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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year 2014

Our dear family and friends

As I sit down to write this annual Christmas letter, it’s an unusually bleak day here in Rome. It’s dark, rainy and cold and but sitting here, in front of the huge Christmas Tree we have put up in our living Rome, I feel anything but. As I look back on the year that’s been, and search out those tidbits of our lives to share with you, I feel warm and fuzzy, contented, accomplished, just plain happy. And that’s because I realize, it has been a good year, in fact it’s been a great year. Gerard finished his stint in Afghanistan and we are all together in a place we are once again happy to call home.

The move back to Rome went well for the most part, and after the initial expected hitches (telephone and internet connections) and unexpected hitches (we were without a washing machine for almost a month) we settled down into our lovely home, ready for round 2 in Rome.

The kids, especially the younger three, settled into their new school really fast. Arhantika (15 years) took a little longer, but full credit to her, as we know how hard it must be to change school yet again and in this crucial final IGCSC year. But she is thrilled to be back in Rome and re connecting with all her old friends from when we were here last time, has made coming back really special. She loves photography and music and is our resident DJ, fashion advisor and neatness disciplinarian.

Ryeika is 11, spirited and always happy and enthusiastic. Her big achievement this year, is that she has learnt to take the public bus home from school on days she stays back for special clubs. She is the gadget expert, can find anything you have lost, and is the someone you need around if you are having a bad day.

Neeira is 9, very gentle, affectionate and quietly confident. She can be a real clown sometimes and makes us laugh with her antics and imitations. She absorbs every experience she has to the fullest, and truly carries a part of every friend she has ever made, with her everywhere she goes.

Liraya is 5 and still everyone’s baby. She doesn’t scream as much as many of you will remember, but still definitely gets her way. Though she exasperates us as much as she delights, we all enjoy every minute of her antics and wish we could keep her like this forever. She began reading this year and we are enjoying being read stories instead of the other way around.

Well otherwise really, life has been just routine and normal, the usual ups, the usual downs. After the high drama in our lives the last two years, everything is just ordinary. Of course, a house with five ladies, can never be quite without its share of drama, but it’s drama that is not exceptional, it’s drama we can happily handle.

And so, as we plough through our ordinary days and predictable weekends, watching our children grow and explore, as we navigate school and work, tantrums and giggles, laundry and dirty dishes, trivial conversations, quiet laughter, inside jokes, teenager moods, sibling rivalry, sibling bonding, and other so called mundane moments, we thank God for helping us see the wonder and the marvel of this ordinary life. We thank God for making the ordinary seem extraordinary.

This Christmas as we welcome Baby Jesus into our home, we thank Him for our families and for all of our friends spread across globe. Even though many of you are continents away, we stay connected and remain close. Our times together are forever etched in our hearts and as Christmas draws near, we send you all our love and warmest wishes. Come visit us. (Don’t get put off with all my talk about ordinary, Rome I promise you, is more than extraordinaryJ).

May your coming year be filled with magic and dreams and good madness. If you surprise yourself, and enjoy the ordinary you will see it take on a glow and wonder all of its own. Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year.

All our love
Sanchita, Gerard, Arhantika, Ryeika, Neeira, Liraya





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