FW: Merry Christmas 2015 and Happy New Year!

Dear Family and Friends,

 

Merry Christmas, Joyeux Noel to you all! We had a very joyous Christmas Day and are enjoying our Christmas break! We hope you are enjoying this Christmas Season and stopping to reflect on how one small baby came that was like no other and changed the world forever for good! For God to love us so much and come into the world so humbly is something to awe over. We feel very blessed with all the love out-poured for us! I am like Mary this Christmas in expecting a Son, but I will have a lot more plush accommodations and help at Tampa General than she had! We are eagerly awaiting our 3rd Son who is due January 5th, and can't wait to snuggle with him and get to know him better!

 

This last January we moved back to Tampa after being in Atlanta for a year for Jeffrey's Medical School. We moved back in with Jeffrey's parents who have been so kind to support us during all this schooling of his. So Jeffrey finished up his elective rotations here in Tampa and then we took a motorhome trip up to Canada and he did his last rotation in Newport, VT. So we are very proud of him for finishing Medical School and all the hard work he has put into it! As a highlight of the year, his parents celebrated with us by taking us to Switzerland and so we had a wonderful week there to visit Family and friends and enjoy it's beauties.

 

We then returned home to Tampa and Jeffrey has taken a job teaching Physics at HCC while studying for medical board exams for the State which he hopes to take soon. He would like to be able to use both his physics and medical knowledge in research so he has been busy looking at all the options of work and applying places. We will be moving back to Daytona Beach for this Spring semester as he's starting a part time job at his Allma Mater - Embry Riddle. Our hope is that it would lead to a full time position there, so please add your prayers to ours!

 

Vincent is now in 8 and in 3rd grade and finished up 2nd grade with wonderful grades and made his Mama & Papa proud! He has had his first communion and is really taking to heart what a gift we have to receive Jesus at Mass. Vincent has an inquiring mind and will ask me deep questions these days which shows me how he is growing in both faith and reason. He really enjoyed the motorhome trip and was such a help to Papa with hooking and unhooking things at the stops, (while I was in my 1st trimester) that he was rewarded with a big lego pirate ship. Lego's are his favorite toys now for years and he's busy making his Christmas sets up and playing with them and Felix. He enjoys our weekly homeschool co-op where he has a science class that usually involves holding exotic animals and learning natural science. Then he gets to play at the park with his friends and in the afternoon has lego club where he gets to build, explore engineering and building concepts and have loads of fun at the same time. I have been leading the lego club group and have really enjoyed seeing the children's imaginations and skill in their creations come out! We are very blessed to have a big active homeschool group here that encourages us in our faith and supports eachother in our times of need.

 

Felix is now 4 and is such a cute little rascal that no one can stay mad at him for long! He's grown a lot this last year in being able to communicate and I am often surprised at what comes out of his mouth these days. The other day when we learned of a boy in our church who had passed away and we commented on the sadness of this in the car. Felix said 'But Jesus can bring him back, right Mama?' Wow, all those talks on Jesus' miracles and Heaven and the Resurrection were really getting through! So I told him that 'Yes, Jesus can bring him back when the time is right, honey'. Another time he amused us after the sonogram that showed the baby was a boy by saying 'Oh boy, oh boy he's a man!!" and "I told you it was going to be a boy Mama' which he had on many occasions! I'm very happy for him that he's getting the little brother he dreamed for! Felix went to St. Paul's Preschool for the fall and it was a very good learning experience for him (as it had been for Vincent). I've noticed he's better at getting along with other kids his age (he's used to roughhousing with his older brother) and is better at helping pick up and communicate when he's having a problem. He enjoys drawing and is starting to read some basic books. He's not my little baby anymore!

 

I have had a busy year with supporting Jeffrey and the kids and all the traveling while being pregnant, so sometimes it's felt like I'm just making it through the days. But I am so thankful for another child, that I don't mind having a year that has seemed to fly by in a blur. I have done some catechism teaching for Vincent's faith formation classes at church and have really enjoyed that and learning from the other catechists that I assist. I enjoy teaching the boys at home and being a part of our wonderful JMJ homeschool group. We will really miss them in Daytona Beach and will look to see what we can find there for support as well. We will thankfully still be returning often to join in the group when we come to see the Family in Tampa. I've also joined a beautiful prayer group that operates on email and in person, and is a beautiful blessing. I am enjoying crocheting a baby blanket for the little guy and getting the house ready with everything you need for a baby!

 

There are always a few kinks in the road and currently our town-home in Daytona is all ripped up from a toilet leak that effected the bathroom, 2 rooms and a few closets. We have a group working on restoration though and and hopefully this will not keep us from moving into the house in the middle of Jan when Jeffrey's new job starts!

 

We hope you all have a beautiful new year and would love to hear what is new with you and yours!! Bonne Annee!

 

God Bless and Many Hugs from,

 

Jeffrey, Haley, Vincent, Felix and Baby

 

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And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" But when he heard it, he said, "Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, 'I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.' For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners." - Matt. 9:1

Joyeux Noël et Bonne Année!!

Dear Family and Friends,
 
Bonjour! (Français ci-dessous) Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all! I hope you have had a full year of blessings such as we have! Here 2012 is closing and 2013 is arriving already! Not news to anyone but me, because my inward clock is set a few hours (days?) behind; at least that is what it feels like!
 
I'm not that great with time management and always wish for a few more hours in a day…but I'll never get those 27 hour days or 390 day years, so I better start being thankful for all that I have been given! In my efforts this year to be more organized, I've only been able to come up with a loose schedule and I feel a bit like the king in the character building story who asks: What is the most important time? Who are the most important people? What is the most important thing to do?
 
He discovers through helping a wise old hermit his answers. By helping the hermit he escapes an assassination attempt on his life. Then by unknowingly helping the would be assassinator, he wins an enemy into a friend. The hermit tells him that the most important time is NOW as it's the only time we have power to do anything. The most important person is the one you are with because you might not get a chance to be with them again, and the most important thing to do is to help that person as that is what we were called to do.
 
I still have long way to go in organizing (I could probably get good tips from many of you!) but I do feel I need to be more thankful in what I have NOW, the people I'm with and doing the small tasks that make up our day in joy and love. I'm so thankful for having you all in my life and thought this would be a good time to let you know! Thanks for letting me ramble a bit. I am starting HCC this spring and wondering how to fit in my school, Vincent's school, household chores, cooking etc and so all these thoughts have come out, and if I figure it out I'll let you know. ;-)
 
Jeffrey turned the big 30 this year and is staying as busy as ever; he has finished his first 2 years of medical school and is now studying for the USLME 1 for licensing. He needs this in order to move on to the clinical part of the next 2 years. He's doing well and we think we'll be looking to move to Atlanta around March of this year for his clinical work. We've heard that student doctors as they learn of all the diseases, will have some scares that they are dying… and Jeffrey has had 3 this year; from heart disease to kidneys. As well as falling in the tub after blacking out from low blood pressure. So we are just thankful that he is alive and looks like he'll be with us for a while yet. :) Nothing like a life scare to show us what priorities are all about! 
 
We've had a year full of blessings! Vincent has turned 5 and is maturing nicely. He's still a 'wild and crazy' boy, but he's so smart. He says to me the other night "Mom, we didn't get to spend too much time together today" and "Do you need help with anything Mom?" of course this is after I tell him it's time for bed! ;-) If only he would say those things during the day! haha  I've been enjoying homeschooling him this year and he is doing well in his subjects. He puts up resistance for almost everything except for art and science, so I guess he's a chop off both our blocks!
 
Little Felix is such a joy! He's 19 months now and was giving me loud kisses all over the other day, too bad it was in the middle of church and I had to hush him! I don't think I would have told him 'no' to that any other time! But he is a sweetheart and Vincent and him will kiss and make up after a fight, so cute! He doesn't talk much yet, but says Mama , Dada, all done and more. The rest we fill in with sign language and he loves to sign 'truck', 'airplane', 'bicycle' and 'shoes' the most, though he knows many others as well, like 'hurt' or 'hungry' or 'thirsty' and he even signs 'Baby signing time' which is of course his favorite video! He wants to do everything Vincent does: reading, writing, drawing, playing with blocks and cars, bicycling, etc.  it's cute to see the way they run around with each other!
 
We've had a nice time being in Daytona Beach again as Jeffrey was taking some tutoring and a course in St. Augustine. He's learned leaps and bounds and Vincent and I have been busy with school as well. We enjoyed going up to St. Augustine with Jeffrey and seeing some of the beautiful churches there, going to many playgrounds (one looks an old wooden 'fort' and is huge! Vincent has been begging to return there!) and even visiting their YMCA. We found one of the best pizza places there, called 'Puccini's' and we enjoyed driving by the downtown and going to the beaches.
 
We all saw our first airshow in Daytona Beach with the thunderbirds and WOW that was impressive! We even got a little teary eyed and felt quiet patriotic. They are very powerful machines, but are so graceful and awe inspiring. The kids were just staring with mouths open! haha They loved it and so did we. I hope we get to see another! Embry Riddle puts this annual event on and so it brought good memories back for Jeffrey as well!
 
Now we have had fun making cookies, decorating, writing Christmas Cards, making paper snowflakes, reading daily scripture passages and making way in our hearts for Jesus' coming into this world and into our hearts.
We are enjoying time with family and friends and hope that you all have a very blessed Christmas season and Happy New Year!
Blessings and Hugs,
Haley, Jeffrey, Vincent and Felix
 
Chère Famille et Amis,

Joyeux Noël et Bonne Année à vous tous! J'espère que vous avez eu une année pleine de bénédictions, comme nous avons! Ici, 2012 est la fermeture et 2013 arrive déjà! Pas de nouvelles à personne, mais moi, parce que mon horloge est réglée vers l'intérieur de quelques heures (jours?) Derrière, du moins c'est ce que l'on ressent!

Je ne suis pas très bien avec la gestion du temps et toujours souhaiter plus que quelques heures dans une journée ... mais je ne tomberai jamais ces 27 heures par jour ou 390 années par jour, donc je ferais mieux de commencer à être reconnaissants pour tout ce que j'ai reçu! Dans mes efforts cette année pour être plus organisé, je n'ai pu arriver à un calendrier lâche et je me sens un peu comme le roi dans l'histoire immeuble de caractère qui pose la question: Quel est le moment le plus important? Qui sont les personnes les plus importantes? Quelle est la chose la plus importante à faire?

Il découvre en aidant un sage vieil ermite de ses réponses. En aidant l'ermite, il échappe à une tentative d'assassinat sur sa vie. Ensuite, en aidant l'insu serait Assassinator, il gagne un ennemi en ami. L'ermite lui dit que le moment le plus important maintenant est que c'est la seule fois que nous avons le pouvoir de faire quelque chose. La personne la plus importante est celle que vous êtes avec, car vous ne pourriez pas obtenir une chance d'être à nouveau avec eux, et la chose la plus importante à faire est d'aider cette personne car c'est ce que nous avons été appelés à le faire.

J'ai encore du chemin à faire dans l'organisation (Je pourrais sans doute obtenir de bons conseils d'un grand nombre d'entre vous!) Mais je pense que je dois être plus heureux dans ce que je viens, les gens que je suis avec et de faire les petites tâches que les constituent de nos jours dans la joie et l'amour. Je suis tellement reconnaissante de vous avoir tous dans ma vie et j'ai pensé que ce serait un bon moment pour vous faire connaître! Merci de me laisser divaguer un peu. Je commence HCC ce printemps et je me demandais comment adapter dans mon école, à l'école Vincent, tâches ménagères, etc cuisson et ainsi de toutes ces pensées sont sortis, et si je le comprendre, je vous le ferai savoir. ;-)

Jeffrey tourné les 30 grands cette année et est de rester aussi occupé que jamais, il a terminé ses 2 premières années de l'école de médecine et est en train d'étudier pour la USLME 1 pour octroi de licences. Il a besoin de cela pour passer à la partie clinique des 2 prochaines années. Il se porte bien et nous pensons que nous allons chercher à se déplacer à Atlanta autour de Mars de cette année pour son travail clinique. Nous avons entendu dire que les étudiants en médecine dans leur apprentissage de toutes les maladies, aura quelques frayeurs qu'il va mourir ... et Jeffrey a eu 3 cette année, d'une maladie cardiaque pour les reins. Ainsi que la baisse dans la baignoire après l'occultation de la pression artérielle basse. Donc nous sommes vraiment reconnaissant qu'il est vivant et dirait qu'il va être avec nous pendant un certain temps encore.  Rien de tel qu'une vie effrayer pour nous montrer ce que sont les priorités tout!

Nous avons eu une année pleine de bénédictions! Vincent a tourné 5 et mûrit bien. Il est encore un «sauvage et fou» garçon, mais il est tellement intelligent. Il me dit l'autre soir: «Maman, nous n'avons pas l'occasion de passer trop de temps ensemble aujourd'hui» et «Avez-vous besoin d'aide avec maman quelque chose?" Bien sûr, c'est après que je lui dis que c'est l'heure de dormir! ;-) Si seulement il disait ces choses pendant la journée! haha j'ai été en appréciant homeschooling lui cette année et il se porte bien dans ses sujets. Il met en place une résistance pour presque tout, sauf pour l'art et la science, donc je suppose que c'est un tranchage nos deux blocs!

Petit Felix est une telle joie! Il a 19 mois maintenant et me donnait des baisers bruyants partout, l'autre jour, dommage qu'il se trouvait au milieu de l'église et j'ai dû taire lui! Je ne pense pas que je lui ai dit «non» à ce que n'importe quel autre moment! Mais il est un amour et Vincent et lui vont baiser et du maquillage après un combat, so cute! Il ne parle pas encore beaucoup, mais il dit maman, Dada, tout est fait et plus encore. Le reste, nous remplir de la langue des signes, et il aime à signer «truck», «avion», «bicyclette» et «chaussures» le plus, mais il sait bien d'autres encore, comme «mal» ou «faim» ou «soif »Et il a même des signes« signature temps bébé »qui est bien sûr sa vidéo préférée! Il veut tout faire Vincent fait: la lecture, l'écriture, le dessin, jouer avec des blocs et des voitures, vélo, etc, il est mignon à voir la façon dont ils courent les uns avec les autres!

Nous avons passé un bon moment étant à Daytona Beach à nouveau comme Jeffrey prenait quelques cours et un cours à St. Augustine. Il a appris à pas de géant et Vincent et j'ai été très occupé avec l'école aussi. Nous avons apprécié allant jusqu'à saint Augustin avec Jeffrey et de voir quelques-unes des belles églises là-bas, va nombreuses aires de jeux (on regarde un vieux bois «fort» et c'est énorme! Vincent a été la mendicité d'y retourner!) Et même visiter leur YMCA . Nous avons trouvé l'un des meilleurs endroits de pizza là-bas, appelé «Puccini» et nous avons apprécié la conduite par le centre-ville et aller à la plage.

Nous avons tous vu notre premier meeting aérien de Daytona Beach avec les thunderbirds et Wow, c'était impressionnant! Nous avons même eu un peu de larmes aux yeux et se sentait calme patriotique. Ce sont des machines très puissantes, mais qui sont si gracieux et impressionnant. Les enfants étaient juste à regarder la bouche ouverte! haha Ils ont adoré et nous aussi. J'espère que nous aurons à voir un autre! Embry Riddle met cet événement annuel et il a de bons souvenirs de retour pour Jeffrey aussi bien!

Maintenant, nous avons eu plaisir les cookies de décision, la décoration, l'écriture cartes de Noël, des flocons de neige en papier faisant, la lecture de passages des Ecritures tous les jours et faire place dans nos coeurs pour la venue de Jésus dans ce monde et dans nos cœurs.

Nous profitons du temps avec la famille et les amis et j'espère que vous avez tous une saison très heureux Noël et Bonne Année!

Bénédictions et les étreintes,

Haley, Jeffrey, Vincent et Félix


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But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness,
and all these things will be given to you as well. Matt 6:33

Want to know what's going on with Haley and Jeff? Read my blog! http://haleyscallon.blogspot.com

Bonne Annee and Happy New Year!

 
Joyeaux Noel, Merry Christmas, Bonne Annee and Happy New Year!! Big thanks to Alyse and John for taking these great pics for us!!
Time is passing quickly with Felix growing so fast! He is close to 8 months now and is crawling around very well now and starting to pull himself up in the crib, he is such a sweatheart and is very patient for the most part. He puts everything into his mouth... except a spoon with food on it... when I try feeding him solids he grits his teeth and gives me a worried look, then if I manage to get anything past that, he just coughs it out. It's a work in progress. :)
 
Vincent is 4 now and doing well in preschool and LOVES it, he has made friends now and it's more of a punishment for him to stay HOME from school than it is to go. ;) He is one of the 'ring leaders' in a group of boys who like to rough house and yet he is staying out of trouble - Praise the Lord! He is quite a sweety and smarty too as the other day when his finger hurt so much he had to get out of bed to tell me about it and say he needed 'comforting' (hang nail) and I mentioned that my back hurt, he said " come and lay by me and we can comfort eachother" *aaaaawwww* So I went and laid by him and he was asleep in two seconds... I guess he was right, he just needed a little comforting. :) 

 

Jeffrey is doing well in Med school and is happy for a break this last week, but he plans on starting to study again tomorrow to get a head start... no rest for the weary! But we'll be having fun and going to Daytona for a few days, so that will be a nice way to get away from it all.

 

I am busy with the kids and household duties but I occasionally get to sit and read or sew a bit. ;) I started going to a wonderful prayer group at church and have really appreciated the Daily meditations and time with Jesus, so I am taking the Classes for becoming Catholic which is a bit like Sunday school and most likely will come into the church this Easter. You are all welcome to attend, sounds like a beautiful service with baptisms and special anointings and laying on of Hands.

 

Next summer we will be moving to Atlanta for 1-2 years as Jeffrey does his Clinical rotations there, so life is always exciting around Jeffrey I find. ;)

Hope you all have a wonderful and blessed year!

 

Jeffrey, Haley, Vincent and Felix

News for 2011

Well I am learning how to post from my email... maybe this will help me to keep this blog more updated than once a year! ;D
I am attempting to post some pictures from our last visit to Disney. Little Felix has made his arrival as you can see! He is a happy baby, I keep saying that I have never met such a happy baby because he smiles so much! :D Well it makes sense Felix means Happy! So this year has been full of getting ready for Baby. Jeffrey is in school for an MD and doing well. We were able to go to Canada because of Hildegard and Vince. Vincent started Preschool at St. Pauls and is doing well and really enjoying it. We are looking into getting curriculam to start him in Kindergarten early with homeschooling and might decide on that next year. I am going through a beautiful prayer book and weekly meeting at St. Pauls and am studying more about the church through RCIA classes on Sunday. God has blessed us greatly and continues to do so!


 

Thanksgiving love

Catching up!

Looks like I'm running a year behind and need to update with some more birthday pix and news! Well we've had a busy year, we traveled to Canada last year on the train and we went to Switzerland to show off Vincent for the first time! Then we had a blast being in For Such a Time about the story of Esther you can see the trailer at www.tendershootfilms.com . Then it was back to work as usual for Jeffrey at Embry Riddle to finish up his Masters and now it's April already and we're getting ready to move to Switzerland! *whew* That sure was a condensed version of our year!! I'll post some pictures and more notes soon. :) God be praised we are doing well and Jeffrey continues to improve, we're even going to Disney world tomorrow (thanks Hurley!) and at one time we couldn't imagine ever being able to go there again! God is good! :)

Pictures from Haley

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