Shanah tovah! Happy new year, everyone! May your year to come be filled with health, fulfillment, and joy.

Tracie, Georgia, and Lila and I will be celebrating the new year this week with some of our close family friends.

Georgia, soon to be 13, is enjoying her second year of middle school. She plays in the magnet program’s top orchestra and continues to take private lessons with the same teacher who has mentored her since she was 5! Her violin chops are so good at this point that she often plays music with me and plays on some of my recordings. She’s also playing in our neighborhood’s newly formed tennis club. So proud of her and it’s wonderful to watch her become a teenager.

Lila Jane, 11, is now in 6th grade at the same middle school. She also snagged a spot in our middle school’s top orchestra. She’s with a wonderful new teacher now (her previous teacher was also fantastic but one of her daughters is Lila’s best friend and our families have grown very close; so the mom felt it was time for a new teacher). The biggest news is that Lila is now playing electric bass and has started a band! They practice using my backline, which is now set up permanently in our music room.

Both girls are getting straight A’s and they love their school.

Tracie’s career in real estate continues to grow. She’s currently working on her biggest deal yet and with the interest rates coming down, well, she’s getting really busy. As my travel season gets going, we’re not sure how we’re going to be able to balance it all. But we have a lot of support from our family and community. Tracie has already achieved so much and she continues to build her business. She is simply one of the most amazing human beings I have ever known. I love her so much and we are both looking forward to celebrating our 15th wedding anniversary in January.

Wishing you and your loved ones a happy and healthy new year. May your year ahead be sweet like the apples and honey that the girls and I enjoy each year as the holiday approaches.