Wow, just wow. You know what I mean. What a sh** show. Seriously, have we really been that bad??? I promise, I'll try to be better. I promise, I will.
Now that I've gotten through that, on with the small part of the year that felt normal. January, February, and part of March. Remember that far back? I'm so glad we were able to travel at least part of the year.
Let's start with January. New York City has become a city we enjoy visiting, mainly because we have a lot of friends there. We were able to visit some of them at the end of the month and also see friends visiting from Australia and England. I doubt we'll be anything other than virtual friends for awhile, but we really enjoyed breaking bread together and just wandering around the city.
Our biggest adventure (or should I say travel adventure) was our trip to Vietnam and New Zealand. I honestly thought I was crazy leaving for three weeks so close to a major tax deadline. You know, that April 15th deadline I really thought was set in stone, but, surprise! In our new alternative universe, anything and everything is up for discussion.
Vietnam was an amazing trip. Asia is a favorite because it is so utterly foreign to us (although some of their culture made a big entrance into our world in 2020). Still a communist state, Vietnam has moved into the global economy in a big way. Look at your clothing labels and you'll see many are made there. If you want to learn more about that trip see Vietnam Blog .
And since we were already halfway around the world it made sense to us to travel to the Southern Hemisphere and visit friends in New Zealand. Visiting the North Island, we got a real taste of Kiwi life. If we are ever allowed to travel again, the South Island is very high on our bucket list. Again, see New Zealand Blog for more on the trip.
And then came March. Life changed for everyone. I'm sure your reality was similar to ours. Our friends in the Northeast were hit hard right from the beginning but our close friends have managed to stay out of harm's way.
We did take advantage of what America has to offer by spending nearly a month in Colorado and visiting Yellowstone National Park. If we have learned anything through all of this, it's that there will always be new places to explore right in our own backyard.
Now, for the family update. First, the most adorable grandchild in the world. Ethan continues to grow and also grow his vocabulary, most recently to words like 'walk away Mimi' and 'no'. He loves his trains, planes and automobiles which is right up Papa's alley. Jason continues his career at Bank of Oklahoma with 2021 seeing him going part-time while pursuing a Masters Degree in Computational Data Analytics at Georgia Tech. Alexa has worked hard at developing her art business, Alexa's Illustrations. A local stationary company noticed her talent and plans on her being their go-to artist for any specialized graphics needs. We're so proud of everything happening in their house.
Brandon has continued to grow his wine knowledge living in Sonoma County in between fires and shutdowns.Working with friends that own a winery, look for Maloney Vintners to release their first vintage in a couple of years. Brandon and Alex have decided to pursue interests apart but still remain close friends sharing custody of their cat, Esche. Alex achieved her Advanced Sommelier certification on her first try which is almost unheard of in the wine world. We wish her well in her career.
Sadly, we lost our youngest cat, Harvey, this year. His death was shocking and devastating to us. We decided we needed a young kitten to keep us in line, so enter Dillon into our world. If you'd like to see photos, check out his page on Instagram at dillonthemainecoon.
So here's to new beginnings and leaving 2020 in the dust. We hope to see many of you in person next year with or without face coverings but with renewed hope and optimism!!!
The Maloneys
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