Our year in photos – 2024

During this season of gratitude and thanksgiving, I continue my annual tradition of posting family photographs on MORE TO COME. This practice began in 2008* but has grown through the years so that the entire family participates in the curation of this particular entry.

NOVEMBER — DECEMBER 2023

We begin with gatherings and celebrations at the end of last year.

Celebrating Andrew and Claire’s birthday at Cranes Restaurant in DC

The life of the late-December birthday baby.

Andrew’s view of Boston Symphony Hall during a rehearsal of a holiday performance of Messiah

Our dear friend Ella Taranto stops by to visit with Claire and Andrew over the holiday break . . . and we made sure she once again makes our “Year in Photos” collection (for the fourth year in a row!).

JANUARY — FEBRUARY 2024

The New Year brought busy months of exploration, music, and connection. From Andrew’s singing in the professional choir at Church of the Advent in Boston, to Claire’s full life as a parishioner and vestry member at Christ Church in Alameda, to our decades-long involvement at St. Alban’s Parish in Washington, we all sought spiritual grounding and growth in a time of deep divisiveness.

Candice leads a Godly Play class at St. Alban’s Parish

Claire helped Christ Church celebrate Ireland’s second-most beloved saint on February 1st, St. Brigid Day. Brigid is associated with many miracles related to healing, and it’s fitting that her saint day is also the traditional first day of spring in Ireland.

David seldom wears a tie except when he ushers at church. We used this opportunity to showcase one of the beautiful boutonnieres that the Flower Guild creates for the ushers each week.

Late in January, Candice and David traveled to New York City to hear Andrew sing at Carnegie Hall as part of the Boston University School of Music Spotlight. Andrew also participated—along with fellow graduate student Valentina Pulido Pardo—in a BU College of Fine Arts video about their preparations to perform at the world-renown venue.

With friends Sarah Norvell and Maks Adach after the Boston University Spotlight at Carnegie Hall

Andrew was active throughout the winter months, here as Le Prince Charmant (Prince Charming) in the production of Cendrillon (Cinderella) at Boston University

While we dealt with cold weather in Boston and Washington, we also opted to explore warmer climates when the opportunity arose.

Checking out a new winter hat to add to David’s growing collection

Claire spent a week in January at a resort in Costa Rica . . . and she sent these photos so we’d know she was thriving.

In late February, Candice and David took the first of three 2024 National Trust Tours where David served as a lecturer, this time for an exploration of Panama and Costa Rica. We were able to fulfill a bucket list goal of traveling through the Panama Canal.

On the boat to the indigenous village of Embera

Our good friend Ed Quattlebaum from Boston joined us on the Panama and Costa Rica trip.

Sailing through the Panama Canal with National Trust Tours

National Trust Tour travelers in Panama and Costa Rica—February 2024

MARCH — APRIL

Soon after returning from Panama, David and fellow committee members hosted noted Jewish New Testament Scholar Dr. Amy-Jill Levine for the annual St. Alban’s Memorial Lecture Series. We had a full house for her main presentation.

Memorial Lecture Series at St. Alban’s Parish with Amy-Jill (AJ) Levine

March started a three-month journey for David with cataract surgery. Naturally he wrote about it on MORE TO COME, here, here, and here in what he dubbed the “Cataract Trilogy.” March is also our anniversary month, which we celebrated with dinner and jazz at Bistro Lepic.

David tests out a new look for him—no glasses! (Spoiler alert . . . it didn’t last). Candice had cataract surgery last year to get new, multi-focal lenses and now never wears glasses!

Claire came to the East Coast in March to see friends from her Episcopal Urban Intern Program team: Caroline, Edgar, Graycie, and Baby Nayeli (top right, clockwise)

Spring brought Easter, a solar eclipse, another trip to Carnegie Hall, and Andrew’s final BU performance.

At St. Luke’s Alexandria with Sara and Bill Overby for Easter Vigil and their confirmations into the Episcopal Church

Andrew sings the Exultant at the Easter Vigil at Church of the Advent, Beacon Hill, in Boston

Claire enjoys springtime in New York with her dear friend Jackie Tran

In Boston, waiting for the solar eclipse

Andrew participated in the 2024 finals of the Oratorio Society of New York’s Lyndon Woodside Oratorio Solo Competition at Carnegie Hall in April. He sang Handel’s “Thou Shalt Break Them” from Messiah and Craig Hella Johnson’s “In Need of Breath” from Considering Matthew Shepard. The Matthew Shepard piece is incredibly powerful, and as the final notes lingered in the wonderful acoustic setting you could hear a pin drop for at least five seconds before the applause begin.

Andrew won third place from among an amazing group of talented singers. The following week all three of us went to Boston to hear him sing the role of Tito in Mozart’s La clemenza di Tito.

A family celebration at Prairie Fire restaurant in Brookline, MA

Andrew (as Tito) with David, Candice, and Claire

Andrew (as Tito) with BU Opera Institute colleagues and his voice teacher Lynn Eustis (front)

MAY — JUNE

In May, we sponsored a quote on the marquee at the Arcadia Project in downtown Staunton. The group raises money for rehabilitation through individuals who sponsor a quote each month from a creator on the historic theatre marquee. We chose the “instructions for life” by one of our favorite poets, Mary Oliver.

Thom Wagner posts our quote to the Arcadia Theatre marquee

We returned to Carnegie Hall and New York City in early May to hear Andrew perform Brahms with Ensemble Altera and the Orchestra of St. Luke’s in the Isaac Stern Auditorium. It was a stunning performance in a magnificent setting.

The orchestra joins the audience in recognizing Andrew and the other members of Ensemble Altera

In June we traveled to Alameda for a few days with Claire before heading out to Lake Tahoe, Nevada, where David was visiting his 50th state. He now has the certificate and t-shirt to prove it!

Catching up with family over a meal in Oakland with cousin Chris Palma

David steps into Nevada . . . his 50th state!

*David displays the 50th state certificate in Nevada, with Candice and Claire*

Claire, Candice, and David take in the beauty of the California portion of Lake Tahoe

JULY — AUGUST

July brought baseball for David and a second National Trust Tour—this time to Scandinavia and the Baltic Sea—for Candice and David. Andrew spent the summer singing at the Des Moines Metro Opera, covering the role of John Singer Sargent in the premiere of American Apollo. (The entire season received a great review in the New Yorker.) Claire and Andrew then took their own Scandinavian tour to Sweden and Denmark.

Enjoying a Nats game with friend and former colleague Tricia Kane

We were happy to find some cooler temperatures—not to mention extraordinary historic places—as we sailed the Baltic Sea in July.

Our dear friend Frank Wade—the long-time rector at St. Alban’s Parish in DC—and his wife Kerry joined us on this trip, as seen in this photo from *Tjolöholm Castle*.

With our NTT friend Jan Moriarity in Sweden’s *Tjolöholm Castle*.

Given that we were traveling by ship to these various countries, we explored historic harbor cities—none more delightful than Copenhagen and Tallinn.

Many of our National Trust Tours travelers on the Scandinavia and the Baltic Sea Tour gathered for this group photo

Enjoying some tea with NTT friends in the beautiful city of Tallinn, Estonia

Finland was a special treat, as we toured Helsinki’s amazing central library, saw beautiful monuments, and—in Candice’s case—enjoyed a Finish sauna experience, complete with a dip in the Baltic Sea!

At the Sebelius monument in Helsinki, Finland

Candice takes a dip in the sea after her Finnish sauna experience

Upon our return, Candice and David took a day trip by train to Philadelphia to view the Mary Cassat exhibit.

Finding an old friend at the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s Mary Cassatt exhibition

Andrew with the other Apprentice Artists and coaches at the Des Moines Metro Opera, after the cover run (where all the covers sing their roles) for American Apollo.

Enjoying bluegrass at Strathmore on a cool summer evening with Bob and Judy Van Namen

Claire and Andrew enjoy a cocktail before a family dinner at La Piquette in Washington—the rare time all four of us were together that isn’t a holiday

In Haga, the old neighborhood of Gothenburg

Claire comes across her namesake cafe on a bike tour through Copenhagen

Claire photographs a beautiful food market in Copenhagen

Pausing for a photo along a Copenhagen canal

Claire and Andrew topped off their trip to Copenhagen with a wonderful dinner at RADIO. Our children know how to find good places to eat!

SEPTEMBER — NOVEMBER

As the year turned to fall, we continued to read, travel, and focus on those we love.

There are several banned books on that bookshelf

In early September, Candice and Francoise LeGall helped the children of St. Alban’s parish celebrate the Godly Play ministry of The Rev. Emily Griffin at a bittersweet farewell party.

Candice and Francoise thank Rev’d Emily on behalf of the children of the Godly Play ministry

The following week, David and parishioner Kate McNamara helped organize the St. Alban’s Ministry Fair to showcase the many ways the parish reaches out to the community while meeting the spiritual needs of parishioners.

Kate and David in the midst of a busy fair day

In October, Candice and David traveled to Florida to celebrate the 93rd birthday of Candice’s mom, Irene Colando.

Candice with her mom and brother Adam at the birthday celebration

Our third National Trust Tour trip of 2024 took us to the Greek Isles and Ephesus. This was a part of the world we’d both wanted to visit for a long time, and the trip was both memorable and educational. We saw places we’d long read about and we were introduced to new experiences as well.

Having a drink with the Parthenon in the background

At one of the many delicious dinners with National Trust Tour friends

A number of our National Trust Tour travelers gathered together for a group photo

David and Candice high above the Pátmos harbor

Nobody does Halloween quite like Alameda, so Claire and Zack took full advantage, handing out candy with friends and then walking the neighborhood to see the decorations (and hear the five live bands!).

Handing out candy with neighborhood friends

Skeleton Dogs Playing Poker—Only in Alameda!

In early November, Candice and David attended the St. Alban’s Parish Weekend at beautiful Shrine Mont in Orkney Springs, Virginia. It was a weekend for spiritual renewal, rest, reading, music, time with friends old and new, and enjoying the wonder of nature—just what we needed before a tumultuous election.