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| Ringing in the New Year at Rancho Russo |
Dear Family & Friends,
Happy 2014! I hope you all realize how special you have made this holiday season. From the kickoff at Thanksgiving to the culmination of this morning it has been an amazing ride and I couldn’t have done it without you.
I appreciate the time & effort you all have invested in our relationships. I know how difficult it is to travel long distances with small children so I applaud my son Steven and daughter-in-law Kim for taking the time off to make the trek. Although I had to work Thanksgiving, my family paced their eating throughout the day so that the main course could be shared together upon my return. To my work “family”, I must add that if I have to spend 12 hours on a holiday away from my family I would choose to spend them with each of you. The passion you collectively bring to your vocation energizes me daily.
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| Dawn & Damian |
Christmas Eve is extra special because my three “local” sons & their significant others come spend the night. That time we share is pure magic & I can’t thank you all enough. We have another holiday tradition. My sister, Dawn & her husband, Darren break away from their unbelievably busy schedules so that we can reunite. This year we decided on Williamsburg, VA and they flew into Richmond where Don, Damian & I retrieved them. We spent 3 fun filled days and nights. During our days we tromped around Colonial Williamsburg & our nights were spent seeing Busch Gardens through the eyes of an 8 year old.
Dawn & Darren, aside from being wonderful travel companions, great restaurant selectors & all around amazing people, provided us with a wonderful unintentional gift. They turned us on to the hysterically funny charades app called “Heads Up” (not the free one, the Ellen DeGeneres one). If you are unfamiliar with this game you should check it out. Dawn & Darren, being the theatre people they are, totally annihilate you in the category of Broadway Babies. The catch with this game, however, is the fact that it records you performing your charade as a video clip which you can then all watch. Hilarious!!
This provided us with entertainment at our New Year’s Eve party. Between that game and a follow up with “Apples to Apples” we rang in 2014 with a bang. An adult sleep over party ensued sometime around 3:30 a.m. Later on New Year’s Day we had a long, leisurely brunch with our remaining revelers. The 5 bottles of champagne that were cracked open after midnight had been drained dry. Fortunately, we had a reserve bottle for morning mimosas. Nothing like a little “hair of the dog”.
(with several bottles of champagne gone the “apples to apples” choices become more questionable)
After the last guests departed Don & I came to the conclusion that the best gifts you can receive over the holidays are memories. This new year my resolution is to make as many memories as possible. We’ll be kicking off with the resurrection of a tradition that sort of fell by the wayside for us. The entire Russo clan will converge at the Massanutten ski resort for some mid-winter frolicking on or near the slopes. For now, it’s time to prepare to return to the work world tomorrow. Thanks for the memories.
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