2011 had its ups and downs but overall it was a year that saw things turn around for us in a good way!
2012 came and went and we can sincerely say it has been a great year! There were challenges but the good stuff made up for it!
At the end of the year one thing that stands out is the support of family and friends and the people we interact with throughout the year who make a difference to our perception of the previous 365 days.
We had my parents visit for almost six months and we had an "uneventful" visit. They got to see their grand daughters in the natural habitat and enjoy the interaction which is very different from the dazed jetlagged kids they get to see once a year for a week. The kids enjoyed the interaction as well. If we had to summarize their trip in one photo.. it would be this..
My dad constantly chiding the little one and she responding the way she does. Unforgetable moments!
We visited a lot of friends, attended birthday parties, celebrated Navarathri, Janmashtami, Halloween, 4th of July and visited places like Joshua Tree National Park and a host of theme parks in Florida during the 5 1/2 months. They attended the kids birthday party before leaving and it was Jr.'s 10th birthday and that made it all the more special!
Shortly before they left, Daddy Narayanan's company imploded and there was a job change which can only be described as a positive. All things happen for a reason and while we never understood fully how the company imploded, it was taken as a sign in this family to "move on" and "move on" we did.
One of the biggest drivers for Daddy staying at the old job was not the money or the position. It was truly the people. That said, the people in the new job are great! Going to work every morning is refreshing. There are changes when you go from a 250 people company to a 25 people company and in this case they are all good! The new job is great and brings a different type of challenge.
The travel to Austin has been replaced with travels to longer distances but so far no major sickness! Also feel like I work for Master Yoda of Air travel and he gives me the most amazing travel tips which are great! Someday, when I have tested these tips time and time again for myself (read that as "when I have enough miles to me a Travel Yoda myself), will share those tips in this space.
We wrapped up the year with a fantastic trip to Death Valley to celebrate my 40th Birthday, a lot of quality time with the extended family during the Christmas break, a lot of local trips to round up the year and a nice 60th Birthday celebration for my MIL last night!
San switched groups within IBM again and is happy with her new gig. The kids are a handful and have become more addicted to electronic devices like the PS and the iPads but we expect apple to roll out a new App to detox kids in 2013. Daddy is searching for programs that will automatically cut the wifi network in the house between certain hours or have the iPads black out automatically at set hours .. kind of a severe version of parental control...
2012 is over and we can look back and say "It was a great year for us! We took things in our stride and made the most of what was handed to us!"
Have also realized that in today's world of facebook activism, all those "social minded posts" don't make a difference. While the two places in the wolrd we love the most are fighting gun control and men control respectively in opposite sides of the globe, we are internalizing it differently and will do something.. but something that actually counts!
A big thanks to all our relatives, friends and well wishers for making 2012 the year it was!
Here's to a great 2013!
