Merry Christmas!

Hey everyone...sorry about yet another long delay in the blog updates...but things have been kind of busy as most of you can imagine. Not that I have a lot of time tonight...but the Mrs. wants me to put two things out there for all of you to enjoy. The first are a couple of pictures from our recent trip to see Santa! This year we caught old Chris Kringle down at the local nursery...Weston Nurseries. What a great little thing they do for the local families. They have hot cider, a fire pit to make s'mores and a free visit with Santa. They even print a couple of pictures for you right then and there for you to take home. Really a pretty amazing treat these days....we will be sure to visit again next year! Kade and Avery were a little skittish with the big man...but as usual...Payton was ready for her photo shoot!

Jen also wanted me to post the family letter for all to enjoy. Seeing as how we are just now getting together the final letters to be sent...it is highly likely you will see it here before it reaches your mailbox. Without further ado...here is the Christmas 2009 Cavagnaro family letter:

Dear Friends and Family,

Christmas really is a truly wonderful season. No matter how our year has unfolded, it provides us an opportunity for wrapping ourselves in the warmth of traditions, slowing down to enjoy our friends & family, deepening our faith, laying plans for the approaching year and reflection upon the previous year. As the Cavagnaro family enters yet another Christmas season, both Jen and I are stricken with the realization that we are continually amazed this time of the year. It is always amazing how FAST the holidays sneak up on us. It is always amazing just how much there is to do and how many people there are to see. And of course, it is always amazing how fast your credit card can add up. But most of all, it always amazes us how much can change in the span of just 365 days. So it was with no surprise that 2009 did not disappoint the Cavagnaro’s!

By far and away, the most defining moment of 2009 happened in February with the birth of Avery Grace. Beyond the fact that having a third child throws life into complete disarray, the challenge of having a baby in a foreign country is always good for a “little” excitement. Jen did a fantastic job containing her anxieties (I think she only talked about returning to the USA one time) and overall the experience went very well. We were very fortunate to have many wonderful friends in our “Costa Rica neighborhood”, all of whom pitched in to help us through the experience. Even Jen’s parents got over their foreign travel phobia and came down to lend a hand. We are pleased to see that Avery is doing very well and just like any normal 10 month old, she is literally tumbling headlong into life. She has already gotten her first two teeth, is now crawling all over our yet-to-be-baby-proofed house, starting to say the simple words (da-da, ma-ma, bye-bye, hola) and starting to seriously think about taking those first steps.

The other major change for the year was our move back to the USA! After two years in Costa Rica…it was finally time to get off the beach and turn in our margarita glasses. I think I could write a thesis paper on the strain an international move puts on a family…but the most unexpected realization of all, was just how hard leaving CR would be for the family. Despite those first long months of wandering around the supermarket aimlessly and hopelessly stumbling through Spanish with the cop you are trying to bribe, we ultimately fell into a lifestyle which worked for all of us. Jen was able to establish great friends, learn the language and with the help of Arelis was freed from the shackles of cleaning and laundry. Both Kade and Payton settled in very quickly, established friendships of their own and both excelled at their Spanish speaking Montessori school. We are very proud that they both still speak and understand Spanish around the house. In the end, all of this made the final departure from Costa Rica hard for the entire family and if you visit us…you may still catch Payton wandering around our new home muttering “I want to go back to Costa Rica”. And so it goes…along every great journey, the sad goodbyes turn into the start of a new adventure…and so off to Hopkinton Massachusetts we trekked!

As it turns out…MA in July is not so bad for a family of 5 coming from Costa Rica…BUT…MA in December is an entirely different beast! It is definitely going to take at least one winter to get our “Colorado skin” back. Beyond the weather, MA has been treating us well thus far. Kade has started Kindergarten. He is doing well and is starting to read which is exciting for all. He loves school and really enjoys his homework (…falling into the “we are old” category…when did kids start getting homework in KG?). He has also started playing soccer, attends Spanish lessons and attends an after school program called Hooray for Books which he greatly enjoys. The big excitement for Kade recently has been in the teeth department. Just as Avery was getting her first 2 teeth…Kade lost his first 2 teeth. The tooth fairy was generous (in inflation adjusted terms) and he cannot wait to lose another. As for Payton, she is a riot! Her little personality is shining through like a 10M candle-power spotlight (I think she gets that from Jen). She has started attending a Christian pre-school and is excelling in her A/B/Cs and 1/2/3s. The best is when she comes home and tells us that “we are not letting our light shine”. Bless her little heart! She is also in Spanish lessons and Hooray for Books but her big news is that she is now fully potty trained and has FINALLY dumped her chupeta (pacifier)!!! Amen!! As for Jen and I, we are just struggling to turn our house into a home. Seeing as this is the 7th move for us…we really should be better at this…but starting over is never easy. It is a great challenge, but so was Costa Rica…at least this time we speak the language!

What will 2010 bring for you? Well, our wish for all of you, our dearest friends and family…is…365 days of blessed madness!!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year,

Rob, Jen, Kade, Payton and Avery Cavagnaro