First Annual Taylors Lane Jingle Bell Jog

This past Saturday Mitch hosted a 1 mile (actually almost 1.2 mi) race for his friends. The race started on Taylors Lane by the side of our house and ran down Barrymore Lane  to the end of Taylors Lane and back.  It was really cold outside, about 20 degrees, but the sun was shining and the day was perfect.  The winner was "Fast Eddie" Cohen, followed by Timmy Lelley, Shelby Hackenburg, Declan Flood, and Jacob Herrera.  

In total almost 40 kids ran and every runner received a Jingle Bell and a race bib number.

After the race we gathered on our front lawn for awards, hot cocoa, donuts and coffee.  The race also celebrated a good cause as people brought old coats and food for the Mamaroneck Food Pantry.

Special thanks go to Rich Alter and Anthony Dunn for helping with the set up and coordination.

China Reunion 2008

Today Tracy, Mitch, Tess and I met up with the other adoptive families we met while in China in 2006.  Since we were coming from NY, MA and RI we all met at the Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, CT.  The girls, Mitch, Ben (another big brother who's 11) enjoyed the aquarium, especially  the beluga whales followed by an early dinner at Mystic Pizza (the movie is 20 years old now).  Her are a few pictures of the girls and their families.  What's beautiful to see is the progress all of these wonderful girls have made and how happy they and their families are.  We are all blessed by their presence and our lives are fuller and richer with each of them.  

Although we don't live close by the other families, I think we will at least meet up once a year to catch up on each girls progress and remember the amazing experience we all enjoyed together in December 2006.

Here are the people in the photos:

Girls: Katherine and Tess

Girls 2: Mia, Ally, Katherine and Tess

Family photo: Melissa, Steve, Jeff, Mia, Ally, Maureen, Katherine, Ben, Marcie, Dan, Tom, Mitch, Tracy and Tess.