Year - In - Review

Snowdays greeted us in early January, but before that blur of a memory, Mark threw Natalie a SURPRISE birthday party for her 40th, which he pulled off flawlessly (and ironically, she planned a surprise party for him a few weeks prior ... at the same place!). In addition to the room filled with all of her friends, her college besties drove down to surprise her from North Carolina. Great laughs were had and memories were made despite being between 2 illnesses that had her down and out on either side of her birthday.

Post Nat's bout with pneumonia, Mark pulled off an amazing surprise for Nat this Valentine's Day with a thrilling trip to Monterrey, Mexico! They tackled the breathtaking hike to the peak of Chipinque, guided by the fantastic Ana Paula. The views were so stunning they looked like a movie backdrop, but they really did make to the top—head lamps and all-- and had a fresh cup of coffee! They dined at Pangea (a Michelin-Recognized restaurant) for a well-deserved meal afterwards.

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If looking for a quick trip out and back, we give ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ to Monterrey!

We were so blessed with the opportunity to pull off a surprise birthday celebration for Natalie’s mom, Margaret with her family & friends! Those who could not attend from afar sent beautiful video messages and shared thoughtful memories of their friendships! We enjoyed dinner in town and a custom cake by (Edible Dreamworks!) that stopped everyone in their tracks. It was truly a memorable night full of surprises.

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Per usual, we hosted our annual St. Patrick's Day party with an epic turnout! Lots of songs were sung and great company was had! 🍀

Towards the end of April, "The Handful" lost a digit as we became a household of 4. Brendan made his move to Scotland and has been there ever since! While he is missed in Georgia, we are beyond thrilled for his progress in the UK and his ability to be more independent than he would have been in our region of the States. He has more to say about his transition here!

We had a bit of a balancing act to perform in order to accomodate both kids's summer camp schedules! After school released for the summer, we enjoyed a staycation and prepped for a longer than normal summer as the kids started their transition into their new school (with no regrets!). Summer camps consisted of: Lego, Art, Soccer, Swimming and Theater!

Our official holiday kicked off with vacation in Ireland for a few weeks in Ireland! We had a wonderful time celebrating our 10th wedding anniversary with family & friends from the States, Ireland and The U.K. at
Parknasilla in County Kerry, many of whom were at our wedding in Ireland.

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We also celebrated Rawleigh’s 5th birthday both in the States and across the pond!

For the 4th of July, Mark ran his 5k in Kilkenny, Co. Cork and we wrapped up our trip to Ireland in mid-July and within 1-week of returning to the states, Mark took a last-minute flight to Scotland to be with Brendan as he recovered from emergency appendix surgery! We are thankful he made it to the hospital on time and that his recovery has been smooth and complete (at this point!). Once settled back at home, the kids took swim lessons and started tennis lessons and winded down for the upcoming school year at their new school!

A lot happened in August that further confirmed our decision to transfer the kids out of their previous school! We were both overwhelmed and thankful for the elevated educational experience for the kids in both academics and socially! The kids kicked off the school year at their new school while balancing sports, piano & other extracurriculars.

Myles got his senior pairing (read more about that here!). Our fall schedule never slowed down; it's amazing how much was packed into a few months!

"Coach Nat" made her soccer coaching career debut in September with Myles’s co-ed U8 YMCA soccer team (Go ME-XI-CO!)! October allowed us a unique opportunity to trick or treat for the first time in an airport . . .

. . . in order to celebrate Natalie's grandmother's 90th trip around the sun on November 1st. And now, here we are: in December, reflecting on how full this past year was, yet looking forward to what 2026 will bring. We hope you are able to celebrate the most joyous if moments while taking some time to intentionally plan for the inevitable ones. We hope you find something to enjoy everyday and practice grace and compassion in the frustrations, when things don't go according to plan. And, mostly, we hope to see more of you in 2026, here or there!