This past week!

We had a great playdate with Missy and Sitina, they are doing so well together- not that that is a suprise or anything- but i just love to see it!

Yesterday, knowing i probably wouldn't brave the cold and crowds for inauguration day.. i JUST HAD to take the scooter downtown to see the scene for myself!  It was the AMAZING MTV Obama's concert!  I even got to see Greg- which was a surprise since it was tough to maneuver around the crowds to get where you wanted to be!  (so for that reason alone- it was nice to be by myself).  I even saw Clinton outside the Palm as i scootered my way down!   Although is was barely above freezing i felt warm - even on the motorcycle.  I ran into a couple other friends and put vids on my Facebook account for fun! 

Two hockey games-- ONE year apart!

Michael Vanni recently got engaged to Summer!  We are so happy for them both of course and went to celebrate with them at a hockey game.  We replicated this pic from OVER  a year when we went with Zara and the Vanni's last time!  

so here are the THEN AND NOW snaps 

January 2009

Here is a fabulous shot of anthony (texted to me by Auntie Becs)  all the way from Morocco!  Anthony and Becs are on a week's surf holiday there in a small, simple, little surf town!  I believe this is a view from their room or hotel! Surf Maroc   check it out if you want to go- VERRY inexpensive!!!!  but you just gotta get there!     

GO Anthony!  looks gorgeously exotic!

Playing with my christmas present- the imac!

Mary Rose took this great picture of the Munch in front of the White House
You can see the grandstands on the left of Pennsylvania Avenue here prepped for Jan 20th
Strangely such a warm day...

We ventured down to see the National Christmas tree on the Mall

Here is the munch with her gift from Chrissie- a leap frog table-- very kind of Chrissie!  We called her in Cuba and thanked her on Christmas!

Mary Rose was visiting, so we took the opportunity to go downtown to 

1. see the grandstand being built for Obama's parade- which i doubt we will even get close to on Jan 20th, and 

2. to see the National Christmas tree on the mall.  It was super successful plus it was almost 65 degrees warm!

The Christmas Crazies

What an absolute blast it was driving out to Hagerstown to not only see Grandma and Grandpa rock and family but also play with Matt's sister Beth plus her 7 kiddies!   Zara learned fast from Nate, Jacob and Laurie how to play a toy basketball game; i was SO suprised!  I am just so happy she has so many wonderfully vibrant and sweet cousins to show her the ropes!   I often wonder if she is missing out with no siblings.. so i love the interaction with her cousins.

Christmas morning:  Zara discovers her baby grand piano and plops down on her new potty to play it! I have no idea how she didn't fall through the hole!   HA HA  ( its actually very cute with a toilet paper holder and its own magazine rack! Meg and Renee were with me when i bought it at the Frederick Crafts Fair)

This evening we skyped Uncle Anthony and Auntie Becs in the South of France- sadly they did not have a camera on; but it was great nevertheless!  Anthony and Becs are visiting her family and it is Anthony's first time seeing Bec's brother's new twins!  So sweet!

The ULTIMATE CHRISTMAS PRESENT!

Look who arrived just in time!!!!!

Missy's daughter is the most precious, perfect, smiley, gurgling little one...landing ontime all the way from Addis! Missy was all lit up inside-

even after 18 hours of flying!

A sweet reception party was waiting... Zara and I thank Missy and her family for letting us "suprise" them at Dulles. I won't write more now--- but I could tell that Sitinia & Zara

will have a lifetime friendship- almost like sisters!

Granny and Grandpa Zarr are back in the country!

the much with new arrivals...just back from Spain and Portugal- spending some quality time...

Missy arrived in Addis... and last we heard was trying to rest before meeting

Sitina for the first time! but nothing since, i am sure its whirlwind of emotions and she has no time whatsoever to be playing around on a computer!

MUNCH TOOK HER FIRST STEPS!

well this was not one of them.. she is propped up nicely though! LOL

she did however take about 2-5 frankenstein-like steps on our living room carpet.

I found this particularly poignant since i had just spent the entire afternoon( frustrated) on the phone calling Pediatric Therapists and the insurance company trying to get her in for hypotonia therapy to help her walk faster! Here i am all annoyed that they are telling me that they can only get me on 4-6 months waitlists to gt into weekly therapy and then ZARA pulls a fast one on me!

She is such a little trickster!

Missy is off to Ethiopia in "2 days and a wake up"!

that is military talk... or so Matt tells me!

How surreal it is that MISSY is Baby S's mother LEGALLY in Ethiopia! What a great moment it was when she told me the outcome of her court date!

Now she is counting the seconds until she will see her daughter face to face-the first time for both of them. I will be thinking of her and her parents who are going with her and can't wait for the 4 ( count them FOUR) of them to return. It's sooo thrilling it gives me chills.

Here is the funniest video- its about 4 mins- but the ladies may enjoy it most!

http://link.brightcove.com/services/link/bcpid1370868150/bctid3130509001

couldnt resist posting it... sorry

She took her socks off & then climbed all the way through!

We had a fabulous time at Thanksgiving at Gramma and Grandpa Rock's home. It was so relaxing, warm and really a perfect day. Eileen and Tom were there of course with the BOYZ, and the special treat was seeing Renee back from their honeymoon...Greg even had a tan!

Tonight i was invited with Zara to the Palm by a really wonderful long time guest/friend. I had not been back on a Saturday night like that since i left- it was so generous & thoughful that Laurie and Larry (with their son Michael) invited us to join them. Funny to think i've known them for almost 8 years as they were great Sunday night guests! great seeing my old co-workers and I also saw several other customers as i left- and i think a few of them still thought i worked there! Too funny!

What a nice treat and Zara behaved pretty good- when she loosened up her throwing arm started flinging forks it was my time to depart!

Thinking of MISSY! She flys out of the country on Dec 6th to meet Baby S!

MUNCH a la Plage
waiting for the sunset

Beth has great pool which boasts a seated area with a dining table- little chily for actually sitting in the water- but Munch enjoyed the table top accomodations

Here are the newlyweds! Bob and Diana Worrall on the top of the boat!
Diana is amazing- she won a gold medal in the para-Olympics for Archery! I was so glad to be there & we all had a blast.

Bob Worrall's wedding to Diana in Naples

As we stepped aboard the excursion double decker boat, we were handed Floridian straw hats. The ceremony took place on the upper deck- they had a violinist and harpist! It was a great evening and Zara loved the jamaican-style steel drum band

playing at Joe's Crab Shack!

Above you can see family from my mother's side, Bob & Andrew Worrall, John Stark & his son Colin, as well as Andrew's girl- Anna!

Here is Ruth Stark, my mother's cousin- they all flew in from Edinburgh, Scotland!

Zara in FLORIDA

We arrived in Fort Myers on time and in one piece- well at least Zara was!  just teasing- we were great .. go our rental car and drove right to the beach!  The wedding was fabulous- more to come on that!  

here are some cutie pics with Jan - Our friend in Ft Myers!  we had a beautiful beach day.. as evident...

much love to all, write more soon, jocelyn

Days before the wedding!

REHEARSAL DINNER first

and then the beautiful church...

Sad the wedding weekend is over...

We went to see Beth before the wedding and Zara had a blast with their hamster! Then the festivities began! Laurie, Maddie (beth's kids) and Megan and Mary Rose were so

helpful with Zara and kept her from embarrassing me in church!

The party was outstanding- and after reading Beth's blog I was laughing so hard about her statement that her kids were in awe of the ladies room attendants! I forgot that Laurie came to me to say that a lady just gave her a towel in the bathroom! So funny!

It was first class service at the Manor.

Zara had the time of her life!

Pictures are coming in from all sides- I need to actually download my shots,

the wedding was spectacular! What a celebration it was! As I write...methinks Renee and Greg might actually be sitting on the beach in ARUBA!!!

Greg & Renee's wedding was beautiful