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| A holiday photo greeting from a hike to Cathedral Tree on the day after Thanksgiving with Aunt Carol. |
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
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| Happy New Year!! |
