Michael, Shalom and I were happy to spend our Winter Break visiting friends and family in Chicago and Louisiana. We were especially excited to share our news of another baby on the way, and after weeks of squeezing into my regular pants, I was very glad to dig my maternity clothes out of storage. Our second child will be in good company, with a boy Fradin cousin and a baby Dreyfuss girl just a few weeks older when he or she is born in June! Shalom learned dozens of new words over the break, including the names of the friends and family members we had so much fun with. In Chicago, we went to the Children’s Museum, the zoo, out to eat in some of our favorite restaurants, and also spent a lot of time sleeping late, napping, and just relaxing. We were all happy to meet the newest family member, my mom's new puppy Moonshadow. Shalom had fun sharing his toys and even sitting inside of his crate. We were glad to be in town for the Fradin family Hanukkah party, where Shalom certainly racked up! In Louisiana, we celebrated Chrismas in Sulphur, Lafayette, and at the Stovall annual family reunion in Slidell. Ever since I brought my average charades time to under one minute, the Broussards have made me feel right at home. To end our trip to the States, we rang in the New Year with Melissa, Duc & Baby Chloe near Galveston, Texas. Michael & I were thrilled when we actually made it on time onto our plane having checked through our two pieces of luggage and two boxes weighing approximately 49.5 lbs. each with a 50 lb. limit. In the airport, some fellow CAG teachers and students on the same flight as us began our welcome back to sunny Guate. Here are a few of the pictures from our vacation featuring Shalom with her little friends and cousins. Love, Diana
