JANUARY
We celebrate Benjamin's 3rd birthday with a dinosaur party that includes digging up "rocks" in a sandpit that can be broken open to reveal gems or dinosaur bones. Adorable cupcakes are created by Auntie Bek and Gramma.
Gramma Doro and Aunt Linda come to visit.
The Clevelanders enjoy the California winter by taking a trip to the beach.
Benjamin experiences his first orchestra production at San Diego's Symphony Hall. We only stay about 30 minutes due to his limited attention span.
FEBRUARY
On Valentine's Day, Mama's Grandpa passes away. (The photo is of Grandpa Jerry holding Mama as a little girl.)
Exactly one week later, the Circle of Life is completed with the birth of Sadie Eloise, AKA Sadie Lou.
MARCH
Mama's family hosts a lovely shower where our dear friends get to meet precious Miss Bright Eyes.
Emma comes to visit. Benjamin actually "gets" that she is his birthmother.
I don't know why The Good Reverend Buckley is in here. Sneaky dog.
Sadie turns 6 weeks old and is cuter than ever.
Ack! There he is again!
APRIL
Auntie Liz comes to visit from Rochester.
The backyard garden begins to really take off. Many of the plants are "volunteers."
MAY
Benjamin plays in his first concert with the Young Artists Symphony.
We meet Sadie's biological abuelitos for the first time.
Benjamin's Nanna and Poppi come to visit (biological grandparents from Rochester).
JUNE
We take a new family portrait.
JULY
We travel to Cleveland to visit The Papa's family and to Rochester area to visit Benjamin's birth family.
Aunt Amy, and cousins Molly and Morgan all adore Miss Sadie.
The swing set is in use almost constantly.
Gathering at Nanna and Poppi's house.
Benjamin's family portrait - birth and adoptive.
All the Vinch cousins in Emma's barn.
Grandma Vinch and Aunt Lori - Sadie with her cousin Jana, who is six months older.
All the Cleveland cousins.
We visit the cabin in the Sierra mountains with Gramma and Grandpa and Uncle Mike and Auntie Bek.
Uncle Mike can be a lot of fun.
But worms may perhaps be more fun than Uncle Mike.
AUGUST
Mama has her first speaking opportunity regarding open adoption.
Much time is spent in the kiddie pool especially now that Sadie can sit up in sploshy water.
The Papa writes an article about mountain biking at Lake Hodges, and it is published in a local magazine.
SEPTEMBER
The Papa launches KnowYourBike.com with several videos explaining the site and its usage. The videos are shot in our garage.
Benjamin starts preschool. So far he has learned letter sounds, numbers, Spanish, continents, and he's even made his first "frenemy."
Sadie Lou takes on the stairs under the watchful eye of her dedicated big brother.
Mama decides to get fit. Here is the before photo demonstrating the extra jiggle in the middle. Note the enjoyment at being able to work in the garden tending to summer squash and heirloom pumpkins.
Summer rains provide even more opportunities for Benjamin to get naked and lick the ground.
Sadie establishes her reputation for being the most happy baby in town.
Benjamin teaches Sadie how to drum and much fun is had. He may be inadvertently teaching her how to wear the least amount of clothes possible at any given time.
Benjamin hones his storytelling skills with involved tales about Africa, fires, and giant pincer bugs. Stories are always told in the most dramatic manner possible.
OCTOBER
Mama begins writing and photographing for Escondido City Magazine. Her first assignments include a piece on winter cooking...
...and a photo shoot for a shabby chic warehouse advertisement.
Halloween happens. Every time we go out we dress in slightly different costumes due to an extensive dress-up collection.
NOVEMBER
Mama has become involved in a grassroots civic improvement organization, Think Grand, as a volunteer events coordinator. Her first event is a bicycle tour through central Escondido and includes stops at a historical winery, a bodega owned by a Chaldean fellow who serves everyone samples of Turkish coffee and sweets, and a bike shop. About 25 people participate. The event is co-sponsored by The Papa's bicycle club, CurbYourHorse.
The Papa participates in a 12-hour mountain biking race that gets canceled several hours in due to unyielding rain.
For Thanksgiving, we go to the family cabin in the Sierras. During one jaunt into the neighboring town, Gramma and Benjamin stop to say hello to the cows. The cows scurry away.
Mama, Benjamin, and Sadie hit the road for an afternoon hike.
Benjamin plays in the snow and then writes songs about it.
We do not fit around one small table...
...but we do fit around two.
DECEMBER
In celebration of Christmas, we eat many goodies...making it hard for Mama to maintain her commitment to healthy eating. Benjamin is not discouraged in the least.
What?! How did this slip in? Here is the highly requested photo of Mama with her new abs - minus 11 pounds. Whoa.
A very happy new year to you all!!!