I realize that it has been a long time since I have posted, but it will be a resolution for the next year. Don't give up on me!!
December 2011
Happy Holidays!
I wish I could say that I was planning on continuing the New Year tradition this year, but honestly I just ran out of time. Nevertheless, here is the 23nd edition of the Gagnon Christmas Letter and as always, we pray that it finds you happy and healthy and surrounded by those you love.
What a busy year we have had!
It started with the beginning of a new chapter in our lives. All four of us became American citizens this year! When faced with the option of renewing our green cards or becoming US citizens, we decided that the later was the better option. The greatest gift was that we are able to maintain our Canadian citizenship and so it was a total win-win. With our beautiful grandsons gracing our lives now, we know that we never want to be too far away from them. It is so fun to be able to share both the blessings of both countries and I proudly sing both anthems at the hockey games!
While that was happening.... my nephew Justin was being married in Toronto. Our family has grown with 2 new blessings, as Kayla and Mackenzie are the latest additions to the family. Welcome to the Garant clan! Little Mackenzie was born on March 27th and frankly,
I can’t believe that I haven’t had a chance to see or hold her yet! Don’t you worry... this year for sure!
Our beautiful grandson Dominic Pierre turned 2 on April 19th and we can hardly believe how quickly time has passed. He continues to wow us with his curiosity and it is evident that he has been gifted with some musical talent. He is very verbal and loves to have great conversations about the world and cookies and the important things in life. He continues to light up our hearts in a way that we could not have imagined and fills us with a love that is indescribable. He is now riding a trike, taking swimming lessons, loving books and puzzles and is just plain perfect! Can you tell we love being grandparents?
And then there were two!! Gabriel Xavier blessed our lives on August 10th. A second grandson to fill our lives with love and wonder. He is such a precious child and at 4 months is starting to smile and coo and steal our hearts. Dominic loves his little brother and it is very heartwarming to see them together. We can tell that they will be great friends (or adversaries)! All I can say is that there is plenty of love to go around in this house for everyone. We can’t get enough of them!
In May, we celebrated Philippe’s graduation with a business degree from the University of San Diego. It was a memorable ceremony and Pierre and I were so proud to watch our “baby” mark a major milestone in his life. He is busy looking for full time work and has filled his time with some internships and part time work. But he would love to get his career started. If anyone knows of someone looking for a Social Media person (or anything else for that matter) please feel free to give his name out. It does take a village - especially in these times. In the meantime, he has become quite the craft beer connoisseur and writes about his experiences on his blog and website. Check it out at www.craftbeerculture.com .
His girlfriend Brandy will be finishing up her studies at FIDM this year and is hoping to go on to one of the Cal State schools in the fall. We give her a lot of kudos for fitting right into our family madness.
Pierre still commutes to San Diego every day and continues to head Rhino Linings Corp. as CEO and president and the travel keeps him busy. He is connected to his satellite radio, which allows him to stay abreast of the NHL hockey scene while always remaining a faithful “Ducks” fan. We are still partial season ticket holders this year even though our Ducks have been frustrating. But then I guess all of those Maple Leaf fans know that feeling!
Chantal and Michael have been busy being parents to 2 little boys! They are also in the process of selling their condo to move to a place with a back yard and a little more room for these active kids. Thankfully, their choice is only 20 minutes away and although it will require a little more planning, no distance will hold us back from seeing as much of them as possible.
Michael is moving up the corporate Experian ladder and has had a few promotions this year. He loves what he does as a Financial Manager and is such a great husband and dad and provider. We couldn’t be more proud of him.
Chantal is teaching ballet 2 evenings a week in a couple of studios in the area. It keeps her in the world of OC dance and gives her a chance to remain current in her field. The boys are in great hands as she has proven to be a wonderful mother. She loves staying home with them and continues to stay active with running and her mom groups. Their lives are busy and fun and everyone is happy!
We had a wonderful visit from Pierre’s brother and his family in August. Although things were a little hectic with the new baby, it was a blessing to see everyone. Our niece and nephews seem to be growing up so quickly. We look forward to another reunion soon. Who knows maybe Timmins?
My life is full with the boys and house renovations and stuff.... My “When Women Pray...” event in Oct. was another huge success and I was honored with the title of “OC Catholic Woman of the Year” largely because of the event. In actuality, the team deserves the award!
We continue to feel blessed in all of our relationships and truly appreciate the wonderful family and friends in our lives. We feel so lucky that our special angel continues to watch over all of us. And be sure to check out our family blogs for all of the latest news. I wasn’t very good at keeping them up this year, but do have that on my resolution list - I promise!
http://maisongagnon.blogspot.com/ and http://mcricci.blogspot.com/
We hope you had a happy holiday season and that our paths will cross very soon.
Happy New 2012!
Pierre & Denyse, Philippe & Brandy, Chantal & Michael & Dominic & Gabriel,
Maple & Cali
