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Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Happy Holidays from the McGarrys!

We just wanted to write a little something to you: our friends, family & loved ones both to let you know what we have been up to this past year & also just to express our great appreciation for knowing you & for having the privilege of sharing our lives with you.

We’ve had a pretty jam-packed year.  With both Topher & I working full time, in addition to running our rentals & adding a rental unit, attempting to play music once in a while & everything else that makes the day go by in the blink of an eye, it’s been a whirlwind!  When I look back over all the photos & videos I took this year, I am completely astonished at the range of experiences we have had as a family.  Stella continues to be our major focus & joy.  She is a fireball, a little lover & a sweetie.  She definitely keeps us in shape & on our toes!!!  Other than the fact that we are both suffering from severe sleep deprivation at this point, she is definitely the best thing that we have ever done with our time on this earth.

There are far too many milestones & memories this year to share in this little holiday letter, so we’re just going to touch on a few of our favorites….

Eating solid food was a major accomplishment for Stella, back around the first of the year.  She took to it like a duck to water, like everything else, she just does it like she’s been here before, many times.  She loves everything from avocados & bananas to calamari & olives & broccoli & salami.  She is a great eater & definitely has a refined palate.  We can’t wait until she figures out how to get more of it in her mouth & less of it on us.

In March we had the pleasure of playing with MarchFourth for the 7th Anniversary at the Crystal Ballroom. Stella was in attendance as well, albeit sleeping soundly in NanaLinda's arms.  It was super fun to rock out with the band again after having been on maternity leave for so long.  I surely do miss playing with the band all the time, seriously.  I think it has been the hardest adjustment I had to make this year as a new mother: coming to terms with the fact that there is just not the time in my day anymore to work two jobs, be a land lady, a mother & a rock star.  I love playing the in town gigs when there are some, but touring is just not in the cards for us a family, both financially & logistically.  Heartbreaking, but true.  I look forward to playing some in town shows in 2011 & am also ecstatic that the band has had so much success touring the world over since we've been away.  I'm super proud of the 7 years I was full time in the project & am content with my contribution.  We had a TON of fun.  More than most people probably have in their entire lives & if my involvement can only be here & there from here on out, then that's what it shall be.  It still stings a little, but those are the sacrifices of parenthood.

We travelled to Knoxville, Tennessee for my sister Holly’s wedding May 1.  It was Stella’s 2nd cross country flight so she did it in style.  It was super fun to travel with the whole family & a lot easier with more hands on deck to help lug all our stuff.  Pictured below, my brother Davey & his harem: Xtina, me, Stella & Erene.  All my other pics of the event are corrupted for some reason or other so Holly (the bride), Alex (the groom), Mom & Topher aren’t pictured….but it was a lot of fun & truly was a Big Fat Greek Wedding, so let your imagination run wild….ok stop, not that wild.

May 20, we celebrated Stella’s first birthday with a big party.  It was more of a celebration of us actually making it as parents!  It was quite a party & that Stella is one lucky girl to have so many loving aunts & uncles!!!! We grilled out, had potluck & even had the bonfire going into the night.  Stella’s birthday definitely rings in the changing of the seasons & the Portland summer fun. It was also my birthday celebration & i was blessed by my friend Jason Wells & a whole pot of crawfish!  MY FAVE!!!

In August we celebrated Topher's birthday & the return of our friends Devin, Sarah & Nevi.  We also put the finishing touches on the "sugar shack", our labor of love for over a year & a half.  What a relief to have it finished.  

Summer in Portland this year was kind of the Un-Summer, for me anyways.  Usually we have amazingly clear & brilliant summers, but we just did not get it this year.  On top of that, work really picked up for me with Interest rates at 40 year lows.  Suddenly I found myself with 60 hour work weeks on my hands & 25 hours of childcare.  I had to do some time-travelling, but I figured it out.  Check out the April issue of Portland Monthly magazine, I won an award for Best in Mortgage Brokers.  All the hard work paid off!  Heather’s chocolate business was also booming,  Topher was flying as much as he could at the glider port & finishing the Sugar Shack in the back yard (PHEW~ a simply huge accomplishment!) & Stella was starting to walk & talk. We soaked up some sun at the pool in Peninsula Park (across the street from our house....convenient), but for the most part it was work, sleep, work, sleep, do it again.  The routine definitely began to grate.  As a family, we have always loved to travel & we just had not been getting enough of that in our lives, so we decided to book a vacation to Florida & Puerto Rico to visit Topher’s family for Thanksgiving.  When we booked it, we did not realize what a life saver that trip would be.  Right in the middle of all the madness, we just flew away, unplugged & settled into some serious relaxation.  We are very thankful & appreciative that we are able to do that as a family & cannot wait for our next visit & for the adventures that await us in 2011! 

You can read more about our adventures, as always here and see more photos at http://www.flickr.com/photos/21314289@N04/. 

 We wish much love, luck & light to you & yours this holiday season & hope to create more memories with you in 2011!  LOVE< the McGarrys



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