(click on the volume icon (bottom left corner) to (un)mute the music)
To our dearest family and friends, we hope this holiday greeting finds you all warm, happy, and healthy. As our boys, Jacob and Joel continue to discover the world around them; they bring us much joy and delight. They’re free to pursue and discover their surroundings to their hearts desire.
(click on the picture of our boys for a little something from Jake and Joey)
Their pursuit of freedom... Joey discovered newfound freedom when he started walking shortly after 13 months. And he’s free to try new and different foods now that his toothies are starting to come through. Also, Jake is potty-trained and Joey is sleeping through the night – both being a really looong time in waiting. How great is that? I suppose only a parent would be so proud of these groundbreaking highlights. I mean, how liberating is it for us, too – mommy can catch up on her rest and daddy can catch his breath and watch his sports.
Their pursuit of friendship... aside from the trust and comfort zone Joey gets from mommy and daddy (ok, admittedly, it’s more so his mommy and his primary teachers), Joey is more welcoming to new faces as he encounters new relatives, new teachers, and new friends. Jake enjoys his friends in school because of all the silliness only 4 year olds can find amusing. His eyes light up when his neighbors come over to play. Jake wishes that they would just marry him, so that they can stay over and always play together.
Their pursuit of knowledge… Jake continues to master his abc's. With the help and encouragement from his teachers at Kindercare, Jake is quickly learning to sound out words so he can write them on his doodle-board or spell them aloud. He’s also beginning to read his first books like Thomas the Train and Dr Seuss. We ‘re so proud that Jake is using his noggin more for cognitive uses and less as a battering ram. Joey is learning to communicate with what little he has. His yawps and his shrieks can mean anything and everything, depending on the context of his amusements or the mess he’s getting into. Unfortunately for the rest of us, even Paddi and Tyler, we’re all struggling to figure out what he wants and doesn’t want.
Their pursuit of tradition... despite our long daily commute to drop the kids off at daycare and the hours we put in the office, we’ve made a tradition of eating out for dinner every Thursday night. We all can’t wait to eat at McDonald's and share the events of our day. To the dismay of other patrons, I’m sure we’re missed at the other eateries where Joey has been known to fling a broccoli in their midst or Jakey’s strident insistence that nuggets be served everywhere.
Their pursuit of happiness... because we don’t always get what we want. Jake and Joey are going through the pains most siblings live through – sharing their toys, wrestling for mommy and daddy’s attention, and who gets to choose what book to read or what movie to watch. In the end, Jake and Joey, alongside Paddi and Tyler, they realize they’re each other’s siblings and we are a family. We treasure every little moment we have together. "This part of my life...this little part…is called "
happyness.” - Chris Gardner.
We hope to hear from you soon.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
From the Arzaga’s
Ernesto, Trina, Jacob, Joel, Paddington, and Tyler, too!
Our Christmas Newsletters from the yesteryear's.
Their pursuit of knowledge… Jake continues to master his abc's. With the help and encouragement from his teachers at Kindercare, Jake is quickly learning to sound out words so he can write them on his doodle-board or spell them aloud. He’s also beginning to read his first books like Thomas the Train and Dr Seuss. We ‘re so proud that Jake is using his noggin more for cognitive uses and less as a battering ram. Joey is learning to communicate with what little he has. His yawps and his shrieks can mean anything and everything, depending on the context of his amusements or the mess he’s getting into. Unfortunately for the rest of us, even Paddi and Tyler, we’re all struggling to figure out what he wants and doesn’t want.