Over the course of a year there can be many ups and downs but 2005 is notable for our family because it's been a year of mountain-high peaks and subterranean-deep valleys. The year started out on a real nadir. In January, Dennis was on a business trip to India when the helicopter he was in crashed. He broke his L-3 vertebra and had to stay in bed for six weeks. (While in bed, he learned to blog and chronicled his experiences at hkpirate.blogspot.com.) It didn't help that Tessa was pregnant at the time of the accident.
From that ignominious start though, 2005 has steadily improved for all of us and we are looking forward to an even better New Year.
The highlight of the year was the arrival of Athena Marean at 10:05 PM on the auspicious date of 05-05-05. Athena was delivered in an "emergency" C-section, hours after obstetrician Annebelle Aherrera noted that Tessa had a condition called placenta previa. Although this was Tessa's only non-natural delivery, Athena has been healthy and a great charmer and thus, a real joy and stress-reducer for us all.
Now at 7 months, Athena is still being nursed, a record for Tessa and unchartered territory for us all! Our little star was also recently featured on the cover of Mega magazine as one of Manila's future "10.5 women to watch." Athena was the .5! Yoiks! What happens when she's 16?
Tyrone and Annika have both had a fast-paced year. They're at that wonderful age range where they don't need yayas and can fly at half price so this has been a traveling year for them. As soon as Daddy could walk, he was with them for a week in the Gold Coast in Oz. In August, the three joined Tita Mary for a week on Ocean Hunter II, her liveaboard in Palau. There they both learned snorkeling and Ty tried scuba diving too. From the depths of Palau, next was the heights of Sagada when the adventuresome threesome accompanied the extended Reyes clan during the November long weekend.
Sagada was memorable because the last time Dennis was there was when Bryan was around 10, exactly 10 years ago. The town is remarkably unchanged, except for another new hostel, the Rock Inn Garden, where they stayed. Tyrone and Annika both made the same treks that Bryan and Dennis did last time - a 2km walk through the terraces to the Bomog-ok Big Waterfalls then a 3-hour spelunking adventure at Sumaging Cave.
Not satisfied with all their jaunts, Ty and Annika also accompanied Daddy, Mommy and Athena to the Shangri-la Mactan during the biennial Advertising Congress. There Tyrone got to try water skiing and he successfully stood up on his first try! After this, the totally jaded pair had one last vacation, this time to Apo Reef off southwest Mindoro, where we all joined Joey and Marissa Concepcion on their breathtaking yacht, M/Y Luisa, for some scuba diving and serious beach time.
This year, we missed Bryan so much. He's still away at Notre Dame de Namur University in Belmont, CA and only got to come home in October, for Paolo Prieto's wedding to Ria Francisco. Mr. B is taller, leaner but not at all meaner. Instead he is remarkably mature for his age. The best part is that he is getting along very nicely with his littlest sister, 20 years his junior! Now a junior, he will be graduating in 2007 after which we will be hoping to have more news about him in our annual letter. Or at least a link to his own website or blog!
Tessa, as always, has had a good year. Except for a small medical complication from the Caesarian section and the loss of her Canon digital camera, virtually all else has gone well. Her column has been doing so well that she is now a favorite on the media junket circuit. In August, Metro Society flew her and Dennis to Amanpulo for a weekend of photo shoots, snorkeling and just some much-needed relaxing. 
Then in December, Volvo flew the pair to Bangkok to play in the Pro Am of the Volvo Masters of Asia. Of course, no visit to Bangkok would be complete without some serious shopping, spa-ing and eating.And with all that, we can see what a whirlwind year 2005 has been. Truly fitting for the Year of the Monkey, who has dizzied all of us with his tricks and turns. It's been an effort to keep ourselves grounded this year, focused on what is truly important for us as a family: good health and the ability to spend some quality time with one another.
Msgr. Manny Gabriel, who celebrated our wedding 11 years ago and Print Town's recent Christmas mass, said it best in his homily, advising all of us to "count our blessings, share our blessings and be a blessing to those we know." Nice words to ponder this Christmas! Happy Holidays to all!
