2022 has been a whirlwind so far and will prove to be one of the most memorable years we’ve had! Here’s a glimpse at what the year has held for us already:
In February, we celebrated my wife Rhonda’s 40th birthday in Orlando, one of our favorite places - Universal Studios, her favorite park. We also went to Sea World which, for anyone who spent time in Northeast Ohio during the 80s and 90s, was an extra-strength dose of nostalgia. As kids, we were season pass holders and took out-of-towners regularly. I also worked there for the summer after I graduated high school. Watching the dolphin and orca show with my kids was an incredibly memorable experience!
March marked our daughter Daphne’s 1-year birthday with an Itsy-Bitsy Spider-themed bonanza, complete with birthday pinata. She's highly independent, is a very quick learner, and loves doing things herself (in fact, refuses help).
Monroe is starting Pre-K and NOT excited about school, but how many of us were, right? He loves dinos, tigers, riding his bike, gardening, and cooking. He will be 5 years old in September and excited about celebrating another birthday with his birthday buddy...me. (Yes, we share a birthday!)
In May, we travelled to Maui for the Cetera Circle of Excellence conference where we hobnobbed with Cetera’s top advisors and took time to enjoy the island. It was fun and memorable, but not at all relaxing with two kids under 5 who were 6 hours off-schedule. To make it even more memorable, my parents met us there to spend time with the grandkids, of course.
July was our dog Cupcake’s time to shine as the dog of the month for the Cleveland APL’s 2022 Calendar. My dad's calendar has been and will be stuck on July the whole year. She’s his granddog after all!
In August, my mom turned 70 and, in true form, she wanted nothing but to relax at home. I can’t argue with that one, but this birthday was too special to just let my Mom do whatever she wanted. The weekend-long celebration included dinner at home by a personal chef, a boat cruise of Portage Lakes, and a long-overdue family photo shoot to commemorate the occasion.
In September, Rhonda and I will celebrate our 10-year anniversary by hopefully leaving the kids with their grandparents, so that Mommy and Daddy can get away for couple of days.
Two years after COVID, we’re fortunate to have a lot to celebrate and much to be thankful for.