We welcomed a new little bean to the Murphy crew.
Meet Poppy!
It’s been an eventful year, that’s for sure! I (Jess) spent New Years Eve sick in bed binge-watching Emily in Paris while we were in Oregon visiting Tom’s brother. I assumed I had gotten the highly publicized rotovirus from the oysters I ate in Cambria days before… and then I was late… and a week later I took a pregnancy test. And I was positive! Tom and I stood still and in shock, whispering and crying tears of joy in our bedroom while the kids hurricaned in their usual before school morning routine chaos.
That was the day after the Palisades & Eaton fires began. We spent that week holding onto the emotional high of learning we were growing a baby as we watched our communities lose their homes and navigate unthinkable tragedy. Our wedding venue was lost in the fire! So many of our loved ones are still rebuilding and still displaced.
I started the year with a successful audition for the LA Master Chorale, worked on some highlight projects like The Wizard of Oz at the Sphere, How to Train Your Dragon & Wicked: For Good. I also got to dance and sing on Love is Blind and sing the end title song of an episode of For All Mankind - still figuring out which episode. And I dusted off my comedy chops on an NBC show - I’ll share when I can! Aside from my session singing and performing life, I focused on growing, birthing, and feeding a human, and mothering three other children, and loving my husband!
Oh and I must mention, we got a minivan!
POPPY
Poppy is an absolute perfect angel baby. Measuring very long, we know she’ll be a tall queen. We call her Hilary Buff because she’s super strong. Her eyes are very blue with a sparkle in one (we think that’ll stick) and her hair MIGHT be red? She responds boldy to music (especially Ella Fitzgerald and Jingle Bells) and has started making lots of vocalizations to alert us that she will in fact enjoy movie musicals from the 1940s. She looks just like her dad!
STELLA
Stella turned 15 in October right after starting her freshman year at Westlake High School. She wrapped up middle school gracefully and was rewarded with an ebike! She had a fun summer getting her head in the game for high school and working on her tan lines. She began the school year at her first choir retreat in Idyllwild and about a month into school was recruited for the varsity water polo team! So she’s making waves everywhere! (Sound & water!) She loves music, makeup, pinterest, sweets, dreaming about her near future as a driver, and holding and caring for her little baby sister.
MILES
Miles turned 12 in October right after starting sixth grade at Los Cerritos Middle School. They are playing Bassoon in band and started playing Cello in strings but realized they might have a little bit more fun in woodshop. Woodwinds & woodshop it is for next semester! They welcomed a baby brother in May with their dad and stepmom so they were very prepared when Poppy came onto the scene! They built their first animatronic and have enjoyed programming a parrot they built to sing songs and dance. They have also enjoyed a new hobby in swimming/swim team! They also took up photography with my old DSLR. They started playing Dungeons & Dragons and lead a club at school. They also love movie making - as a director/editor and acting for other people. Thankfully, they just got cast in a local production of Seussical so their truest form, Theatre Kid, will be back in action after too long of a break after playing Aladdin in Aladdin in May.
CHARLIE
Charlie turned 9 in March and is still at the same school! One kid without a transition! He has been loving looking into Poppy’s eyes and making her giggle. He had a great time testing his skills at Oaks Christian Baseball camp and CLU Basketball camp over the summer. He still loves going fast on his bikes and whipping RC cars around. He’s excited to start playing baseball in the spring. He has outgrown all of his clothes and is almost as tall as Miles. He loves bright colors and soft fabrics and necklaces… so fashion? sporty fashion. with a dodger hat and a fresh pair of Js every day. He loves spending time with Nonna and Papa and runs over to their house whenever he can. He hopes to go back to Kauai as soon as possible. (we all do!)
TOM
Tom started a new job in October at a cool company called Pluralsight which strangely has nothing to do with optometry. He likes working from our new office shed in our yard! We look forward to inviting you for a grand opening of our backyard music venue once I get landscaping rocks for Christmas. (Santa?) He feels so proud of all four of his kids and how much they’ve grown and changed and rolled with the transitions in their lives. He is also proud of his wife for all she’s accomplished in addition to carrying, delivering and loving a baby. He is also working hard to be healthy and write songs before his 40th birthday in January!
We welcomed a new little bean to the Murphy crew.
Meet Poppy!
It’s been an eventful year, that’s for sure! I spent New Years Eve sick in bed binge-watching Emily in Paris while we were in Oregon visiting Tom’s brother. I assumed I had gotten the highly publicized rotovirus from the oysters I ate in Cambria days before… and then I was late… and a week later I took a pregnancy test. And I was positive! Tom and I stood still and in shock, whispering and crying tears of joy in our bedroom while the kids hurricaned in their usual before school morning routine chaos.
That was the day after the Palisades & Eaton fires began. We spent that week holding onto the emotional high of learning we were growing a baby as we watched our communities lose their homes and navigate unthinkable tragedy. Our wedding venue was lost in the fire! So many of our loved ones are still rebuilding and still displaced.
I started the year with a successful audition for the LA Master Chorale, worked on some highlight projects like The Wizard of Oz at the Sphere, How to Train Your Dragon & Wicked: For Good. Aside from my session singing and live performance life, I focused on growing, birthing and feeding a human and mothering three other children and loving my husband!
POPPY
Poppy is an absolute perfect angel baby. Measuring very long, we know she’ll be a tall queen. We call her Hilary Buff because she’s super strong. Her eyes are very blue with a sparkle in one (we think that’ll stick) and her hair MIGHT be red? She responds boldy to music and has started making lots of vocalizations to alert us that she will in fact enjoy movie musicals from the 1940s. She looks just like her dad!
STELLA
Stella turned 15 in October right after starting her freshman year at Westlake High School. She began the year at her first choir retreat in Idyllwild and about a month into school was recruited for the varsity water polo team! So she’s making waves everywhere! (Sound & water!) She loves music, makeup, pinterest, sweets, dreaming about her near future as a driver, and holding and caring for her little baby sister.
MILES
Miles turned 12 in October right after starting sixth grade at Los Cerritos Middle School. They are playing Bassoon in band and started playing Cello in strings but realized they might have a little bit more fun in woodshop. Woodwinds & woodshop it is for next semester! They welcomed a baby brother in May with their dad and stepmom so they were very prepared when Poppy came onto the scene! They built their first animatronic and have enjoyed programming this wooden parrot to sing songs and dance. They have also enjoyed a new hobby in swimming/swim team! Thankfully, they just got cast in a local production of Seussical so their truest form, Theatre Kid, will be back in action after too long of a break after playing Aladdin in Aladdin in May.
CHARLIE
Charlie turned 9 in March and is still at the same school! One kid without a transition! He has been loving looking into Poppy’s eyes and making her giggle. He had a great time testing his skills at Oaks Christian Baseball camp and CLU Basketball camp over the summer. He still loves going fast on his bikes and whipping RC cars around. We’re still negotiating which sport he’s going to be joining after his soccer retirement. He has outgrown all of his clothes and is almost as tall as Miles. He loves bright colors and soft fabrics and necklaces… so fashion? sporty fashion. with a dodger hat and a fresh pair of Js every day. He loves spending time with Nonna and Papa and runs over to their house whenever he can. He hopes to go back to Kauai as soon as possible. (we all do!)
TOM
Tom started a new job in October at a cool company called Pluralsight which strangely has nothing to do with optometry. He likes working from our new office shed in our yard! We look forward to inviting you for a grand opening of our backyard music venue once I get landscaping rocks for Christmas. He feels so proud of all four of his kids and how much they’ve grown and changed and rolled with the transitions in their lives. He is also proud of his wife for all she’s accomplished in addition to carrying, delivering and loving a baby. He is also working hard to be healthy andwrite songs before his 40th birthday in January!