At Christmas time I often get awesome newsletter updates from friends. I love recieving them because it helps me catch up with friends and family and know what's happening- so keep them coming! Since I have been terrible at sending letters and cards lately (and trust me I totally feel bad about it), here is my little newsletter for the 2007 holiday season.
A Super Year in Review...
January: This year started off great! I was living in Greenwich working for the cute Mandell Family as thier nanny. One of the best parts about living back east is that my two beautiful cousins Melanie and Jessica were living close by. We took Mel's kids into Manhattan for a little tour and had a great time just being together. Love you girls!
February: The Mandell children and I started a tradition called the "love chain" for Valentines Day. We start on the first of Feb and for each day leading up to Valentines we write notes to each person in the family telling them why we love them and add it to the chain. On Valentines we open up the chain pass out our notes and make pizza and heart sugar cookies. I treasure these little notes and they are posted in my journal. I heart Madeline, Maxwell, and Marshall.
March: I traveled with the Mandell's to Aspen Colorado for a ski trip. We spent Saint Patrick's Day there and had a blast skiing and celebrating Madeline's Birthday at Boogie's.
April: Mom took her first trip to visit me in New York and Connecticut. We accomplished all three baby scrapbooks for the Mandell's and went to see "Mama Mia" on Broadway as well as taking a tour of Manhattan. It was great to have her visit and we had a wonderful time together.
May: I traveled to China with my friends Camille and Christine to run The Great Wall of China marathon (1/2 marathon for me). It was probably the most difficult physical challenge I have done in my life, but I loved every minute and was an awesome experience. We visited Thailand afterwards and it was equally amazing. Can't wait to go back there again!
June: More travel! The Mandell's and I went to England this month and stayed at Bovey Castle in Devon. It's so amazingly beautiful there and a great place to visit with the kids. The English Countryside doesn't even look real! It was fantastic to let the kids play in the grass and enjoy the English Pony's. We had tea and crumpet's every afternoon and for atleast two weeks out of the year felt sophisticated atleast.
July: Our Singles ward in Connecticut took a roadtrip to Palmyra to visit the church sites and to see the Hill Cumorah Pageant. It was so well done and as expected, the Sacred Grove has such a special spirit about it. Afterwards we traveled to Canada so see the lovely Niagra Falls. I also turned the ripe age of 28 this month, but can assure you I don't feel a day older than 25.
August: It was my last month with the Mandell family because I was preparing to move to South Africa so I was trying to make every minute count. We went to Cabo, Mexico and had a wonderful time playing on the beach and enjoying the pools. Saying goodbye to the Mandell's was super hard, but I was happy to have had a great two years with them.
September: I returned to Salt Lake to spend time with family and friends before the big move to South Africa. E, Camille and I took a trip to the Manti Temple. I was able to catch up with old friends and spend lots of family time which I loved. One of my favorite things was spending time in the mountains with my nephew Jaxon. Towards the end of September I jetted a plane to sunny South Africa for what I thought would be a long journey.
October: I met several people who I had been networking with and become friends with in South Africa. I enjoyed every second of getting to know them and also spending time with the people I already had met. I fell in love with South Africa all over again!
November: My friend Christine and I took a roadtrip to the Drakensburg, aka-one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen! I hosted a Thanksgiving Dinner for my South African friends and took a mini safari through Krugersdorp.
December: Flew back to New York and spent a week with my cousins. Visited the Mandell's in Connecticut and ate Matzo ball soup and painted pottery with them. It was such a treat to get to spend some time with them. Returned to Salt Lake to join family and friends in Christmas Celebrations. Made a Gingerbread house, started painting the famous orange cave in Mindy and Bryce's home, and wrote a rediculously long year in review newsletter and posted it to my blog, ha ha.
In the next little while I will be trying to find a job (easier said than done in this economy) and starting my Master's of Education degree. I am excited to be in school agian and look forward to new adventures!
That's it in a nutshell!
I wish all of you a Magical Holiday and a Happy New Year!
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3 comments:
Holly- I loved your Christmas letter and it was fun that I was so familiar with all these things and that I got to spend so much timie with you this year. Thank you for the cute messages and for just being you. Your life is amazing and I'm excited to see what else is coming your way!
love ya- Mel
ps- are you not doing culinary school?
Well, this is my favorite Christmas Picture of you! But I am going to put on another one that is just as cute 25 years later. Keep on writing!
Wow, you had a busy year! One day when I go to Africa, I will have to ask you the best spots to visit! Good luck with your job hunt! Happy new year!
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