Welllllllllllll… somuchhappened.

Welcome to our 2021 year in review! This might become our wedding website but for now, we have things to share! In a year when we weren’t able to be with one another as much as usual, so much happened in our lives and as the people we love the most, we want to share that with you and catch you up properly.

WHO ARE SKIP & JUNE!?

1. Tom started calling me June when I was acting like my mom (an excellent Italian Nonna) and Nonna JUNior became JUNE.

2. We learned that if you have a family name that skips a generation, you can be called Skip. Tom is Thomas Joseph Murphy the Third… but it skipped a generation. Hence: SKIP.

3. We then loved the ring of Skip & June and periodically put on accents and pretend we have a cooking/home improvement show. But now there’s a website so maybe it’ll become a real thing. Cause we have SO much spare time. But we’ve also been writing a cookbook since last fall so it makes sense. Subscribe here.

This year was transformative (and that’s an understatement.)

Tom & Jess went through a lot beginning with Tom’s heart failure and recovery, combining families, getting engaged, buying a house and moving in together.

Jessica is living all of her dreams. She is in love with her best friend and so wildly fulfilled. She is helping Miles move forward in his life as a creative soul as he begins his acting career. She got two new children to love in Stella and Charlie. Supporting Tom’s kids especially has been a revelation for Jessica. She knew she was a mom but she didn’t know how much mom she really was. Turns out, it’s kind of a big purpose of hers. Jessica continues to make music and remote recording was a big blessing during a year where studios were mostly shut down. JEMS (her band) began recording their second album. She is also working on another solo project under the name Monsterra. Songwriting and vocal arranging for various projects has also been ramping up over 2021. Her backup singing for Portugal. the Man took her back to Red Rocks and Edgefield. The pinnacle of her career ) came recently as a “Caroling Karen” on Jimmy Kimmel Live which was just so her- glamourous and classy. She also had a fun appearance with Sean Hayes a few months prior. But most importantly, she learned how to do stick & poke tattoos so she could tattoo Tom for his birthday.

From helping Stella & Charlie navigate everything in their life post-divorce, to jumping into a step-father role to Miles with both feet, Tom has been putting his fatherhood skills to the test and loving every moment of it. Being there to support and encourage the three kids through some really big changes in their lives has not been without challenge, but having such an amazing partner and coparent (J), overcoming and seeing them grow together has become a source of fulfillment and joy. On the career front, Tom left his post at LinkedIn after almost 8 years and joined two of his friends to help grow Madecraft, an edTech startup (shameless plug). Outside of parenting & work, Tom has been thrilled for his first few opportunities to join Jessica in some of her musical ventures, including some guitar parts on a few fun covers, which can be found on Spotify.

Stella is a growing, wonderful young woman. This year, trapeze and musicals kept her attention. She is currently working on the roles of Sister Margaretta and Frau Schmidt in Sound of Music at her school. 5’5 with a size 10 shoe, she follows in her dad’s powerful footsteps. She enjoys going on girl dates with Jess and putting on shows with Miles & Charlie. She is still a daddy’s girl and has been enthusiastic about the new chapters our family has begun this year. She embraces fashion trends wholeheartedly and loves experimenting with flair, color and statement pieces. She is incredibly empathetic and passionate about social justice. We see a beautiful future ahead of her as a young leader.

Miles has had a very exciting year. He finished first grade strong and started second grade stronger, had a lot of fun in Kauai and Maine over the summer. His baseball team made it to the championships. He got cast in a children'‘s TV show, due out in 2022, voicing a character and his first film project Sing 2 comes out this Christmas. (He’s playing three chickens). He’s still incredibly inventive and has taken an interest in filmmaking and music as well as writing books. He’s still obsessed with the fantasy worlds of Harry Potter, Jurassic Park & Zelda. The best thing that has happened to him this year was gaining a Stepdad and 2 incredible siblings. They are changing his life for the better, even when he’s sad he’s not always the only center of attention.

Charlie is blossoming. He tells hilarious stories and jokes, is a naturally gifted singer, has a vibrant imagination, and is really really fast. (He wants people to know about how fast he is.) He has been STOKED about having an older brother who can play with him and moderately enthusiastic about getting his hand-me-downs. He continues to love hot wheels and other wheels (bikes, scooters, race cars, wheels of cheese, etc.) He is gentle and timid at times but has an undeniable unique identity. He loves building and playing outdoors and playing pretend, especially with Miles.