Celebrating 2017!

Thankful for 2017!

It was so wonderful to gather for Steve's Mom's 95th birthday.  Blessings and loving memories galore from this wonderful woman fill our family's hearts.

Happy 95th Grandma Lora!

Helena Diana Whiting born on our 38th anniversary,
June 8, 2017 to Bryan and Veronica

Special bike tour of DC with Cara as our guide

July 4th red white and blue in New Canaan

Ever thought about what your life looks like from heaven?  Mike's new talent with drone photography brought us this image that puts a new perspective on 23 years of Whiting comings and goings in this house.  How small our lives and troubles look from here - good to take a mental leap up and look down from time to time.

The room where it happens!

Might never make another pieced quilt like this so I'd better take a photo -given with love to the only daughter. 1,881pieces, yikes.

Love to see young people develop musical talent.  Had an 11 year old piano student called as a ward organist this year - so exciting!  Helped see a piano program for students with special needs get launched -- highlights included working with two boys with autism - love these kids.

Couldn't be farther from New York City in every way.  Rafting the Gates of Lodore, Green River in Utah and Colorado with Cara, Dan & Sonia.

Appreciating my great-great grandfather, Henry Grow, as we celebrated his 200th birthday with a Philadelphia Grow family reunion.  It was an unbelievable experience to tour this house, built circa 1807, where he grew up until he became the only convert in his family and went West.  It still stands in a prosperous Philly suburb --the new owners were so excited to discover its history this year that they invited about a hundred of us Grows to walk through.

Also had a summer Grow reunion in the buildings pioneer Henry built, the Tabernacle, and the Assembly Hall on Temple Square where I got to conduct another Grow family choir.  Thankful for great ancestors who gave so much.

Recently called to the High Council of the newly-formed Young Single Adult stake in Manhattan, Steve works with the Harlem YSA ward.  The bishop is famed LDS artist Walter Rane, standing here in front of his original Book of Mormon artwork --several of his original paintings are located in the chapel at Lincoln Center.

First minutes of life, Molly Ann Whiting 

born Oct 5, 2017 to Dave and Kylie

A business trip to Hawaii was a lot more fun than business

A banner year for The Desmoid Tumor Research Foundation as we are finally seeing two new drugs that have shown great promise go into clinical trial! Our most hopeful year yet! 

    

In our current deep freeze we're missing mornings on the water rowing.  We've decided that a couple that can stay afloat and balanced together in this skinny boat should stay strong for a few more decades, don't you think!  Excited for more Connecticut fun in 2018.

MORE FAMILY UPDATES

BRYAN & VERONICA in Fairfax, Virginia

The biggest change for Bryan and Veronica this year was the birth of their daughter Helena Diana. Now 6 months old, Helena loves to smile and sleep the days away. Her parents couldn’t be more grateful for their new addition.

Bryan also started a new job with Capital One and loves his work as a data scientist. In order to live closer to the office, they moved to Fairfax, VA. New baby, new job, and new home have made for a great year. 

CARA in Richmond, Virginia

Cara is in her last year of her doctor of physical therapy program at Virginia Commonwealth University and is excited to start her new career. Highlights of the year included experiencing "Hamilton" on Broadway, eating chicken and waffles in North Carolina, hiking the highest peak of the Appalachian Mountains, visiting the hanging lake in Colorado, and paddle boarding and rafting the Green River. She's spending the Christmas holiday with friends in Bali before finishing her last two clinical rotations in Richmond and Portland.

DAVE, KYLIE, KATE, & MOLLY in Hamden, Connecticut

Dave and Kylie have settled in nicely to life in Connecticut. They welcomed their second daughter, Molly Ann on October 5th. She's an expert snuggler and has brought such a sweet spirit (and and even more sleep deprivation) into their home. Big sister Kate (2.5) has the most hilarious imagination and an amazing head of adorable curls.

Dave is almost halfway through his Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery residency at Yale and has rotated in anesthesia, general surgery, and plastic surgery this past year. Aside from the insanely long hours, he's loving the work and is excited about his future as an oral surgeon. When he's not working, you can find him scootering with Kate, snuggling Molly, or falling asleep at the drop of a hat.

Kylie spends her days taking care of Kate and Molly and has also kept up her photography and design business. She is grateful for a great support system in New Haven as the demands of residency and two small kids are pretty intense! Here's to more sleep in 2018!

DAN & SONIA in Denver, Colorado

Dan started a new position at B. Braun Medical. Sonia finished her sixth year at an early Head Start preschool in Denver and just received her Infant Mental Health Endorsement. Dan and Sonia spend their free time outdoors. This summer they traveled to the Canadian Rockies which included adventures in the famous Whistler bike park and a backpacking trip in Banff. They celebrated their first year of marriage and enjoy life in Colorado.

MIKE, KATHRYN, QUINN, WEST, & HAYES in The Woodlands, Texas

Anything but boring is the best way to describe the Houston Whitings' 2017. Mike took a new job with Wells Fargo that will allow him to move to the Denver area, where they can be closer to family and snow, and further away from heat and humidity. They were not able to get their house sold before Harvey arrived, so this story will have a continuation in the 2018 report once they are resettled in Denver.

Speaking of Harvey, Mike and Kathryn were not flooded, but they raised funds to help a severely damaged neighborhood get back on their feet with tarps, tables and microwaves. And just before the early Dec snow they were able to deliver 20+ space heaters with the last of their funds. When they weren't restocking homes, they were helping muck out wet sheetrock and flooring.

Meanwhile, Kathryn keeps busy with three active boys and training for marathons. When Mike isn't traveling for work he's regularly out with the boys scootering as he joins in on his miraculous One Wheel board, or maybe he's pursuing his hobbies of creative drone photography and Go Pro videos.

A Happy Holiday and New Year to All!

Love,

Steve & Jeanne

Hello from Connecticut!

Remembering 2016

Warm greetings from our home to yours! As we pause at the end of a wonderful year, 

our hearts are full of joy and appreciation for the wonders of life, and the rich meaning 

we find in simple things. Our ties with family and friends are most precious to us, and 

with each passing year, those ties are the most satisfying part of life.

Highlights of our year included the arrival of our fourth grandchild, Hayes Patrick Whiting, 

and the marriage of our son Dan to Sonia Chawla.  We love keeping this annual blog to 

remember life's highlights.

Not much has changed in our work and activities.  Steve continues with KPMG in New 

York and Jeanne continues with The Desmoid Tumor Research Foundation and music. 

This year, testing on a couple of compounds has shown extremely high potential against 

desmoid tumors, and we are working to get one of these drugs financed. We hope in a 

not too distant year to declare a major victory in this battle. 

Hartford, Connecticut was the site of the dedication of the 155^th LDS temple in 

November.  Whiting ancestors settled Hartford in the 1600’s, and their descendants 

converted and went West. Now that we've returned and have lived in Connecticut 

for over 22 years, it seems that we have come full circle. This experience has bonded 

us with these ancestors who sacrificed so much to start this country.  Jeanne conducted 

a 90-voice youth choir for the youth jubilee that preceded the temple dedication. The 

kids were so fun to work with and the jubilee and dedication were inspiring.

We wish you all an inspiring and happy New Year!

Love,

Steve and Jeanne

Dan and Sonia's wedding Oct 1 in a breathtaking Colorado fall

Siblings Mike, Dave, Dan, Cara and Bryan

How fast they grew up!

Bridal Veil Falls hike in Telluride, Colorado


Grandparenting is the best!!

Hiking in Telluride

Cute cousins - Hayes, West, Kate and Quinn

Awestruck at the wonders of New York City from the Freedom Tower

Favorite Fridays taking Kate to music class,
here as Little Red Riding Hood for Halloween

Greenwich Point - We love biking along the shores near us

Enjoyed that cruise NYC to Bermuda so much that we did it again this year

Rented a moped to discover 5 remote beaches in one day - Bermuda paradise

How can you count the hours in 33 years Steve has worked
to support our family?  Thought a trip to his office deserved a picture
and a big "Thank you!"

A cold fall morning row.  Rowing together on Saturdays has been
a highlight of our week for more than a decade now.
Here's to hoping we'll still be rowing into our 90's!

Nov. Hartford Temple dedication and youth jubilee

Annual Christmas singalong at New Canaan Inn with
my piano students accompanying and friends joining us for the carols.
Music makes life sweet.

AND HERE ARE OTHER FAMILY UPDATES: 
MIKE & KATHRYN, with Quinn, West and Hayes in The Woodlands, Texas
Now in their sixth year in the Houston area, Mike and Kathryn welcomed their third child, Hayes Patrick Whiting, into the world.  Mike writes:  The Texas Whitings welcomed baby boy Hayes to the all-male offspring roster.  He's an even-keeled and optomistic child with an infectious smile and massive eyes.  His main hobby involves logrolling over / under anything in this path. 

Oldest and most kinetic child Quinn (6) started kindergarten, and produces daily reams of insanely detailed artwork (favorite subjects include volcanos, Star Wars, and thought bubbles that express his idiosyncratic stream-of-consciousness commentary on life.)

Middleman West (4) is in the middle of pre-school.  He is a master of subtext,nuance and dry wit.  Current interests include memorizing the names of major bones in the human body, learning to read on the fly without anyone teaching him and refining his Spotify playlist of EDM tracks.

Kathryn set loose a human life from her own body in February (that's a really big deal, people), and has done the equivalent of Navy SEAL sleep deprivation training ever since (good thing the kid is really cute).  Undeterred by sleepless nights, she's back on the marathon training circuit, gearing up for at least two races in 2017.  All she wants for Christmas is a 26.2 sticker.

The majority of Mike's time spent in daily life revolves around work-related emails going into / out of Microsoft Outlook, which pays the bills but isn't all that interesting to Christmas card readers.  To compensate, Mike actively plans every way possible to maximize family usage of frequent flier miles to get out of Texas, avoids the onset of "old man malaise" by being as active as he can outdoors with his kids (every dad should be a master at riding the scooter), and reinvented his persona by growing facial hair (relative to some men, a weak growth, but a revolutionary achievement for Whiting men).

CARA in Richmond, Virginia
Cara spent a few spectacular days biking along the California coast to celebrate the completion of the first year of her physical therapy program at Virginia Commonwealth University.  She spent her summer giving bicycle tours of the National Mall in D.C. and continues to enjoy the southern charm of Richmond.  Cara has been involved in the start up of a student run pro-bono physical therapy clinic and assists a professor researching motor development in children.

Bixby Bridge, Big Sur, CA - Biking the California coast

Bike and Roll, Washington DC - summer fun giving bike tours

Canoeing in Durango, Colorado

Dan and Sonia in Denver, Colorado
Dan and Sonia were married on October 1st, surrounded by beautiful autumn foliage in Durango, Colorado.  Sonia grew up on Long Island, and they first met at University of Colorado Boulder.  They are wrapping the year up honeymooning in India and Bali.

A wedding with Indian flair and fall splendor

DAVE & KYLIE with Kate in Hamden, Connecticut 
Dave, Kylie and Kate had a busy year with lots of changes.  In May, Dave happily graduated from Columbia Dental School.  Kate turned 1 in June, and shortly after, they packed their bags and moved to Hamden, Connecticut.  Dave started a 4-year oral and maxillofacial surgery residency at Yale New Haven Hospital.  Kylie has continued with her photography and design business, all while keeping up with a busy toddler.  Kate is 18 months and more fun than ever!

Starting residency 

BRYAN & VERONICA in Arlington, Virginia
Living in DC, Bryan and Veronica have loved strolling through the cherry blossoms, painting pictures of them, and following Cara as a guide on bike tours. Veronica graduated in April with her bachelor's in Psychology from BYU.  She continues her work as a victim advocate for Polaris, and Bryan continues his consulting work with Bates White.  They recently moved to Arlington, VA from living in the District, and appreciate Virginia's greener pastures.  Christmas brought an exciting announcement of a little girl to be born in June!

Rooting for the home team at Nationals Park

Whitings at the White House

Celebrating Veronica's graduation
with a June trip to Vero Beach, Florida

In Colorado for Dan's wedding

We wish a happy 2017 to all!
Love,
Steve and Jeanne