We had a full and exciting year! Instead of our Top 10 …here is the (sort of?)
condensed version/highlights:
Monahan’s Spring Break (Rome/Sicily/Barcelona)
– Amazing trip full of “Monahan moments”…on top of all the typical sights, some
of our favorite moments include:
·
A dinner/night/tour through Rome with
one of
our previous People to People Officers (now working at the Saudi embassy
in Rome) in a van blasting country music
·
Henry playing community piano in
the Naples train station and making Italian friends
·
Taxi driver hugging Mike after a 15
min. ride
·
Dinner and Italian karaoke at a gas
station before the owner’s Sun. family dinner
· Showing our kids Sicily (Catania,
Siracusa, Taormina, Agrigento, Palermo) & the countryside
·
All the food, gelato, beaches, airbnb
hosts, people
·
Getting back our deposit on our
Sicilian 9 passenger van rental (if you have driven there, you know how
significant this is!)
·
When the ticket agent says that
only 2 can fly to Barcelona, but then somehow manages to find 4 more sold out
seats
·
Flamenco dancers singing “Happy
Birthday” to Mabel (something got lost in translation here)
We also were blessed to take a trip
to MN and the boundary waters this summer, spend Labor Day at Lake of the
Ozarks, AND watch our marchers (Henry & Andrew) perform at NATIONALS in
Indianapolis in Nov! Henry and Andrew
also got to go to CO in April with band, and Chicago this summer on a mission
trip. We have also taken numerous weekend
college visits….Mabel could probably give one at this point. We also attended
BSA camp this summer too.
Henry (18, Senior) – question of
the day is what are you going to be when you grow up and where are you going to
college next year…if you have an answer for him, let us know ! He has
been accepted to KU, KState, Iowa State, UMKC, U of Nebraska, U of FL. He played saxophone with marching band (won
state again!), plays bassoon with wind ensemble, starred in multiple
performances this year (Midsummer Night’s Dream (Puck), Fated (he helped write
it), Newsies (Pulitzer)), is part of his school’s Improv team, & had his
Eagle Scout ceremony this summer. He serves on the tech team at church and has a new hobby of songwriting.
Andrew (16, Sophomore) – made the
JV soccer team this fall, plays trumpet for marching band and wind ensemble,
continues to be involved in Scouts and Youth Group, and joined Henry in the
Improv team this year and performed in Fated and Newsies this fall! Also does tech at church and has taken up songwriting.
Kyle (13.8, 8th Grade) –
is wrapping things up at Blue Valley Middle School, played tackle football this
fall, plays trombone for middle school band, and is also involved in Scouts,
Youth Group and Confirmation.
Mabel (9, 3nd Grade) – joined
a dance troupe this fall (& dances all the time), plays outdoor soccer, enjoys
Girl Scouts, and proudly calls herself a Swiftie (and recently learned some Swift
songs on the ukulele). She is excited to be a flower girl in her cousin Katie’s
wedding in 2025!
Julie – continues as Girl Scout
Troop Leader, and (rarely) substitute teacher.
Continues to enjoy Euchre and women’s Bible study, and added some fun with
a fitness group called FIA.
Mike – continues as Scoutmaster, enjoys
InfoSec at Burns & McDonnell, leads Confirmation classes for Kyle’s group, and
participates in a men’s Bible study.
Monahan Holidays – We will spend Thanksgiving
with Mike’s family in Denver and Christmas with Wilkersons in Florida!
We love our loud (sometimes 3
instruments at a time), messy, busy home and feel truly blessed. May you see God’s love in your life as you
look back on 2023 and look toward 2024! Happy holidays!
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