Each year I print our family's blog in a hardback book, so you must bear with me as I include a post with our Christmas letter for 2011. After this post, I am ready to order our book! This will be our fourth book and it is so exciting to see our family's happenings chronicled and bound for years to come!!
Merry Christmas from the Tavern Family!
With all of the Christmas decorations up, some presents under the tree, and the days of 2011 quickly dwindling, the time for the annual recap letter is upon us.
It is hard to believe that Erin and I have been married for eleven years and that we have been homeowners for the last seven. Equally difficult to fathom is the fact that Leila turned four in August. Time certainly does have a way of flying by. It seems that we always find new ways to spend time as a family. This year, we became members at the Point Defiance Zoo & Aquarium, so we spent lots of time checking out the wildlife, especially the elephants and the sharks. We also took our first trip as a family to Wild Waves. As I’m sure you can imagine Leila absolutely loved it, so of course we were repeat attenders.
We continue to throw our unwavering support behind the boys from Hockeytown, our beloved Detroit Red Wings. Whenever a game is televised - and especially during the playoffs - the three of us are decked out in Wings gear and it is the only time we’re allowed to watch TV during dinner. Though Erin and I have our perennial favorite players, Leila’s allegiance shifted this year as her favorite player from last year - Brian Rafalski - retired. We were a bit worried that his departure would mark the end of Leila’s support for the Wings, but luckily she has thrown herself staunchly behind Todd Bertuzzi, who wears number 44, or as Leila describes it: “He wears two number fours. That’s perfect because I am four!”
In addition to finding a new favorite Red Wing, our biggest blessing continued to experience a number of “firsts.” During our annual trip to southern California, Leila discovered that ocean waves aren’t scary, as she thought they were last year. This year, she loved playing in the surf. California held other new experiences for Leila, most specifically at Disneyland. In her fourth trip to the Magic Kingdom, she went on new rides galore: the Swings, Jumpin’ Jellyfish, Big Thunder Mountain, and - I type this next one with a rather large smile - Star Tours.
This year she also attended her very first live theatrical show, Mary Poppins at The Paramount. Later, we all went to see Aladdin at the 5th Avenue Theatre and Leila was on the edge of her seat for the entire show (well, really the edge of my lap or Erin’s). It is hard to describe how amazing it was to see her swept away by the magic of theatre. After seeing how much she loved these shows, we decided it was time to become season-ticket holders at Seattle Children’s Theatre. If our first show - Harold & The Purple Crayon - was any indication, Leila is on the road to loving live theatre as much as her parents.
If you were to ask Leila about the biggest moments of the year, she would definitely tell you about starting dance classes. And then she would show you some of the ballet, jazz, and tap moves that she is learning in her once a week sessions.
Erin - who has not turned into a Dance Mom - continues to amaze as a first grade teacher. Though her six and seven year olds aren’t always able to voice their appreciation at the time, Erin’s care, patience, and expert teaching has a long-lasting impact on her students. I’m plugging away through year two at the high school level, with successful productions of Scapino!, Annie Get Your Gun, and The Tempest under my belt. We recently started rehearsals for this year’s musical, Footloose, so the early months of 2012 will certainly be full of lots of time spent working on the show.
As one year closes and another is set to begin, I am always thankful that we get to end the year with the Christmas season. Surrounded by family, holiday cheer, and the remarkable wonder of this special season seems to be the perfect time to look back at the year that was. Though things don’t always go as we would plan them, we are reminded that the ones that we love and the memories we make with them will long outlast the temporary disappointments. Whatever the past year held for you, we wish you a very blessed Christmas season and a new year filled with joy, prosperity, and, most importantly, love.
Peace and Good Wishes,
Chris ~ Erin ~ Leila
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