Sunday, December 11, 2016

Merry Christmas 2016

Beloved family and friends,                                        December 2016

Taking the time to sit and chronicle events of the past year is no easy task during the hustle and bustle of the Christmas season, yet it is vitally important to stay in touch with those near and far who are important to us—even if it’s only once a year.

2016 was a year of big changes for Tony and me. After 32 years in our Lewisville home, we decided it was time to move to our forever home, a lovely condominium on Lewisville Lake in the town of Lake Dallas, about 15 minutes north of our former home. One motivating factor was proximity to the girls and their families, both of whom are now less than 10 minutes from us. Another was timing. We were weary of the upkeep of house, yard, and pool, and real estate values in our neighborhood were soaring. We decided on the condo we wanted, submitted a contingency contract, and listed our house. The listing went live on a Friday night, and by Sunday night we had 4 offers, all over asking price. The process was so smooth and seamless, we knew without a doubt it was the right decision. We moved to Water’s Edge on April 1 and haven’t had a moment of regret. God directed the entire process and has blessed us abundantly. We have made so many wonderful friends here already, and we are very active in our new community. Here is a link to my blog posting with the detailed story of the move and pictures of our new home:


Another big change this year is that we have 5 kiddos in school!  Zoey Cribbs (4th grade), Leo Wiese and Ruby Cribbs (2nd grade), and Etta Wiese and Maggie Cribbs (kindergarten) are all doing great at Corinth Classical Academy. Only 4-year-old Sam Cribbs remains at home, and since his birthday is in October, we get to enjoy him full-time until Fall of 2018. The kids are amazing! Each is his/her own unique individual person, yet all six get along beautifully and love each other very much. They are the fruit of dedicated, Godly parenting: smart, kind, sweet, respectful, resourceful, and they all love the Lord. Tony and I couldn’t be prouder of our children and grandchildren.

Because of the move Tony and I didn’t take a “grand” trip this year, but we did manage to get away twice. In May we traveled to my hometown of Endicott, NY, for the funeral of my beloved aunt and godmother, Olga Presowitz, my mom’s sister. She celebrated her 94th birthday in March and gently passed away in her sleep in April. I miss her terribly but rejoice over her long life on earth and eternal life in heaven. We had a nice time reuniting with family and friends while celebrating Aunty’s life and legacy. Then in June we spent a week with Lisa and Bob on the Caribbean island of St. John, their go-to tropical paradise. The weather was perfect, and we had a great time exploring, hanging out at various beautiful beaches, snorkeling, sailing, relaxing in luxurious adjoining condos, and sampling delightful Caribbean cuisine.

Well, as we look forward to 2017 and join our new President in making America great again, we extend our warmest wishes to you and yours for a lovely Christmas and very happy, healthy New Year. We celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, our hope and salvation, God’s perfect gift to mankind, the only One who is able to set us free from our earthly bondage. May His light shine in your hearts now and always.



PICTURE—back row: Jenni Leo Cribbs, Tony, Mona, Josh Wiese; middle row: Ruby Cribbs, Zoey Cribbs; front row: Dave Cribbs, Maggie Cribbs, Sam Cribbs, Leo Wiese, Etta Wiese, Erika Leo Wiese

OUR NEW ADDRESS:  500 Water’s Edge Drive #128, Lake Dallas, TX 75065

MY NEW EMAIL ADDRESSES:  lucysmamamia@gmail.com,                         mona.w.leo@gmail.com

BLOG ADDRESS:  lucysmamamia.blogspot.com

Love, Mona 💖