Christmas 2024
It’s the most wonderful time of the year and an opportunity to catch up with friends and family during the holiday season. Hope all is well with you and your family. The past year has had many joys and wonderful experiences. Our grandchildren continue to be the center of our lives. We enjoy every moment we spend with them. Jackson and Eleanor are both nine years old and Parker is six years old. We are fortunate to have Eleanor and Parker living just a few blocks from our house. They ride their bikes and walk over to visit us all the time. Jackson spends a month with us each summer and Jackson and Eleanor take sailing lessons at the Waukegan Yacht Club. Eleanor has become a regular crew member on our sailboat Blue Heaven during our summer racing series.
Eleanor at the helm of Blue Heaven
We had a wonderful family cruise from New York to Bermuda in April. All nine of us were on the Norwegian Cruise Line ship Joy. The Joy has a water park with two story water slides, a gocart track, arcade and mini golf course. No problem keeping the kids entertained while at sea. In Bermuda they swam with the dolphins and explored caves.
The entire Simons family onboard the Norweigian Joy.
In 2024 Priscilla and I celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary. We had two parties. One party was in Lake Bluff and the other was in Framingham. The Framingham party featured as many of the original wedding party as we could gather. We arranged the photo with the wedding party in the same position after 50 years.
John and Priscilla’s wedding party in 1974.
John and Priscilla’s wedding party 50 years later in 2024.
To continue our anniversary celebration Priscilla and I went on a 14 day safari to Tanzania and Kenya. It was an amazing experience seeing the big five and ugly five animals and culminating with a hot air balloon ride above the Serengeti.
Our hot air balloon ride above the Serengetti
This was one of our most favorite photos on our safari.
We celebrated Thanksgiving with our son JP and his family and then drove to Florida to find 80°f weather. We flew to Boston to celebrate Jackson’s birthday, Christmas and Alison’s birthday all within 8 days. It is a very efficient trip. We will return to Florida for New Years and Jackson and Alison will join us on January 2. We will have two visits each from both Alison and JP and families in Florida this year. There will be lots a swimming, fishing and sailing.
Thanksgiving dinner with JP, Rachel, Eleanor and Parker in Lake Bluff.
Jackson was a shepherd in the church Christmas pageant.
We are already looking forward to our next adventure. We are taking Jackson and Eleanor to the Galápagos Islands in June.
Wishing you all the joys of the holiday season.
John, Priscilla and family
Christmas 2024
