January- We spent the first month of 2012 lying low as Greg recovered from his surgery at end of December.  Many hours were spent prone on the couch, reading books, and exhausting Netflix’s resources! While Greg had regular check-ups with his surgeon, our family received meals, help, and kid/Greg-sitting from a wide variety of resources.  Family and friends were unbelievably supportive throughout this ordeal.  He was totally immobilized from the shoulders up for 5 weeks… which makes one really appreciate how often we move our heads!  

February- As a surprise Christmas present (pre-fall!), Greg had planned a weekend away to Chicago!  Luckily he was cleared to travel- neck brace and all!  We spent two nights in “The Windy City” in a beautiful hotel right on “The Magnificent Mile” and packed in as much as we could in 48 hours.  We enjoyed visiting an indoor farmer’s market, going to the zoo, eating at a variety of well-known restaurants, and seeing the Magic Bean, Navy Pier, and Millennium Park.  This month we also celebrated Amaia’s first birthday!

March- Spring break was a welcome sight.  We drove to Virginia where we visited Kara’s younger sister, Jillian, in Charlottesville, Greg’s grandparents in Bridgewater, and Polyface Farm in Swoope.  Polyface Farm was a place we have wanted to visit since 2006 when we read about it in Michael Pollan’s book, The Omnivore’s Dilemma.  We enjoyed walking around to see the animals and farm equipment and putting faces and context to the story we had read.  Greg finally got cleared to stop wearing his neck brace and to begin physical therapy.  This month Kara celebrated her 31^st birthday.

April- Ada and Amaia enjoyed celebrating Easter with both grandparents this month.  Dying eggs and then going on an egg hunt were highlights!  Both girls were baptized by Greg’s uncle, Jim, who also married us.  We were grateful that both sets of parents were able to be there for the ceremony which was held in a garden adjacent to our apartment on campus.  As we hardly had any snow this year, we were able to make it up to the Mancoon this month and begin some small projects.

May- Kara ran in the Tough Mudder challenge at Mt. Snow, Vermont.  A group of Fay employees entered as a team.  This meant lots of afternoons and weekends training in preparation for the event, but Kara did an outstanding job and the team came together to form a really cohesive unit.  Greg and the girls trekked up and down the mountain supporting and cheering the group on!  While Kara was busy pushing her limits on the mountain, Greg was able to go for his first jog in a long time!  We promptly bought a second-hand double jogging stroller and started enjoying family jogs around the reservoirs… though Kara is now the fast one!

June- Mid-month school ended, and after a week of meetings summer began!  Shortly after Jillian came to stay with us for two weeks which was great!  Greg won a school-sponsored haiku contest and was awarded the prize of a week-long condo rental on Cape Cod.  We enjoyed beautiful weather, walks on the beach, and a kite festival.  Kara’s older sister, Megan, and her son, Orion, also came out to the east coast and spent a few days on the Cape with us.  We took a trip to the Mancoon to relax and enjoy the PYO strawberry season.

July- We celebrated the 4^th in New Canaan and saw spectacular fireworks before heading to New Hampshire to visit with friends at their summer cabin.  We spent several relaxing days in NH before heading back to Maine.  Ada caught her first fish in Maine, and while it was exciting, she was definitely squeamish!

August- This month we went to NYC to first visit Rob in Queens and Coney Island and then to spend a few days with Dave and Truc near Times Square.  We were busy putting miles on our stroller as walked to various parks, enjoyed a variety of kid-friendly activities, and took the ferry across the river to Brooklyn. 

September- We made one last trip to Maine before settling back in Southborough to get ready for school to start.  As always, once the students return we hit the ground running but are happy to have a routine to follow.  Kara joined Fay’s Lower School and now teaches 5^th and 6^th grade Spanish, and she continues to work as a dorm parent.  Greg coaches three seasons, runs Challenge 20/20, and is also a dorm parent to the sixteen 7^th grade girls we live with.  We also celebrated our 8-year anniversary this month!

October- Lots of celebrations this month- Greg and Ada’s birthdays, Jillian and Kent’s wedding in CT, and Halloween!  The girls are finally getting into Halloween and it was fun to carve pumpkins, put on face paint, and go door-to-door with them. It was a busy and fun month with lots of great family time. 

November- In the beginning of the month, we spent a fun weekend in DC for Kara’s college roommate’s wedding.  We also spent the week before Thanksgiving outside of DC where we visited Jillian and Kent and Greg’s grandparents.  We spent several days with friends, including the Thanksgiving holiday.  Greg was fortunate to have the opportunity to hunt on our friend’s parent’s land, and even more lucky to get an 8 point buck! 

December- We celebrated the one-year anniversary of Greg’s fall at the end of the month.  While it was a somber moment to remember, we are very pleased with the progress Greg has made in the past 12 months and optimistic as he continues his recovery.  We spent part of the Christmas holiday in PA with Kara’s side of the family (minus the Seattle crew) and the second half in MA.  This year has served to remind us how lucky we are to have each other, our friends, and such a supportive and loving family!