole post with just photos!!)

Need to write a whole post on Astoria next...loving this town!

Kids on Day 1. Hard to believe, but it feels like they've already grown since this pic!