Cohen family yearly recap, 2009

Holiday Letter 2009




Dear Family and Friends,

Well, the year has again flown by. We at the Cohen household have had a great year.

Our Gray family trip in February took all of us to Florida. We went to Disney and other attractions while trying to keep up with all the kids. There are a total of seven children ranging from 3 to 13 years of age. Amazingly, they all get along very well.






(Deb with Rebecca and Amanda; Grandma and Grandpa with all 7 "Gray" grandkids this summer)


In April, Brian and I headed to Las Vegas without Amanda and Rebecca. We were joined by our good friends Matt and Allyson. We had a blast, Brian and Matt loved the Pinball Hall of Fame (basically a collection of old pinball machines that they played for hours………or so they lead us to believe…), while Allyson and I enjoyed the spa at Canyon Ranch at the Venetian hotel.

In July, after Rebecca fractured her arm and had a cast for a month, we headed up to Boston with my sister Lauren and her family. All the girls saw the Jonas Brothers in concert. Thank goodness for Lauren who took all the kids to the concert. We loved Boston and hope to visit there again soon.




(Amanda now towers over Grandma Sue, and Rebecca is not far behind)



The summer was filled with camp for the girls and a restful summer for me. In August, Susan (my other sister) invited us to join her by the Jersey shore for a couple of days. Brian was unable to go, however, that didn’t stop the girls and myself from going. We had a great time, and much to my surprise I really liked it and would go back again. On a sad note, Amanda’s dear friend Rachel moved to Switzerland for five years. Amanda and a few of her friends sent Rachel off with a surprise party, and we just had a chance to see her with Rachel’s family coming back recently for a quick visit back to the US.

Then school started… It meant no more lounging around for me but back to work. Rebecca started 5th grade while Amanda started 8th. Rebecca still takes piano at home, flute in school, and is in two dance classes. Amanda continues to take tennis on Saturday's, and was an Oompa Loompa in the school play of Willie Wonka last year.

One big change in our lives was that Brian was transferred out of the Huntington Fidelity office to the Flatiron District office in NYC. Luckily, Brian is really a city boy at heart. However, it has changed my life. He was so helpful when he was in Huntington, picking and dropping off the kids, and rearranging his schedule at times to adjust to my work schedule demands. That’s all changed now. He is gone now in the morning as he gives the kids a quick "good morning" before the kids officially get up and usually gets home around 7pm. I know that a lot of people deal with situation everyday. However, I liked having Brian around, so I guess I just miss him. WOW, I can’t believe I just wrote that, but it is true…even after 16 years of marriage!









Thanksgiving was spent in Connecticut at Susan and Tony’s new house, which is beautiful and lots of fun. She not only built the house but has plenty of property including an old chicken coop and a barn. There is always something to do. Christmas was spent at Lauren and Brian’s house in Connecticut, and a great time had by all, including a visit by the police...let's just say that when you have phones for little kids that look like play phones, 911 is not too difficult for someone to call by accident.

We wish everyone a Happy and Healthy Holiday Season and Wonderful New Year.

Love,
Debbie (plus Brian, Amanda and Rebecca)