Another year has passed and as usual, in record time. 2008 was a year filled with new and unusual twists and turns. However, we find ourselves at the end of the year with our health, happiness and high hopes for the year ahead. So, in a very compact version, here are some highlights from the past year. So what did we do and who did we share memories with.
• A Giants Super Bowl victory was a great way to start off a busy year. Being at my first Super Bowl game was the added bonus!
• Super weekend two, a trip to the Grammys. Too many amazing musicians to name them all. EBay was quickly becoming our friend.
• A Porcelli Family vacation - the Florida Keys. A wonderful trip with Frank and Liz, Frank and Laurel and Roger and Linda. A thoughtful invitation from a very thoughtful uncle.
• The river runs green. St. Patrick’s Day in Chicago and a little work at the Housewares Show.
• Easter with Gus, Linda and Donna. Lisa fares well in the annual Easter bonnet decorating contest!
• Spring brings the annual Disney Food and Wine Weekends, lots of good food and wine and a special evening with one of our favorite vineyards, Pride Mountain.
• The first milestone event of the year was Elizabeth Swing’s high school graduation. A trip home to Virginia and a great visit with our family.
• Mid trip diversion- quick side trip to North Carolina and the Biltmore Estate. An amazing property and a wonderful excursion.
• Mix in a few great dinners with our friends Penny and Craig, Suz and Tom and Kathleen and Larry.
• It isn’t July 4th without a special breakfast with our friends Suz and Tom. As usual the food was abundant and the parade moved slowly.
• Our EBay luck changes. This time we were trying to sell off some tickets to Bon Jovi’s last show of his tour at the Garden in New York. Of course, the free concert in Central Park he announced the day we listed the tickets kind of dampened sales. So, what do you do? Rock with Lisa’s favorite band!
• Napa is always a treat. Attending the V Foundation’s Wine Weekend as guests of some very generous friends was an amazing treat. A wine lovers dream (and luckily we love wine)!
• Projekt Revolution. All-day concert, great bands and possibly the best show of the year as Linkin Park brought down the house.
• A visit from family. Bruce and Maureen came to California for Bruce’s birthday. A little more rock and roll with Joe Cocker and a great visit.
• We saw Lisa’s favorite band, so why not catch Dave’s also. Counting Crows concert, new music but same old Crows. Another good show.
• More great dinners with friends, Kallie and Guy, Frank and Carol, Linda and Gus and Kim and Jeff.
• Milestone event number two. Lisa’s birthday abroad. Italy and France. Read below for 40 amazing memories from a spectacular vacation.
• Don, Jacquie and Ashley made a visit to Disneyland and we got to enjoy and share time with them during their visit.
• More friends and more amazing dinners. Dave and Lisa, Ed and Stacey and a night with Working Wardrobes, Black Tie and Tennies event and some very fun (prize winning) shoes.
• Milestone event three, Dave’s grandmother passed away. You can read his thoughts on her passing below, but as is often the case in such an event there was a positive effect, we reconnected with family we had lost touch with over the years. We should all do better from here going forward.
• A few Rangers hockey games and a play rounded out the fall festivities.
• Thanksgiving with Frank and Carol, Gail and Larry and their families. I think it is our turn to host next year and it will be hard to match this year’s Turkey feast.
• Up goes the tree and off to New York we go for an annual event, Christmas in New York. An unfortunately tight turn allows us to keep the tradition alive but we missed out on one of the most special parts of our trip, visiting with our family.
• Throughout the year we had a roller coaster ride with our special girl, Bella. Eyes, back, allergies and she smiled through it all. God makes the dogs that need the most love the sweetest. She is a love and doing much better health wise.
• And so Christmas is just around the corner we are looking forward some time to enjoy the holidays, each other, our Bella and more time with our friends.
It was an amazing year and busy one. I am certain to have left off a few memories and I know I haven’t mentioned all the special friends and family we spent the year with. Not sure what tomorrow will bring, but we know together, with our friends and family, we will enjoy 2009 as much as we did 2008. We hope you will come and visit us in 2009; we would love to see you!
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