Motekaitis Family Letter 2024

               

We hope these greetings find you well, dear friends and family, in this beautiful season of peace, hope and joy.

We ourselves experienced QUITE a dynamic year in 2023, which held its devastatingly difficult losses and challenges, but also, gave us miracles that continue to leave us speechless.  We tiptoed into 2024 prayerfully and gratefully!

                                                    

After a long stretch of contract work, Bronius began a new position in IT at Texas A&M University in September of 2024, and he feels right at home with his team! In his free time, he continues to patiently care for details inside and outside of our house (including the nocturnal animals that occasionally show up) and has especially enjoyed singing in the Brazos Valley Acapella group as well as playing the violin in the Brazos Civic Orchestra. In his free time, he is often helping Julia with whatever she has volunteered the two of them to do together at church or in the schools! :) 

Julia began a new role in June 2024 as a Pediatric Behavioral and Mental Health Coach at Bend Health, and continues to coach work/life balance with adults through Spring Health.  She has a full schedule, but loves the ability to work from home. In between helping the boys get to climb team and theatre rehearsals, she is continuing her journey of learning new dance genres, and teaching pilates-based classes from her home studio. She also treasures her bunco group, her Abiding Together group and her Mom friends who keep her afloat every week!

Dominic (19) has adjusted beautifully to college life, and though he "lives" at home, we don't see him often! He is busy in his sophomore year with double majoring in Physics and Math, tutoring, attending activities at St. Mary's student center, and has built a successful photography business to help pay for his tuition.  He also enjoys spending time with his beloved girlfriend Harmony, with whom he is often playing music gigs around town for weddings and other concerts and special events. He is looking forward to starting research at A&M as the only undergrad on the team next semester! Fun fact about Dominic, he drives a mustang MANUALLY and you can hear it from a mile away!

Milo (16) has had a BIG junior year, stuffed with 5 AP classes, off campus PE with his climbing team, out of town climbing competitions, multiple school clubs, orchestra, youth group - as well as learning how to drive!  There has not been much breathing room for him, so in his free time, we genuinely encourage him to SLEEP! We can't believe this summer he will already be looking at colleges.  This year was also special as he turned 16, and received the sacrament of Confirmation.  Next semester, Milo is looking forward to driving and hopefully having a little more free time. Fun fact about Milo, he is now the tallest in the family!

Jonas (almost 14) has grown by leaps and bounds in his 8th grade year.  His voice dropped, which has been weird and exciting all at the same time.  He is enjoying experimenting with new tones and tunes as a singer and pianist, and was recently cast as the Beast in our theatre company's local production of Beauty and the Beast.  He is working hard to stay on top of his classes and attending youth group in between theatre rehearsals and shows, and enjoys rock climbing when he has free time.  He and Bronius have enjoyed singing in the Brazos Valley Acapella group together.  Next semester, he is looking forward to being 14! Fun fact about Jonas, his voice is the deepest in the family!

Some special highlights for our family this year:

Dominic and Milo got to attend the YoYo Ma concert in February 2024.

Jonas got to attend the Chanticleer concert in March 2024.

Milo performed in the Bach festival in March 2024.

Papa and Grandma celebrated 50 years of holy matrimony in April 2024 with a special vow renewal at their parish and a weekend of celebrating with the family!

Jonas starred as Shere Khan in a summer production of the Jungle Book.

In July 2024, our family was blessed to visit Italy for 3 weeks, and the boys were given a special opportunity to attend a Catholic youth conference dedicated to living the Focolare spirituality in the world.

In November of 2024, Julia celebrated her two sisters milestones birthdays with her brother Steve in Ft. Worth and had a blast!

As we reflect on our year, we are grateful for its simplicity. We found a new rhythm after a year that felt at times exhilirating,  but more often like quicksand.  We are thankful for the love, prayers and support that was shown to us by our friends and family, and we look forward to a bright and blessed Christmas season and New Year. 

We wish you all the love your hearts can hold, and we hope to see you in 2025!

Photographer credit: Zach Williams

What everyone has been up to in 2023!

Hello dear readers! Welcome!!!!  

'Tis the season for dusting off my blog and sharing some updates from the land of Motekai! 

Come on in and see what we've been up to!

Dominic was accepted in Texas A&M this January, he graduated from high school in May, turned 18 in July and started his own photography business! He is majoring in Physics and even though he is living at home, we rarely see him :) He is happily spending most of his days studying or practicing his violin on campus, getting plugged in with the St. Mary's student ministries and eating at Taco Bell at various hours of the day with his new friends.  In his free time, he is known to bake something carb-o-licious, or take advantage of a good nap!

Milo developed a new passion of rock climbing over this past year, and is always trying to invite friends to join him at our local gym! He is enjoying French and Chemistry immensely in his sophomore year, and continuing his involvement in orchestra and youth group at church.  He loves working on car models in his free time, and he received his driver's permit and is ready to take to the open road!

Jonas is somehow the busiest of all of us, and requires many chauffeurs to get through life.  This year, he enjoyed studying Tae Kwondo, participating in the Bluebonnet Community Choir and currently is enjoying acting, singing and dancing with the The Theatre Company's most recent production of A Christmas Carol. He is enjoying Science class the most this year, and in his free time, he loves to draw, write stories, sing, compose music on the piano and join his brother in rock climbing! 

And these two people.... we've been hanging on tight to the Lord and to each other! :) Though our children are growing up, we find that parenting is still very much a "keep your eyes on the ball" effort in today's busy world full of so many distractions and influences. We are enjoying goofing off more with our teens as their personalities emerge, and it helps us to keep our sense of humor to remember how WE were as teens. Oof! 

In all truth, we are so proud of our boys and how they are working hard at what matters most in life, and they continue to be loving & helpful to us, and each other. 

Bronius is our hero, as he adapts professionally to a changing tech world with his flexible mindset, happy spirit and strong work ethic.  He is still the most creative and people-oriented software engineer I have ever met. :) He has had the opportunity to lead Drupal workshops at conferences, and is continuing to define his career path. He loves to participate in musical opportunities for singing and violin whenever he is able, and has enjoyed playing in the Brazos Civic Orchestra and playing for The Theatre Company's pit orchestra as well. He also serves on our parish council in his free time, and coaches couples in Marriage Preparation together with me.

Julia has been a busy entrepreneur these past few years, continuing to establish her own wellness coaching practice as well as working for a mental wellness company remotely. She helps lead a women's group in our church community, and serves on the PTO boards at the boys schools as well as chaperoning any field trips that she can ( hey, I miss school!) In her free time she enjoys attending dance workshops and since good food is REALLY important to this crew, she is always trying out new recipes for dinners! 

We have been stretched this year.... in every possible way, mentally, physically, spiritually, emotionally, financially.  But all of this stretching has come with growth, and resilience. I am so proud of how hard our family has worked in everything we set out to do this year, including prioritizing visiting our relatives in different states which has been something we haven't been able to do for SO long! God has provided for many blessings and opportunities this year, and I am overwhelmed with gratitude.

Thank you for coming to visit our little home on the web!!! If you would like to read more about our year, check out the post below!

Wishing you a very blessed Christmas and Hannukah, dear friends and family, and a bright and hopeful New Year!!!!

 

Come travel with us as we look back on 2023....it's quite the ride!

January 2023We began the New Year with a bang (literally) with fireworks with our neighbors,  an interactive museum visit with Steve and Kristin and the kids, ice skating with old friends, an Epiphany celebration with our godchildren families, Aunt Lesley's birthday, the first annual Abiding Together gathering ,and Dominic being accepted to Texas A&M University! 

February 2023February always brings us so much joy, with both Bronius and my birthdays falling within the month. Senele gifted our family to the Houston Opera, and we enjoyed small celebrations with friends and Bronius' annual musicians jam session!  Dominic and Milo were given an incredible opportunity through their high school orchestra to be the opening performers for Midori, arguably the best violinist's in the world today. What an honor to open for her!!!

March 2023We made it to the BIG APPLE, thanks in large part to much of the support that you gave to us, dear family and friends. The CSHS orchestra students were invited to perform at Carnegie Hall after RIGOROUSLY proving their musicianship through competitions and fundraising efforts. We were happy to serve as chaperones on the trip (including Jonas the junior chaperone) and the memories of the adventure will live forever in our hearts and minds. We also were blessed with some quick visits with our Manhattan family members, who also attended the Carnegie Hall performance with us, and surprised us by popping in and out of our trip's itinerary!This month, In the midst of all of this excitement, we received challenging news that Bronius' position as a software engineer was dissolved. This brought a HEAP of stress upon us as we prepared for the New York trip and for paying for Dominic's tuition, and we continue to be challenged significantly by the stress of this adjustment and change.  March did bring an unexpected gift however,  I was hired for a remote position with Spring Health, based in NYC, as a health and wellness coach. My coaching journey has been a buoy for our family's well being in so many ways, and we are thankful to God for the ways He has used it to strengthen our faith, our marriage and our family!

Happy Birthday to Steve!

April 2023We welcomed the break we had in April!!! We said farewell to Lesley's 10 years of living in downtown Houston and working as an LPC in trauma. It was a joy to meet her colleagues and have a day of fun roller skating together. We are so proud of her! We also celebrated a joyful and peaceful Easter season at home!

May 2023My oh my, MAY.  We began with Milo's 15th birthday celebration rock climbing with his friends, and going to Luigi's for lunch with our neighbors.  The boys had their FINAL orchestra concert together in high school, and this was a cause for much weeping! I was also invited to speak at two different Catholic women's retreats, and was given grace upon grace to be able to share SoulCore and my story of becoming a board certified health and wellness coach. We enjoyed all the emotions of graduating our FIRST child, and feeling the rays of a setting sun on many joyful years of being his biggest fans while he was in school. Thankful to the grandparents for making so many trips up for concerts and celebrations this year!

 Dominic also enjoyed Prom with a great group of friends!

June 2023

The summer kicked off a conference I attended with one of my oldest, dearest friends in the world and roomate throughout college. We now have 7 sons between us and no time to catch up (hence the need to escape to a conference together!) This filled our tanks at LEAST for another year! Dominic began his photography business by doing senior portraits and sunflower field sessions to help pay for his tuition,  and Jonas had his summer piano recital with Mr. Hoffman. We also had the blessing of seeing both sides of our families with a mega trip to Chicago/Madison/Milwaukee, to celebrate my cousin Megan's marriage to Adam! It was wonderful to spend time with Bronius' brother and cousin's families, and then to see SO many of my Wisconsin relatives, a number of which we had not seen since our wedding in 2003. And then to be reunited with my own children's cousins who live in Virginia, all of these things were a tremendous gift. GRATEFUL!!!  We also visited the special place where my parents met and were married, Jesu Church of Marquette University, where my father used to teach, and where my oldest sister and I were baptized. This is particularly meaningful as my parents prepare to celebrate their 50th anniversary in 2024!!! 

July 2023In July we celebrated two big things....Dominic's 18th birthday and 20 years of marriage for Bronius and me! Thanks be to God! We filled our tummies gleefully at two favorite locations, Atami sushi and Casa Do Brasil, to mark the occassions. 

August 2023In August, Jonas had the privilege of being part of the Aladdin Jr. production at Allen Academy and he was delighted to bring Aladdin's story to life!  We also ventured to Panama City Beach for a last hurrah before summer ended, and enjoyed learning about the history, culture, cuisine and architecture of New Orleans along the way. We ended our trip with prayers of thanksgiving at the brand new basilica of St. Mary's in College Station. WHOOP!!!!  (yes, you read that right.. this first time Aggie Mom totally "whooped" for the first time!) We can not express our pride, joy and gratitude as we watch Dominic build upon his faith at St. Mary's anf flourish in his academic pursuits! 

                                              

                                                                        September 2023In September we celebrated Steve and Kristin's milestone birthday (won't share WHICH milestone ;) with a 90's party that was a blast down memory lane! I attended a dance workshop at the Dance Barre that burned about a billion calories and Jonas began his Tae Kwon Do journey. We also signed Milo and Jonas up as members for our neighborhood rock climbing gym and..... proceeded to never see them again! They found their happily ever after place! Though he does live at home, we also all learned how to live without seeing Dominic for full days at a time (sniff sniff). Apparently the college transition is going well, but we sure do miss seeing him and we are so happy when he comes home to sleep! We were also blessed to host our Word of Life Focolare gathering in our home in September. This special community continues to feed and nourish our faith as individuals, and as a family, through the ups, downs and changes of life. With the Focolare, we have learned to reach out boldly to others with Gospel love, and to practice the understanding that life circumstances may change, but God's love and faithfulness never does!

October 2023October offered us more of the rare and precious privilege to spend time with family and friends. We visited Aunt Les in her new beautiful space and community in Ft. Worth, and got a chance to see my Dad's side of the family in South Florida for my godfather's 80th birthday. It brought IMMENSE JOY to spend time with my aunts, uncles and cousins whom I have not seen in over 5 years. I took Bronius on a tour of all of my childhood homes, schools and parishes...and the nostalgia was contagious. My heart has been overwhelmed with joy by the chances we have had to see our families, especially given how full and busy life is for all of us! I'm so glad that we have seized the day and made the time, for it is all that matters!We also enjoyed some fun Hallow's Eve celebrating with pumpkin carving with our dear friends and a dress up party!  I was a sunflower, Bronius was Vincent Van Gogh, Milo was a surfer and Jonas was naturally, an 18th century English gentleman author with a monocle. 

November 2023Bronius began the month by giving a Drupal presentation at a conference in Bethesda.  He also left me at home on Halloween with a child who had caught the stomach bug. WE SURVIVED. But, it was touch and go!  Milo received his permit to drive after 4 attempts to get all the correct paperwork into the DPS.  I attended a Bollywood Dance workshop that made me feel like I was in high school again! We were privileged to continue our 20 year tradition of delivering Thanksgiving meals to our neighbors in need with Saint Vincent de Paul, and we also attended Bronius' 5th annual Brazos Civic Orchestra concert with the grandparents.And for the most special update from November, we were given the opportunity to be with Bronius' family for Thanksgiving and celebrating Senele's and Mantas' birthdays in Colorado Springs. We relished in rock climbing, hiking, feasting, playing games and enjoying SNOW in a beautiful home all together.  Again, I know we will reliving these memories for years to come!!!

December 2023

December is still unfolding before our eyes. but the greatest joy has been Bronius and Jonas performing in our local Theatre Company's production of A Christmas Carol. It has brought the Christmas Spirit into our homes and hearts without a doubt! We also attended Dominic's TAMU Orchestra concert, Milo's CSHS orchestra concert, and Jonas' two choir concerts for the Bluebonnet Community Choir and his CSMS school choir.  December is always abundantly full of music in our home and family, and we are thankful to play a small role in bringing hope and peace to people in the season of Christmas. We are also looking forward to Christmas caroling at our neighborhood nursing home with our Focolare group, bringing baked goods to our cul de sac neighbors and celebrating our traditional Lithuanian Kūčios dinner before Christmas Eve Mass with Senele.

We have yet one more milestone to celebrate as the year closes, Papa's and Lesley's big birthdays!!! We will be traveling to Florida one more time this year to be with family to give homage both to a great man and a dear sister/daughter/aunt who have both given us all so much!

I look back on this year and I can't believe what I see. We were all given HUGE opportunities to grow, to be challenged, to suffer well, to care for one another well and to celebrate well. We count all of this as gift. Even the ungraceful struggle with uncertainty and change. We have had one of the best year's we have ever had, because we have learned how to sing the song that God's love and faithfulness is sturdy shelter, no matter what circumstances we face. I know this is meant to be a lesson for many, many other things that life may bring.

If you have made it this far through all of of my verbosity and pictures ;), I thank you for caring about us and being part of our lives, for loving us, praying for us, hosting us this year, and being with us in our life story. We thank God for you, family and friends. May you feel a deep, lasting peace and hope at Christmas time, and a bright renewal of spirit in the New Year! God bless us, everyone, and may we see each other in 2024!