Happy New Year!

The ocean is such a source of renewal for me, and looking at this photo of our girls at the beach that I took the other day I think that it is because the water is so symbolic, like the cleansing waters of Baptism. That is how refreshed the ocean makes me feel, and since I don't get there very often these days living in Kentucky, I truly treasure seeing our girls frolic in the waves, especially in late December! If there are any rough days ahead in the new year, I will look back upon days like this and remember the smiles on our girls faces and the joy that was obvious in their hearts.
I wish you all a blessed New Year filled with good health, much happiness and prosperity, it is all there for the taking, we just need to open ourselves up to it.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Sanya

We're Going Back to Cali....

We are leaving in the morning for California where we will be spending Christmas with Charley's parents, our grandmothers, and lots of other relatives. I am beside myself to see my cousins, one of them has a little girl named Presley that I am just dying to see in person! My girlfriends are planning nights out or us and we have our family trip to Disneyland all maped out, and I just cannot wait to see the girls faces when we get there. If you are you are lucky, I may even post some photos from the fabulous chocolate party that my Mother in law throws for the girls in our family each year. It is spectacular and something that I have missed for 3 year now.
I am mostly looking forward to morning walks with my grandma and time spent holding hands with her and just loving one another and having the girls get to spend some quality time with their grandparents and great grandma's! I do have to say that I will miss having a white Christmas this year, but being with my Baba will most likely make me forget all about it.

I wish each and every one of you a joyous and most blessed Holiday season with best wished for a healthy and happy New Year!
With Love,
Sanya

Our Families Hero

Two weeks ago I had the honor of attending my brothers promotion ceremony at the Air Staff Command College in Montgomery, Alabama where he is the Vice Dean. He was promoted to Colonel, much to his and our families surprise. When he decided to go and get his doctorate a few years ago, everyone told him his chances of being promoted to Cololnel were slim to none if that was the path he would chose, but after much prayer with his wife and family, he knew it would be the right thing to do. He LOVES teaching and is so passionate, this we all knew about him, but there were so many things I learned on this special day, and the emotion has not yet left me, and most likely will not. My brother has served in the USAF for 25 years now, and he would have it no other way. Intelligence is his specialty and he travels a lot to Europe to teach at international military colleges, specializing in the teaching of ethics in war. He is on a comittee of high ranking military officials that is trying to figure out a way to end the war in Iraq in a peaceful manner, bringing home our troops safely, and has served in Iraq 3 times. He is my hero and I am so grateful to have heard all that I did on this most interesting and humbling day. You see, as a human, I have mostly seen him as my big brother. Someone I adore and look up to, someone who can seriously annoy me, and someone to vie for moms attention with, but I never knew ALL the things he does and has done. It was mind boggling! And standing in a long reception line with him and our family afterwards was even more surreal. At least 100 military men and women that I regard as heros congratulated us on our amazing brother. What an honor to shake each soldiers hand and thank them for their service to our country and for attending the ceremony. I am so grateful that I could drive there with my mom and youngest daughter & my sister also drove all the way from Missouri with one of her sons. Those three days were a gift that we will always treasure. My brother for all of his accomplishments is very modest, and quite humble. He is above all things a man of God, and a man devoted to his family with all of his being, an amazing father of 4 brilliant loving children. My true hero! As the holidays are upon us, I would hope that eveyone will take a moment and pray for the safety of all of our military personell around the world who are serving our country selflessly, and for their families as well, for many are not with their loved ones and are surely missing them dearly.
Nik and Veronica, Tom's youngest pinning Daddy!
Our sister Rada, Tom, and me.
Nik, Veronica, Jacqueline and Bryce.