How often have you said "it seems just yesterday we were doing this?" Well the thought occurred to me as we put up our Christmas tree a couple of weeks ago. However, it was Isabella, aged 12, that said it out loud. Either she too is growing up and beginning to merge one event with another (happens to the best of us) but Isabella has an amazing photographic recall and I think rather that she too has felt this has been a roller coaster year, that has whizzed by. So here we are, cruising into Christmas and 2015 and I thought I'd take a few moments to remember the year the Impavidos have had.
Isabella proved in February that public speaking is a piece of cake. She gave a great speech at the National Brain Tumor Gala Foundation with poise and grace. In 2015 she will jointly MC the evening, if you are in DC on February 26th and would like to join us that evening to benefit Pediatric Brain Tumor research, please let us know. Isabella continues to love music, gaining her Grade IV in Piano this summer and singing with the Children's Chorus of Washington. Sunday's Chantons Noel concert was lovely. In October Isabella gained her Black Belt at Tae Kwon Do and joined the ranks of the average teenager - she got a phone and seems to be constantly texting and posting on various sites. Pretty normal child! And as you know she has been off treatment since early October. We are eager for January's MRI and hope that things continue to remain stable. We will keep you posted when there is news.
Swimming seems to dominate Matilde's time - if she's not swimming for the school team, its the Sea Devils - we seem to spend quite a few week-ends at swim meets and making sure we have a dry swimming costume. She was chosen to be head girl in September and seems to be rising to the role and her responsibility with pride. She continues to love baking, there seems to be constantly a batch of cookies on the go, in fact the aroma of chocolate chip cookies is wafting in the air right now. She gained her Grade II in piano in the summer. And with the school choir she sang (and gave a reading) at the British Embassy's carol service last week-end. The intimate church, the 'right' tune for Away in A Manager followed by mince pies and mulled wine at the end of the service transported me right back to England. Terribly nostalgic.
Gregorio has taken to running big time and completed his first half marathon on June and finished the Thanksgiving Turkey Chase 10k in pretty cold conditions in record time. He's been learning Turkish and still speaks pretty good Spanish after a tequila or two. Thankfully his work travel commitments continue to be very manageable. Gregorio and I had a romantic week in Turkey, sans enfants at the end of September, complete with a magical hot air balloon ride at sunrise in Cappadocia.
As a family we have traveled a fair amount this year. We had a great week in Jackson Hole, even if Delta conspired again to cause travel havoc on the outward journey. The girls flew solo to London on Independence Day and we enjoyed a very English wedding in the Bath countryside in July. This was followed by three weeks relaxing in the Alps, where we saw lots of ibex, chamois and marmots and ate plenty of prosciutto, fungi porcini and gelato. The female side of the family returned to England in August and enjoyed gardening in Kent, 99s in Cornwall and saw the Poppies at The Tower of London. The highlight of the year was the amazing wedding in Mexico in November (all the photos here were taken in Mexico). We've had some memorable trips. Meanwhile I have traveled a fair bit with work - the spread of my trips indicative of the variety of themes I am working on - the D-Day beaches in the spring, pre-historic tombs and sites in England and Ireland in the summer and the Venice film festival in September.What lies ahead? Where will 2015 take us? Maybe somewhere near you? And if not, you are always welcome to visit us here in DC! Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas. May 2015 bring you many fun and happy new adventures.
With love,
Emma, Gregorio, Isabella & Matilde. xxx
