The Panos Progress

Two-Year-Old, in the House!

2011-12-19T22:56:00.000-08:00

Happy Birthday to a sweet, little 2-year-old! On December 18th, the Panos household celebrated Zoe's second year of life with a little party that included her parents (of course) and both sets of grandparents! The theme turned out to be "Hello Kitty" since Zoe just adores that little cat image. What a cutie in pink boots!

With her Daddy, petting her new lambie blanket (and wearing Hello Kitty slippers).
The whole group had a great time (Zoe is wondering what that "blinking light" is on the camera).

Happy girl!
Goodnight to a precious, sleeping angel.

Counting Our Blessings

2011-12-10T21:59:00.000-08:00

This fall, we've been so thankful for Alex's job with the Marines, a lovely home, and family nearby. Here are some photos of the fun things from this past month.
Thanksgiving at the Meadows' (Daddy-O and the yummy turkey!).

Alex hanging out with Paul, Leah's cousin.
Paige (Paul's wife) and Leah playing with 2nd cousins Bryce and Zoe (who, despite their expressions, actually did have a fun time!).

A cutie pie with her favorite "sock-monkey"-like mermaid, who Zoe named "Herman" (yes, Herman is a girl!).
Also in November, we celebrated Alex's 31st birthday with a free trip to Disneyland (Alex had earned complimentary, park-hopper tickets after performing with the Marine band at Disneyland earlier this year). Zoe sat this trip out (we're waiting till she's a few years older before we take her for the first time), so it was a really nice date out!
It was also the first day that the Christmas decorations were up at the park, what a treat!

This year, Zoe got to participate in the annual family tradition of baking Christmas cookies!

We also enjoyed a fun Christmas tea party with Zoe's Gigi.
And Zoe just adores this fuzzy horse who lives at Gigi's house.
Yay for an already fun Christmas season, and there's still so much more to come (like a certain little girl's upcoming 2nd birthday!).

Fall!

2011-11-06T15:33:00.000-08:00

Fall Festival at our new church in Oceanside.

Marine Corps Birthday Ball! Happy 236 Birthday, Marines!

Our little Hawaiian Hula girl who helped pass out candy to the neighbors on Halloween.

Leah, ready with the candy, and always looking for a good excuse to wear go-go boots.

Grocery shopping in style.
Zoe's favorite weekly tradition: going to pet stores and visiting the animals. The bunnies are her favorite!

And two lounge-lizards. Our "chilly" Southern California weather is upon us, so time to snuggle up!\

You Know, The Usual...

2011-10-15T22:16:00.000-07:00

Our little Greek girl blowing a kiss for the camera at the Greek Festival in Cardiff (I see someone's belly!).
Enjoying great Greek food and wearing her "Yia Yia Loves Me" t-shirt, with Yia Yia of course.

Having a swingin' time in the backyard.

Hanging out with her Greek Thea who was visiting from out of state. Learning how to play badminton.

Celebrating Grandma Meadows' 90th Birthday!
With Ike, the ferocious Corgi.

Reading the Marine Times with Daddy.

And reading in bed (a popular hangout on Saturday mornings).

Alex doing one of those things he does best: earning the Rifle Expert Award for the fifth year in a row!

And Leah doing her usual thing too.

The East Caribbean

2011-09-13T15:20:00.000-07:00

Last summer, Alex and Leah enjoyed their trip to the Western Caribbean so much that they decided to take another cruise this summer, this time the Eastern Caribbean (sorry Zoe, no toddlers invited). We arrived in Florida on our 7th wedding anniversary.

View of Miami, Florida, before the ship left the port.

Half Moon Cay in the Bahamas

Alex looking snazzy on one of the formal nights aboard the ship.

St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands was lovely.
Puerto Rico!

Dance party on the ship.
Beautiful Grand Turk in the Turks and Caicos Islands!

Hanging out with John Glenn at the slashdown site.

Yep, cruising is pretty great.

Cousin Time Again!

2011-07-20T21:32:00.000-07:00

For a whole week, Monica and Parker came out to California, and Leah had a blast spending time with her sister while Zoe loved playing with her cousin. Aren't the cousins cute?
Beach time!

Pony tree-swing.

Zoe giving Parker her girly expertise on how to care for babies; afterall, he's going to be a big brother soon.

One fun highlight of the week was when the sisters attended The Monkees' 45th Anniversary Concert at the Greek Theater in L.A. (read more at Leah's music blog). As it occurred on the same day as the unexpected non-event of "Carmageddon," we also had a blast killing time in downtown Burbank.

And of course many thanks to Gigi and Papa for watching the kiddos while we were out.

Hanging out with Leah and Monica's older half-sister Jamie and her kids Kylee and Bram. Yay for more cousins!

We'll miss you guys but can't wait to all get together again!

Typical Summer Days

2011-07-15T14:33:00.000-07:00

Have we mentioned how much Zoe loves the beach?
The Del Mar Beach at Camp Pendleton is fantastic! We've been frequenting the 'waveless' part of the beach lately.

A video of our happy fish.

Zoe and her corn on the cob.

Oceanside Harbor

The happiest bubble-chaser ever.

Attempting Marine pull-ups at the playground.

The view at the top of the slide is the best.

She just loves furry animals.

4th of July Cutie Pie

2011-07-04T14:10:00.000-07:00

Our American Cutie enjoyed her Independence Day (18 months old).

And a morning outing at the beach.

Pony-rides with Daddy.

"Goldilocks said this chair was 'just right!'"

Playing with "Gigi."

And lots of laughs with "Papa."

This spunky girl was fast asleep by the time the fireworks appeared in the sky. Praise God for our freedom in America!

Camp Pendleton

2011-06-03T22:24:00.000-07:00

So in recent news, Alex re-enlisted for another four years in the Marine Corps and we were transferred just 45 miles north of San Diego to Camp Pendleton.
While we loved our time in San Diego (Leah has lived there since 2001 and Alex was born and raised in East County), we're enjoying Camp Pendleton and getting to know the Oceanside, Vista, and Carlsbad areas nearby. We currently live in military housing on base. Here are some pictures of our new digs (wait, do people still say that anymore?):

A two-car garage, yippee!

The living room (don't laugh at our 20-year-old TV; we'll upgrade eventually!).

A certain kiddo looking down from her upstairs perch.

The view from upstairs. Nice vaulted ceiling with lots of natural light.

Two angles of the kitchen and dining area (somebody keeps sneaking into the pictures!).

The desk at the top of the stairs and the "catwalk" leading to Zoe's room.

Zoe's spacious bedroom (couldn't fit the whole thing in one photo).

Our bedroom down the hall (the opposite walls both have windows).

A laundry room!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And Alex's office space on the opposite wall in the laundry room (Zoe's waving from under the desk).

The view of the fence-less backyard from our patio (a nice, big playground is just to the right).

Zoe loves the swings!

Not pictured: the downstairs and upstairs bathrooms, as well as many great storage spaces including an extra large closet that holds all our musical instruments (about 11 or so), filing boxes of sheet music, and bookcase! Anyway, we're really excited about this upgrade. Stay tuned for more Pendleton adventures.

A Bit of Spring

2011-05-25T21:06:00.000-07:00

Just getting caught up on some recent photos. First, here are some from Easter (also Alex's last time conducting the orchestra at church).
Our little bunny's first egg hunt.

Zoe liked putting the fake Easter grass in her hair.

Dinnertime with her Greek family.

And Mother's Day with the other side of the family; three generations of Meadows.

And just playing around.

Of course, there were those not-feeling-so-well days.

"Stroller-blading" through the harbor.

Hot pool days.
Balboa Park

Come over here, Mr. Koi Fishy.
A little princess on her throne.

The Times, They Are A-Changin'

2011-04-06T12:35:00.000-07:00

After a little hiatus (partly due to our usual author becoming busy with another blogging hobby called The 60's Beat), The Panos Progess is finally back with some updated pictures of the last few months. With the exception of a cute one-year-old getting bigger and Alex going on a couple of recruiting tours across the country, not many other adventures have occurred around here, so here are some random photos and a few noteworthy milestones:

After her first birthday, Zoe was big enough to ride in a forward-facing car-seat, and boy, was she surprised at the new vantage point!

Then standing independently was a new, big step (with her favorite Kitty, of course)...

Followed by walking!!

We also participated in another St. Patrick's Day 5K Run at MCRD with Zoe's Thea.

Laughing at goats in the petting zoo.

And of course, Zoe loves puppy-kisses; playing with Rosie and Leah's cousin David at a family gathering in Fallbrook.

Playing around with Daddy (or "Daudy" according to Zoe).

Our 15-month-old is definitely not a baby anymore, but she's still pretty sweet and little.

Happy 1st Birthday, Zoe!

2010-12-22T23:05:00.001-08:00

On December 18th, a sweet, little girl turned one year old! She's so special that she even got to have two birthday parties, both with different sets of grandparents! Here's Zoe demolishing her very own strawberry cake (that at one point was a kitty face), a family tradition.

A hilarious kitty balloon (mmm, someone must like animals a lot?).

A little cruiser.

What a little joy she is!

Christmas Is In The Air...

2010-12-22T22:59:00.000-08:00

Our little decorator.

Marine Band San Diego's annual Christmas concert outside at MCRD.

Zoe was not a fan of Alex's cover ("hat" in Marine language).

A bit of baking and decorating Christmas cookies and coconut macaroons, an old Meadows family tradition.

Playing Christmas music.

A couple of visits with different Santas (and not totally sure about either one of them).

Washington DC

2010-12-06T22:23:00.000-08:00

We got the opportunity to attend Alex's sister's wedding in Washington DC, and in addition to a fun-filled weekend of family/wedding festivities, we also re-visited the wonderful monuments and memorials. Our hotel (also the wedding location) was only a few blocks away from White House, which put us within walking-distance from the National Mall. (The WWII Memorial above).

The haunting Korean War Memorial.

Lovely fall colors in Arlington National Cemetery

The historic Marine Barracks at "8th and I," also the home of the Commandant. Last time we were here, Alex wasn't a Marine yet, so we had to stop by again!

A nice view of the Washington Monument and Reflecting Pool from the Lincoln Memorial stairs.

Alex attacking the original Kermit the Frog in the Smithsonian Museum.

And as for the big event...
Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Adam Steele!

The now five Panos "siblings."

What an eventful weekend in an exciting city!

Fall Fun Continued

2010-11-29T13:25:00.000-08:00

Happy 235th Marine Corps Birthday!! Another year of celebrating at the USMC Birthday Ball.

Sgt. Panos and Sgt. Jones, doing whatever it is that they usually do...

Our friends, the Robba's.
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The week before Thanksgiving, Leah and Zoe's Thea (Greek aunt) participated in the annual Turkey Trot Run at MCRD. Zoe enjoyed the ride in the stroller.

And have we mentioned just how much Zoe loves animals, especially dogs? She laughs hysterically every time she sees a dog. Too cute!

Cousin Time!

2010-11-17T11:50:00.000-08:00

This month, Zoe's Aunt Monica and cousin Parker came out for a visit from Illinois. The Southern California weather was perfect, and the sisters and cousins enjoyed hanging out together.

Playing around at Baby Beach in Dana Point Harbor.

Grandma Meadows with the kiddos.
Just playing around.

Thanks, Monica and Parker, for flying all the way out here!

Fall Fun

2010-10-31T22:03:00.000-07:00

Well, this Halloween, we actually dressed up and brought homemade chili to our friends' house for a little get-together. Alex brought back the 1970's look, wearing a vintage, brown leisure suit, while Leah also dressed retro, though a decade earlier with her 1960's go-go boots.

However, the real star of the night was Zoe as our little mouse! Not only was she super-cute, but this particular mouse costume was very special. Zoe's Grandma Meadows actually made this costume 27 years ago for Leah to wear as a baby!

A side-by-side look at Leah and Zoe in the same costume, both 10 months old!

Have we ever mentioned just how much Zoe loves dogs?
Playing with the Siletzky pups.

Nice suit, Alex.

"These boots were made for walking, and that's just what they'll do..."

Because Fall Is Sometimes Warmer Than Summer...

2010-09-30T13:38:00.000-07:00

...At least that's true for Southern California this year! We definitely made a few more visits to the pool.

Wave to the camera, Zoe!

A few Marines totally excited about the CFT (combat fitness test). Nice hat, Ryan.

A happy 9-month old cruiser with 4 teeth, finally.
Leah now bespectacled, as a new member of the blindman's club.

Alex and Ryan running into some old friends downtown (and no, it wasn't Comic-Con).

And sometimes the only way you're going to get through the day is with a 5-minute catnap.

Music As Usual

2010-09-05T16:58:00.000-07:00

Concerts in the park.

Marine Band San Diego performing under the gazebo in Coronado.

Trombone section feature.

Harp playing in downtown San Diego.

Another Marine Band concert at the Organ Pavilion in Balboa Park.

Playing at weddings.

Uh-oh, looks like someone's taking an interest in the Celtic harp!
Look out: we may have a future musician on our hands.

Summer Fun

2010-08-15T15:31:00.000-07:00

Summertime.... and the livin' is easy.

Beach days in Coronado

Getting around with different modes of transportation:

Front-pack carrier
Strollin'
And crawling at 7 1/2 months old (and modeling an outfit made by Zoe's Aunt Monica)

Hanging out with Zoe's great grandparents.

Leah and her Daddy at a family friend's unique wedding.

Zoe's Vacation

2010-07-31T22:46:00.000-07:00

While we were on vacation in the Caribbean, Zoe was also on vacation in San Clemente and El Cajon with both sets of grandparents. Here are some cute photos during the week:

Playing around with Grandpa Meadows.
A photo-shoot taken by Grandma Meadows.

With YiaYia and Papou, wearing a San Diego Padres outfit.

Cruisin' in the Caribbean

2010-07-25T21:48:00.000-07:00

During Alex's summer leave from work, we had the wonderful opportunity to take a week-long cruise in the Western Caribbean, just the two of us (with special thanks to both sets of generous grandparents who took care of Zoe while we were gone).

Our ship left out of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, and first stopped in Key West, followed by the Cayman Islands and Jamaica. It was exactly what we were hoping for: great weather and warm, crystal-clear water.

Floating around in Key West.

The great view from our private balcony.

Somewhere in the middle of the ocean.
We still don't know how we got a private table in the dining room!
One of the formal nights.

Waiting for the late-night dance party on the upper deck.

Another great beach on Grand Cayman in the Cayman Islands.
Alex loved snorkeling.

We climbed Dunn's Falls, a 700 ft. waterfall in Jamaica. We're laughing because our Jamaican guide just told us that we looked like twins (not sure what that meant!).

More of lovely Jamaica.

Great view of Ochos Rios, Jamaica from the ship.

It was a great trip. Thanks again to our parents for taking good care of our girl, so we could enjoy a second honeymoon! :)

Summer is here!

2010-06-16T08:49:00.001-07:00

Now that Zoe will be 6 months old this week, we thought we'd try out the pool together.
She already loves bath-time, so our little water pup enjoyed it (afterall she was born in water!), and she laughed and squealed hysterically at her daddy splashing around.

A cute clip of one happy water-baby:

Happy Helmet Day!

2010-06-05T22:17:00.001-07:00

Yesterday was Zoe's last time wearing her corrective helmet and we're all very happy! No "after" photos yet but her head-shape looks great. For now, we've posted some photos from this past month. (Additionally, Zoe now is rolling over and sitting up on her own; yay for milestones!)
Rolly-Polly, Toe-Grabbin' Zoe!

Just hanging out with a little person.

And on Mother's Day, Zoe was dedicated at our church, where we made a commitment to submit her to God's will and to raise her according to His Word.

Strolling around Dana Point Harbor.

There He Goes Again!

2010-05-21T22:04:00.000-07:00

Congrats to Alex for qualifying as Rifle Expert for the 4th year in a row!And that is what Marines call a "high chipmunk cheek!"

Happy Spring!

2010-04-24T22:32:00.000-07:00

Notice the last several posts have been "Happy" something? Well, it's been a happy year with Zuzu! Here she is enjoying her "Zoe Zebra" quilt.

Hanging out with Grandpa Meadows, cousin Parker, and Aunt Monica.

Somebody really loves bath-time!

Visiting Daddy at work, both wearing their desert cammies. (Zoe at 4 months old)

Stork Photo

2010-04-08T22:28:00.000-07:00

Thanks to Lincoln Military Housing, Zoe was selected for a free photo session!
(Happy baby at 3 1/2 months old)

Happy Easter!

2010-04-04T21:43:00.000-07:00

Easter in San Clemente

With Zoe's Grandma Meadows

Playing around with Daddy

A "Heads" Up For All New Parents

2010-03-30T22:11:00.000-07:00

We wanted to inform you about two words you won’t hear in prenatal and birth classes: Torticollis and Plagiocephaly. Torticollis is the tightening of a muscle on one side of the neck, which pulls the head toward the shoulder. Zoe was born with this because her head was wedged in Leah's pelvis for the last trimester. Because of her torticollis, she would only sleep on one side of her head, which has now caused plagiocephaly, a flat spot on that side of her head. Although her case isn’t severe and you probably think “big deal, her hair will cover it up when she’s older,” there are actually several problems that can occur later in life such as jaw misalignment (causing TMJ or jaw problems), vision problems, and the eyes and ears will be asymmetrical. I’m not sure why this isn’t discussed in birth-prep books because it now occurs in 1 in every 30 babies (some pediatricians even estimate more like 1 in 15), especially since babies are now put to sleep on their backs to greatly reduce the chances of SIDS.

The best way to treat this: Zoe has to wear a custom, corrective helmet called the DOC Band (Dynamic Orthotic Cranioplasty), 23 hours a day. Because of her young age, Zoe will only have to wear it for about 2 months, where older babies may have to wear it for several months to even one year. We also have to do neck stretching exercises several times a day with Zoe, which is always accompanied with some extremely heart-wrenching cries. So far, it hasn't been easy, but we are thankful this is very fixable and doesn't require surgery.

Just thought we’d inform you all since this seems like a condition that every new parent should know about. If you’d like more info, check out: http://www.cranialtech.com/

Happy Valentine's Day!

2010-02-14T21:39:00.000-08:00

Zoe and Leah in their fuzzy, one-piece sleepers.Nothin' is more romantic than your husband thinking you look good wearing something like this!

Happy New Year!

2010-01-04T21:00:00.000-08:00

Our Christmas Gift

2009-12-31T10:54:00.000-08:00

Zoe Athena Panos, born on December 18th, 2009 at 3:23 am, 7 lbs. 3.5 oz. 19 in.
"Zoe" (pronounced zo-ee) means "life" in Greek, and we picked a Greek name because of Alex's heritage.
The proud parents with their 1-day-old daughter. Although she arrived 12 days after her due date, Zoe's timing was perfect, one week before Christmas.
(When Leah was born at Christmas time 27 years ago, she also came home from the hospital in a Christmas stocking.)

The delivery was a water birth at Best Start Birth Center in San Diego.

Pretty in pink.

A Marine Princess with her daddy.

Grandma Meadows and Yia Yia Freida (her Greek grandma)

Four generations of Meadows'

Leah and her sister, Monica, with their babies on the San Clemente pier. Cousins Parker and Zoe are only 4 months apart.

The Final Stretch

2009-12-13T20:40:00.000-08:00

So what else do you do while you're waiting for your baby to arrive? Participate in a 5K Turkey Trot, of course! Right before Thanksgiving (and few weeks before her due date), Leah power-walked in the annual 5K Run and Walk on the Marine Corps Recruit Depot. While actually running wouldn't be such a good idea, activities like this, as well as dance classes, have kept Leah pretty active throughout her pregnancy.
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As for Alex, Christmas came early this year. Here's the other baby that he waited 9 months for:
This is a California-Compliant AR15, basically the legal version of the Marine Corps' M16 service rifle. After ordering this back in March, this amazing weapon finally arrived from Utah right after Thanksgiving.

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And finally, Alex played in his last performance with Marine Band San Diego at the Annual MCRD Christmas Concert. (Alex will be furthering his career in the Marine Corps outside of the band field, but we'll save those exciting details for later in January!)

Outside and bundled up, this final concert will remain a bittersweet memory.
And note: the baby has not arrived yet! Although she is technically over a week past her Dec. 5th due date, she seems quite cozy where she is. Looking forward to meeting her any day now!

Baby Business and Birthday Ball

2009-10-25T16:46:00.000-07:00

Six weeks before her December due date, Leah was given a baby shower by her mom and mother-in-law, Lorraine and Freida, and was truly showered with many wonderful gifts for the soon-to-arrive Baby Zoe. Taking place in Leah's childhood home in San Clemente, the party was decorated in pink and zebra print, also the theme for Zoe's own bedroom back in San Diego. (Notice the cute 'diaper cake' on the far right, actually made out of diapers, receiving blankets, and ribbon).
It was quite a full and joyful party, plus always entertaining with the Greek relatives!

And what an amazing treat: the family and friends were so generous!

Here's the backside of the adorable quilt that Leah's mom made for the baby, complete with 'Zoe Zebra.'

The proud parents-to-be (Alex made an appearance at the end of the shower).
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And just a few hours later, Alex and Leah dressed up and headed to the annual Marine Corps Birthday Ball to celebrate 234 years of the USMC! (Yes, this dress made it to a few functions this year :).

Happy Birthday, Marines, and remember to remain Semper Fidelis!

Fun Fall Flings

2009-10-18T19:44:00.000-07:00

In October, Alex and the Brass Quintet of Marine Band San Diego got the opportunity to perform for the Commandant of the Marine Corps in Reno, Nevada. Instead of taking a commercial flight, the guys were personally flown out of MCAS Miramar in a C-130, a large, military transport aircraft. Because Marine pilots are not too concerned about the comfort of their passengers, this was a wild and bouncy ride! (The beast is shown below.)
During some free-time, Alex and another Marine decided to hike up Mt. Rose, about 10,000 feet up overlooking Lake Tahoe. Blazing their own trails through pine trees and even snow, it was quite an experience.
Alex and buddy Sgt. Ryan Jones satisfied after a good work-out to the top.
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And a few weeks later, Alex and Leah attended San Diego State University's Homecoming football game at Qualcomm Stadium. Leah even dusted off her old bass trombone and played with other band alumni in the stands and on the field with the Marching Aztecs (not bad for being 8-months pregnant!).

Also this month, Alex and Leah attended the beautiful, formal wedding of Leah's close harp friend from college, Tasha. Congrats to Mr. and Mrs. Godinez!

And of course, we had to get a photo on the lovely staircase of the Westgate Hotel, the wedding location.

The months seem to pass quickly as Alex and Leah keep quite busy, . In addition to keeping active in a jazz dance class, Leah continues to give harp lessons to young students and play at unique gigs. Here's a teacher's phone photo of Leah playing an educational program for teenagers at a juvenile probation center.

And as always, Alex continues working hard with the Marine Band, here at a Change of Command ceremony near the airstrip at Miramar (yes, they play often at other local bases).

And the fall isn't even over yet! Still more to come!

A Little East Coast/Midwest Trip

2009-09-24T22:05:00.000-07:00

While Alex was gone on another recruiting tour with the Marine Brass Quintet, Leah decided to visit her close friends Jenny and Carlton Shippee in Newport, Rhode Island for a few days. The Shippee's were super hospitable showing Leah around parts of Rhode Island, Connecticut, and even a day-trip to New York City! (By the way, both Jenny and Leah are pregnant with little girls; Jenny in the 8th month and Leah at 7 1/2 months in these photos).
(Above, Leah on the rooftop of the Metropolitan Art Museum with Central Park and Manhattan in the background.)

Here are some other photos from the trip:

Jenny and Carlton in Central Park with those cute, little, remote-controlled sailboats in the water behind them.

The Brier Rabbit in a cool sculpture.

The famous Radio City Music Hall near Times Square.

And of course, Times Square itself.

And the lovely backdrop of Connecticut. Thanks, guys, for a wonderful time!

On Leah's return-trip home, she stopped off in Chicago, Illinois for a few days to visit her sister and brother-in-law, Monica and Brian. Not only did Leah get to see their new, lovely house in Glen Ellyn, but most importantly, she got to meet her brand-new nephew, Parker! This little cutie is about one month old, though he's not so sure about his aunt.

Thanks, Brian and Monica, for opening up your home!

Life Landmarks

2009-08-06T19:21:00.000-07:00

Remember these guys? On August 6th 2004, Alex and Leah became Mr. and Mrs. Panos.

Now 2009, we are happily celebrating 5 amazing years of marriage! A lot has changed over the years (especially Alex's hair, courtesy of the USMC), but we couldn't be happier! Here we are about to head out to downtown San Diego for a steak dinner.

And because only a handful of family/friends read this blog, we know most of you have already heard the news that we are expecting our first baby, who should arrive before mid-December. (Can you tell Leah's hiding an over 5 1/2 month baby bump under that dress?)
Last month, we got to see the baby through an ultrasound and found out it's a girl!
Here she is kicking her leg up high, already demonstrating martial arts techniques like her parents.

No more ultrasounds are expected, so we are looking forward to meeting her in December!

Summer Highlights... So Far

2009-07-30T20:13:00.000-07:00

In random order, here are a bunch of photos from this summer's busy fun.
First off, Leah had the privilege of being a Matron of Honor in Jenny's wedding, her closest friend from college. Jenny married Carlton, a fellow trombonist from the Navy band in Newport, Rhode Island where they are stationed. Congrats to the Shippee's!

Monica, Leah's sister, visited from Illinois and was the honored guest at a baby shower held for her. Monica and her husband Brian are expecting a baby boy in September! Below, the Meadows sisters are spending time with their MawMaw.

As usual, Alex has been kept busy by the Marines, not only playing in dozens of weekly performances, but carrying out many other responsibilities within the unit. In addition to his job as a Martial Arts Instructor, Alex also serves as a Fire Team Leader, Section Leader, Police Sergeant, and the Non-Commissioned Officer In Charge (NCOIC) of the Music Library. Here he is playing with the brass quintet at a Change Of Command ceremony at MCRD.

Along with the Marine Band, Leah got to participate in the annual Independence Day Parade in Coronado with the cast of "The Fantasticks." Most of the cast and musicians from a couple of Lamb's Players Theater productions joined in the patriotic parade, either riding in cars, on bikes, Segways, or walking. Here are some ensemble members riding in a pickup truck to the parade route (Leah is holding a "baby harp" prop to represent that she was the harpist for the show, of course).

And of course, summer wouldn't be complete without a BBQ at the beach (San Onofre with the Meadows).

And some amusement park fun (thanks to military discounts)! Photos from our overdue trip to Disneyland.

Alex really likes Mr. Toad.

And Universal Studios in Hollywood (Alex hadn't been here since 1986 when the "Knight Rider" car and "A-Team" van were the big feature)!
...But we really don't like this freeway.

Still can't beat summertime in Southern California!

"The Fantasticks"

2009-06-24T17:08:00.000-07:00

This summer, Leah is excited to be a part of another excellent musical theater production with Lamb's Players Theater in Coronado, this show being "The Fantasticks!" Leah will be kept quite busy as the show runs from June 5th - July 26th, with 7 performances a week. While this show has been around for decades, Lamb's Players has done an excellent job with modernizing the look and even updating the music with a more edgy feel. The cast is excellent, and Leah is having a blast being a part of the band. As there are only 4 musicians for this show (piano, harp, guitar/bass, percussion), the band is quite visible, playing from the backside of the stage.

Below, Leah actually made it in the background of a promo photo for the show!

Here's more info from the LPT website:
One of the Most Beautiful Musicals Ever Written

THE FANTASTICKS started out a crowd-pleaser and ended up the longest-running musical of all time, with an astonishing 42-year New York run. A girl and boy who live in neighboring houses fall in love despite their parents' feud, until they find that the feud was a trick to bring about their romance. Summer is the perfect season for this sweetly beautiful, broadly theatrical fable about falling in love, growing up, losing childlike innocence, and coming home again wiser. With a gorgeous score filled with beloved songs like "Soon It's Gonna Rain," "I Can See It," and the international chart-topper "Try to Remember," THE FANTASTICKS is a delicious musical confection, a treat for the whole family.

“Lamb's Players Theatre and director Deborah Gilmour Smyth deserve endless credit for turning this fluffball into something more like a fine souffle. It all comes together with imagination and loopy passion!"
-James Hebert, Union-Tribune

“Delightful! Fluid and lively direction with a more edgy, contemporary sound. It’s easy to see why this musical lasted so long!”
-Jennifer Chung Klam, SanDiego.com
For more information, check out:
http://www.lambsplayers.org/lpt06/pages/whats_playing/fantasticks/fantasticks.html

P.S. Leah can get discounted tickets for anyone interested. :)

Marines On The Road

2009-05-03T16:13:00.000-07:00

In the month of April, the Marines kept Alex pretty busy, as usual. First off, Alex was selected for a prestigious All-Star Marine Corps Jazz Band that was created for the first time ever this year. From all the 12 Marine Fleet Bands in the world, the top musicians were hand-picked for this one-week showcase. This week included long rehearsals and recording sessions in Parris Island, South Carolina, and a long bus-ride through Georgia to Florida where the Big Band performed in Daytona Beach. A promotional CD will be released from this showcase.

And later in April, Alex went on another recruiting tour with the Marine Band, this time to Arizona (specifically Tuscon and Phoenix). While Alex spend most of the time performing at high schools with the Brass Quintet, the full band did play the National Anthem at a Diamondback's baseball game (as pictured on the jumbo screen).

The guys in the Brass Quintet spent lots of time driving all over the state...

... and wearing these hats.

One free afternoon, Alex did get the opportunity to try horseback-riding for the first time (Alex on the right). His horse thought that putting him into the bushes was quite funny.

The Three Amigos.

Marine Corps Fun

2009-04-29T18:34:00.000-07:00

While Alex is gone on yet another recruiting tour with the Marine Band (this time, Arizona), his lonely wife thought she'd post some fun photos of Alex on the job. First off are some photos from the annual rifle qualification week at Camp Pendleton.

Alex and friend Corporal Kevin Silva on the range. Apparently, fellow Marines thought Alex could pass as a soldier of the Iraqi Army.

They shoot from all angels including the prone position, kneeling, and standing. Did I mention they have to hit targets 500 yards away?!

Alex received the Rifle Expert Award for the 3rd year in a row, along with Sgt. Holt and Sgt. McAfee, who celebrated with a victory cigar.

The next several photos are from Combat Conditioning exercises that Alex's unit participate in regularly. Since Alex is one of the Martial Arts Instructors for the band, he helps lead the exercises and demonstrates the techniques.

Here's Alex giving a little extra motivation to a fellow Marine.

Someone is way too excited to be demonstrating this ground-fighting technique.

OK, so this photo is a little gross, but here's Alex showing some compassion for a Marine who got quite sick from the intense workout.

The four MAIs (Martial Arts Instructors) looking tough.

And last but not least, here's Alex receiving the Navy/Marine Corps Achievement Medal, a very special honor and recognition for his hard work in the band.
Congrats, Sgt. Panos, and Semper Fi!

The Hawaiian Holiday

2009-01-16T19:00:00.000-08:00

Aloha! Last week, we were blessed with the opportunity to take a week-long vacation on the Hawaiian Island of Oahu. The first half of the trip, we stayed at the Lodge on the beautiful Marine Corps Base in Kaneohe Bay, and spent the remainder of the trip at the Hale Koa, an exclusive military hotel on the famous Waikiki Beach in Honolulu. The weather was perfect! Above is a nice shot of us in Waikiki with the Diamond Head Crater in the background. Here are a bunch of photos from the trip:

Alex driving the coolest rental car ever, a Ford Mustang convertible!

Two photos from our hike up Diamond Head (a 1,000 year-old volcano, nice work-out, great view of Waikiki).
A perfectly arched rainbow, as seen from the car window (doesn't really do it justice).

Hanging out at the North Shore (no big waves though).

Alex on the boat leaving the Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor (the Missouri battleship behind).

Leah "holding" a rainbow, also in Pearl Harbor (there's a ton of these in Hawaii).
At a traditional Hawaiian luau on the beach at sunset.

The scenic road on the east side of the island, heading up to Kaneohe Bay.

Sunset in the hills, as seen from the east-facing Marine Base (did I mention how much we really liked this base?).

An ocean view from our room at the Hale Koa (not bad for a military hotel!).
We hiked a mile through a rainforest to the Maunawili Falls (although not seen in this photo, the trail was dangerously muddy and we had to maneuver over a stream several times; the best shoes for this would have been combat boots...)

More from Waikiki (we eventually got nice tans).

A typical Hawaiian neighborhood, with the coolest, smoky mountains ever.

We still have too many more photos but this could take all night. Overall, it was a fantastic trip, and we wouldn't mind if the Marine Corps ever stationed us there!

2008: A Year in Review

2009-01-04T20:10:00.000-08:00

Time for the annual look back at this quick year of 2008! Here are some of the noteworthy highlights for us:

WINTER/SPRING
- On New Year’s Day, went to the Tournament of Roses Parade in Pasadena to see Alex march with the Marine Band (and the TV footage zoomed in close on his face!)

- Took a little trip to Las Vegas, Nevada to see “The Phantom of the Opera”

- Leah started taking a Wado-Karate class on the Marine base

- Alex went on tour with Marine Band San Diego to Seattle, Washington

- Said ‘good-bye’ to Leah’s 15-year-old Izusu Trooper and purchased a 2008 Saturn Vue

- Alex took the extremely difficult Marine Corps Martial Arts Instructor Course and graduated as a Green belt Instructor for his unit

- Leah performed in her first belly dance performance

- Moved out of our small apartment of 3 ½ years and upgraded to nice, off-base military housing

- Alex re-qualified as a 2^nd Award Rifle Expert on the rifle range at Camp Pendleton

- Leah started a new harp gig of getting to play for the Tea at the fancy Westgate Hotel

- Leah earned her yellow belt in karate

- Alex went on a tour to Albuquerque, New Mexico with the Marine Band

SUMMER

- Alex performed in several Marine Band concerts between San Diego and LA County

- Went to Chicago to visit Leah’s sister, Monica, and brother-in-law, Brian, and coincidentally attended our Marine friends’ wedding

- Traveled together to London, England and had a blast getting to see all the historic sights

- Celebrated our 4^th wedding anniversary on August 6th

- Leah performed in the Robert Drasnin Orchestra at a Tiki Oasis Convention, under the direction of Robert Drasnin himself, a long-time Hollywood composer

- Leah earned her orange belt in karate, and danced in the Celebrate Dance Festival in Balboa Park

FALL

- Leah began taking ballet classes

- Alex traveled to Houston, Texas with the Brass Quintet

- Leah performed in the musical theater production of “The Light In The Piazza” with Lamb’s Players Theater, 7 shows a week from September to November

- Alex was promoted to Sergeant (on his 2-year Marine Corps Birthday)

- Alex went on tour to Chicago, Illinois with the Marine Band

- Alex went on another tour with the Brass Quintet to Indianapolis, Indiana

- Attended the MCRD Enlisted Birthday Ball to celebrate the Marine Corps 233^rd Birthday

- Alex turned 28 and got his first gray hair

WINTER

- In the MCRD Christmas Concert, the Marine Band premiered 2 of Alex’s arrangements and Leah got to play the harp in the concert as a featured soloist (better pictures to come)

- Leah earned her blue belt in karate, and played a dozen different Christmas gigs

- Had enjoyable family Christmases in several installments (no family pictures yet!)

- Leah celebrated her 26^th Birthday

- Rang in the New Year in Pasadena again to see Alex march in the Rose Parade (and the TV cameras caught his face a couple of times again!)

And in 2009…

- Beginning the New Year right by going on a vacation to the Hawaiian Island of Oahu!

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We're thankful to God for blessing us with another successful year! Happy New Year!

Marine Corps Birthday Ball 2008

2008-11-10T14:43:00.000-08:00

Happy 233rd Birthday to the Marine Corps! Since 1775, Marines make a point to celebrate their birthday with many formal events and even ceremonies all over the world. This year, we attended the Enlisted Birthday Ball for MCRD at the Harbor Island Sheraton in San Diego. The celebration continues about every night for several weeks and of course the Marine Band performs at every event. Although it is a very busy time of year for Alex in the band, these Marines still try to find a little fun. Below is a video of Marine Band San Diego rehearsing a song for the birthday ball pre-show. You can see Alex playing trombone with the brass quintet at the beginning, and then I'm sure you'll have a good laugh when the rock band takes over and the group rocks out to "Bohemian Rhapsody." Marines aren't allowed to have this much fun!

Happy Birthday, Marines, and Semper Fidelis!
(A cool shot of Alex at a wedding. Just like the Marines commercial, sword and all.)

Another Promotion!

2008-10-01T13:20:00.000-07:00

After only two years in the Marine Corps, Alex was promoted to Sergeant on the 1st of October. Sergeant is a pivotal rank in the Corps and things have really begun to look up in Alex's unit. In addition to his many duties within the band (including Public Affairs Office and Martial Arts Instructor), Alex has taken up the responsibility of arranging musical compositions for the full Concert Band and Brass Quintet. Here are some shots from the promotion ceremony at MCRD:

Alex getting his new Sergeant chevrons pinned on by the Colonel and Sergeant Major (yes, once in awhile Marines do crack smiles).

Fellow Marine Sgt. Barger congratulating Alex.
Sgt. Panos and his very proud Marine wife.

The Light In The Piazza

2008-09-23T15:27:00.000-07:00

This fall, Leah is playing the harp in the musical production of "The Light In The Piazza" with Lamb's Players Theater in Coronado. Leah will be extremely busy as the production runs through November, seven shows a week! The cast and orchestra are amazingly talented, and Leah thanks LPT for this special opportunity!

Since there is no orchestra pit in this theater, the small orchestra (of about 8) plays from the backside of the stage behind the set of Roman columns. This picture was taken during preview week before the scrim (a black screen) was hung to better hide the orchestra. There are still points in the show when the musicians are lit up and see from behind the scrim.

Here's more info from the website:
LPT is pleased to present the regional premiere of this gorgeous new musical!

The year is 1953, and Margaret Johnson is on vacation with her daughter Clara in Italy. Both are entranced with the art, the architecture, and all-enveloping romance of their surroundings as compared with their native North Carolina. Margaret is taken back to days when she visited the country on her honeymoon, while Clara finds herself in a sudden romance with a charming young man named Fabrizio. But a secret both women carry may prevent young love from blossoming, and both will soon make a series of life-changing discoveries about love, identity, holding on, and letting go.

With a gorgeous Tony Award-winning score by Sondheim protegé Adam Guettel, THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA is a San Diego premiere that will stun you with its beauty and make you glad to be alive.

"Breathtaking!"
New York Magazine

"The first great musical of the post-Sondheim era!"
The Wall Street Journal

"The most intensely romantic score of any Broadway musical since West Side Story!"
The New York Times

"It will win your heart!"
Newsday

"A blessing for those in search of signs of intelligent life in the American musical!"
The New York Times

Last Bit of Summer

2008-08-23T22:52:00.000-07:00

Alex and some Marine friends from work decided to have a little fun by creating a "World War II" dress night at a local German restaurant. The Marines all wore a uniform that literally hasn't changed since that area and their dates also tried to dress like the gals from the 1940's.

Also that same weekend, Leah performed with her friends in the Celebrate Dance Festival in Balboa Park.

The Big Trip, Part 2: London

2008-07-30T15:12:00.000-07:00

After our visit in Chicago, we flew to London, England. Being our first time this far east of the States, London was more fantastic than we could have imagined and we greatly enjoyed our time exploring the historic sites of this 2,000-year-old city. Just like the movies, red telephones and double-decker buses are everywhere, as well as miles of cute buildings, beautiful monuments, and over 7,000 yummy pubs. Here are a bunch of photos from our wonderful time there.

The World War I Memorial and Statue of Boadicea
We stayed at the quaint Oxford Hotel near Hyde Park. On the right is the street to our hotel; pretty much all the streets look like this, very cool.

Hanging out in Trafalgar Square, classic London.

At the windy top of St. Paul's Cathedral. We hiked about 500 stairs to get there, an amazing church only 400 years old.
Walking along the River Thames with Tower Bridge in the background, and Big Ben at high noon.

The very old Tower of London (a lot of executions took place here), and waiting for the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace (the Queen was there that day too, we saw her being driven in a car).

Leah walking across the famous Abbey Road (the Beatles fans out there understand), and Alex waiting for the Tube in the Underground. "Mind the gap."

Alex on Westminster Bridge with the London Eye behind him (the world's largest Ferris wheel, built for the millennium).
Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, as seen from the Eye.
Alex strolling through Hyde Park. The parks in London are beautiful and ridiculously big!
It was truly a wonderful experience and we already miss London!

The Big Trip, Part 1: Chicago

2008-07-30T12:48:00.001-07:00

The first leg of our big summer trip started with visiting Leah's sister Monica and her husband Brian in their new hometown of Wheaton, Illinois (just outside of Chicago). Here's a family game of Life going on in their lovely and cozy basement apartment. A special thanks goes out to their good friends, Scott and Katie, who provided us with a place to sleep.

While in Illinois, we attended the lovely wedding of our Marine friends, Austin and Maureen Jones, who are both stationed with Alex in San Diego. Alex is the Marine on the left in the Sword Detail as the newlyweds walk through the bridge.

The following day, we walked all over downtown Chicago with Brian and Monica as our knowledgeable tour guides. Although the day started out rainy, we had a blast checking out the enormous city. Here are some cute pictures from the day:

Brian and Monica's reflection on the cool, silver "Bean" in Millennium Park. Finally, here's Brian in front of the Billy Graham building on the Wheaton College campus where he has most of his classes, and Leah by C.S. Lewis' actual wardrobe, hence the inspiration for his Chronicles of Narina (also on the campus).

Thanks Brian and Monica for making the first half of our summer trip very fun and memorable! Next stop...London!

Summer Parades and Concerts

2008-07-15T12:15:00.000-07:00

This summer has been full of performances for Alex, including Marine Band concerts-in-the-park in Woodland Hills (L.A.), Buena Park, Escondido, Alpine, and other areas around San Diego such as the Marine Corps
Recruit Depot, Coronado, and Balboa Park. In celebration of America's independence, the 4th of July started off with a big parade in Coronado that included Alex with Marine Band San Diego.

The American birthday celebration continued with another Marine Band park concert in the evening, followed by fireworks show.
Another big summer concert was at our church which featured Alex in the Brass Quintet from Marine Band San Diego (below) and the College Avenue Baptist Church Orchestra (which also included Alex on bass trombone and Leah on harp).

Below is a quick video of Alex's feature with the Brass Quintet, though unfortunately, the footage is quite dark:

How about this as a possible Christmas card photo:
Additionally, Leah continued playing the harp at many wedding all over San Diego (below), as well as new opportunities such as playing at the fancy teas at the Westgate Hotel downtown.

The New Place, Finally

2008-06-07T18:52:00.001-07:00

For those living across the country and have requested some photos of our new place, they're finally up!The first bedroom as an office (futon for guests still to come) and first bathroom:

The patriotic master bedroom includes a walk-in closet and bathroom as well (very nice):
And finally, here's the walkway to our place (the view from our patio):
So far, the military has provided us with some nice housing and free extras for a very reasonable price!

Marine Band Recruiting Tour

2008-05-08T22:47:00.000-07:00

Last week, Alex traveled with Marine Band San Diego to Albuquerque, New Mexico on a recruiting tour. Alex spent most of his time on the road with the Brass Quintet, where they drove to Texas and performed at high schools. Below is a student video of one of their performances from their last tour in Washington state. Check out Alex's hilarious trombone feature about 1:10 into the video, followed by his arrangement of "Bohemian Rhapsody!"

Farewell to Apartment #9

2008-04-16T14:31:00.000-07:00

Last month, we moved out of our small apartment of 3 1/2 years and into Lincoln Military Housing on Home Avenue in San Diego (off the 805 and 94 freeways, 2 miles from downtown). Although we couldn't be happier to have more space including an extra bedroom and bathroom, a patio, and even a dishwasher, we thought we'd post a farewell video of our last home at Winona Towers (footage was taken last Christmas). Hopefully photos of our lovely new place will be posted soon!

The Dance Showcase

2008-03-15T22:34:00.000-07:00

In March, Leah performed in her first Dance Showcase as a belly dancer. Since September, Leah has been taking belly dancing lessons (from Melanie Dellas), and therefore thoroughly enjoyed her first public performance with many dance students of different styles. This style of belly dancing is called tribal, which is more modern and not as flashy as the cabaret style seen at ethnic restaurants.

Here are more photos from the showcase:

Thanks to Melanie for the inspiration and instruction, and thanks to Melodia Designs for the awesome pants!

The Martial Arts Instructor Course

2008-03-09T21:13:00.000-07:00

Written by Alex
I've never been through something that tested my physical endurance quite like this before. I've never been tempted more times than this to quit because I was tired of throwing up from physical exhaustion. I've also never been put in a position where I honestly didn't think I could do something this hard.

Now I can say I've done all that after completing the Martial Arts Instructor Course. The title is misleading. It sounds like a day camp for people to learn how to train other people in martial arts. That's about 10% of it. The other 90% is close combat training, bayonet technique, Obstacle Course runs (3x, timed, and with flack jacket/Kevlar helmet), hiking at Camp Pendleton (more difficult than the Crucible or MCT), and intense sparring/grappling (both on land and in water, for those of us that hate the feeling of being drowned).

After this course, I can honestly say that your body will almost always have more endurance than your brain thinks it has. A simpler way of saying that is: When you're tired, learn to silence your brain and keeping pressing on. The reward of personal achievement is priceless.

I am by no means a Marine Corps Martial Arts Expert/Master, but I learned so much more than I thought possible about MCMAP, myself, and what being a Warrior is about. The MAI Course is incredible.

One of the greatest moments was when our Chief Instructor, Gunnery Sergeant Botello sat us down after the worst physically demanding exercise (nicknamed "The House of Pain") and read to us the Warrior's Creed:

"Wherever I go, people are a little safer because I am there.
Wherever I am, anyone in need has a friend.
Whenever I return home, everyone is happy I am there".

Thanks to everyone that supported me and encouraged me to complete this course.

Our New Car

2008-02-25T23:16:00.000-08:00

This past weekend, we proudly purchased a brand new 2008 Saturn Vue, a beautiful SUV to replace Leah's 15-year-old Isuzu Trooper. We were looking for a new car big enough to fit Leah's harp and the Vue ended up being the perfect one for us, including a great price, a good size, and quite pretty. Thanks to Robert for recommending the Saturn Vue!

OC - Spray

2008-01-25T22:59:00.000-08:00

Every year, the Marines in Alex's unit spend a week in Ground Security Forces training, which is basically a military version of riot control. On the last day of training, each Marine is "OC-sprayed" in the face ('oleoresin capsicum,' a military-grade pepper spray) and then must complete a simple riot control exercise. Since Alex had previously experienced Level 1 (spray in the eyes), he received Level 2 this time, which is OC sprayed onto a cloth and then wiped on the face (not nearly as painful). Check out the video footage of Alex running through the drills with OC on his face (and having a little too much fun taking down some Marines).

Viva Las "Phantom"

2008-01-05T21:56:00.000-08:00

Okay, so maybe that's a silly title, but for Leah's 25th birthday, we celebrated by going to see the "Phantom of the Opera" show in Las Vegas. After New Year's Day in Pasadena, we drove directly to Nevada and stayed for 2 days in a classic Main St. hotel, just a quick drive down the street from the famous Las Vegas Blvd. The "Phantom" was awesome (now a permanent Vegas show in a custom-built theater), and we also had a great time just walking up and down the Strip, checking out the extravagant hotels.
However, on our way there, we encountered a minor hurdle. Click the video to see what Alex had to say about that:

Here are some other random photos from the trip:
Too bad this one's blurry:
Here's another one inside one of the coolest hotels (The Venetian):
Alex at the famous Bellagio water show, and Leah ready for a date.

And finally, the view from our room in The Plaza Hotel:

The Rose Parade

2008-01-01T15:47:00.001-08:00

On New Year's Eve, I (Leah) drove up to Pasadena with my parents to see the famous Rose Parade. Alex had already driven up with the Marine Band the day before, in order to prepare for marching in the 5 & 1/2 mile parade. Seeing the parade in person was a quite exciting, and additionally, another memorable event from that day was getting to see Alex's face on the TV footage of the parade replay later that day. Check back soon for the video footage of Alex in Marine Band!

That night before the parade, my parents and I looked at the floats up close, and these floats are way more impressive than what is shown on TV.Here's my dad and I sitting in our prime spot on the street corner right where the parade route begins.
Here's a nice smile from Alex while the Marine Band waits for the parade to start.
Right before the band stepped off onto the parade route, I was able to get a picture with the Marines in the background.
NOTE: Just to clear things up, this parade is called the "Rose Parade" or the "Tournament of Roses Parade," not the "Rose BOWL Parade." The Rose Parade existed long before there was a Rose Bowl Game.

"The Best Christmas Ever"

2007-12-26T16:26:00.000-08:00

The Christmas season of 2007 started off on a great note with many performances by Alex and Leah. With the Marine Band's Brass Quintet, Alex was featured in two concerts playing "The Blue Bells of Scotland," one of the most difficult trombone solos in the world!
Here's a video of Alex's performance (not the best footage, but every note is loud and clear):
MCRD christmas band concert

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Then, the weekend before Christmas, we celebrated Christmas Eve-Eve with the Meadows Family in Orange County, including Monica and Brian from Chicago. Below are some random pictures from our dinner at the lovely Five Crowns restaurant, though I'm not sure if the photo of us in the old telephone booth can be explained:

And on the day of Christmas Eve, Jamie (Leah's half-sister) joined us with her daughter, Kylee, and new baby, Bram.
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The remainder of Christmas Eve and Day were spent back in San Diego with the Panos Family, and we stayed up until midnight laughing and opening up presents.
(PHOTOS HAVE BEEN REMOVED TO PROTECT IDENTITIES OF FAMILY)

For Alex, it was a real great treat getting 4 days off from work, and we especially enjoyed our time with both of our families this year. As a result, we have decided that this was definitely the best Christmas ever!

Thanksgiving in Two Parts

2007-11-25T18:36:00.000-08:00

This year, our Thanksgiving lasted for the entire 4-day weekend, and what a treat it was to relax with our families! Our actual Thanksgiving Day was spent with the Meadows Family in Palm Desert, CA. In this picture are Leah's grandparents (Lee and Jean Meadows), us in the middle, and Leah's parents (Tom and Lorraine Meadows) on the right. Grandpa Meadows is a retired Marine Chief Warrant Officer 3, and looking through his old photo albums was really amazing. Although the Meadows Family is very large, this day only consisted of a small group of 11 and it was a great time getting to catch up with a couple of Leah's cousins.

(NEXT PICTURE REMOVED TO PROTECT IDENTITIES OF FAMILY)
The next day was followed by another blast with the Panos Family in El Cajon, including the "left-overs" extravaganza (which really was another full Thanksgiving meal, many thanks to Mama Freida). By the way, nothing is funnier than watching movies like "Napoleon Dynamite" or "Nacho Libre" with this family. As usual, we had a wonderful time with many laughs. We are thankful for our families!

Marine Corps Birthday Ball

2007-10-28T16:32:00.000-07:00

On Friday night, we celebrated the Marine Corps' 232nd Birthday with a traditional ball at the downtown San Diego Marriott. Because Marine Bands all over the world perform at many Birthday Ball celebrations for the next month, this particular ball was for the West Coast musicians, including the bands from San Diego, Miramar, Camp Pendleton, and 29 Palms. It was a special evening full of camaraderie and tradition, including a few speeches, the ceremonial presentation and cutting of the cake, dinner, and dancing. As this was our first Marine Ball, Alex and I were very excited about the night. Below: Leah with her friends Maureen and Yvonne, followed by Alex and fellow Marines.

A Promotion

2007-10-11T20:21:00.001-07:00

Last week on October 1st, Alex was officially promoted to the rank of Corporal (E-4), also referred to as a Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO). Considering he only joined the Marine Corps a year ago, this is a considerable accomplishment. At 0700, the promotion ceremony took place in front of a battalion of Marines and Leah got to pin Alex with his new chevrons. This picture was taken in front of the Band Hall at MCRD where Alex works.

Here is the Non-Commissioned Officer Creed (which Alex recited with a raised hand):
I am an NCO dedicated to training new Marines and influencing the old. I am forever conscious of each Marine under my charge, and by example will inspire him to the highest standards possible. I will strive to be patient, understanding, just, and firm. I will commend the deserving and encourage the wayward. I will never forget that I am responsible to my Commanding Office for the morale, discipline, and efficiency of my men. Their performance will reflect an image of me.

The Chicagoan Visit

2007-09-24T22:31:00.000-07:00

As a very spontaneous decision, Leah flew out to Chicago for the weekend. Friday began at Naval Base Great Lakes where Leah got to see Jenny Brown graduate from Navy boot camp. Jenny is Leah's best friend from college and she will be playing oboe in the Navy Band (in Italy!). The graduation ceremony, which took place indoors, was a memorable event consisting of pageantry and Naval tradition, as seen in the picture below. Many thanks to Mr. Brown and Captain Brown, who helped make this trip possible for me!

After spending the day with Jenny and her family, Leah took a scenic train ride down to Wheaton, IL, where her sister Monica and brother-in-law Brian live. Monica and Brian recently moved to this suburb of Chicago last August and what a treat it was to see their new, lovely home! That Saturday, Leah was given the grand tour of the downtown Chicago, which included riding the El (train), Millenium Park, Navy Pier, Chicago-style pizza, and more fun sights.

The remainder of the weekend was spent exploring Wheaton and other beautiful nearby towns, such as Naperville (the #1 most desirable place to live in the USA). A special thanks to Monica and Brian for your wonderful hospitality and for truly showing me a wonderful time that I'll never forget! I am so excited about your amazing new home and neighborhood, and I can't wait to come back with Alex.

Marines and Bagpipers

2007-09-03T21:42:00.000-07:00

Labor Day weekend, Alex traveled with the Marine Band to Pleasanton, CA, to perform at the Scottish Highland Games. With the weather over 100 degrees, it was an interesting experience with outdoor performances that included over 300 bagpipes and drums (and what a deafening sound that is!). The bagpipers, from the Toronto Scottish Regiment, were always in good spirits and were very appreciative of the Marines.

And of course, on the flight home, some of the Marines like to practice interesting grappling moves used in MCMAP (Marine Corps Martial Arts Program), as Alex and Lance Corporal Parks are demonstrating here.

A Little Bit of Summer

2007-08-27T00:11:00.000-07:00

As our first blog ever, we thought we would post some pictures that seem to sum up our eventful Summer of 2007 (also known as Alex's first summer as a Marine). The first picture at the top was taken in May on Coronado Island (with the lovely downtown San Diego backdrop) at the wedding of Jessica and Lem, our trombone friends from San Diego State, seen on the right.

Additionally, we found a local indoor shooting range where Alex (the Rifle Expert) taught Leah to shoot rifles and hand-guns the Marine Corps way. In the pictures below, the firearms being used are the AR-15 (the equivalent of a Marine's M-16) and the 9mm Beretta.

For the third time, Leah got a new 'do and donated another 8 inches of hair to Locks of Love, an organizational the makes wigs for children with cancer.

As Alex's first summer with Marine Band San Diego, he marched in the 4th of July Parade in Coronado, along many other performances. Notice him in the first row (also known as the front rank). Our good friend Jon Lacy is the sailor playing the French horn with the Navy Band.

Throughout the summer, Leah also continued to perform on harp all over San Diego, including weddings, private parties, recitals at senior homes, church orchestras, and recording sessions.

Another fun part of this summer was meeting many new friends through the Marine Corps. Here is Leah hiking up Cowles Mtn. in San Diego with friends Maureen (a Marine in Alex's band) and Yvonne (another Marine wife).

And finally, the world welcomes Bram Hayden Richardson! Jamie (Leah's half-sister) gave birth to our new nephew, Bram, on August 1st.