What a year it’s been for the June family! With so much packed into the last 12 months, we’re taking a moment to pause this holiday season to breathe and share a glimpse of our world. Spoiler alert: 2025 has been filled with big transitions, new adventures, personal wins, and more soccer than one man should reasonably coach.
Big Career Shifts, New Chapters
This fall marked a major milestone for me as I am transitioning from VP of Marketing & Sales at Mobile Edge into a rep capacity. This move opens the door for me to continue growing Barrel O’Monkeyz as a full-service marketing agency dedicated to powering brands and helping businesses tell bold stories. In fact, Barrel O’Monkeyz will be launching a new website soon, reflecting our growing service offerings and growing team.
In addition to our web, content, branding, and digital marketing services, we are offering Fractional Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) leadership for organizations looking for senior-level strategy, creative firepower, and executional clarity without the full-time overhead. We’ve also added Promotional Product Strategies to our toolkit, capitalizing on our years of expertise in that area to integrate promotional products into marketing strategies to boost customer engagement, foster brand loyalty, and drive repeat business and retention.
We’ve also added two new team members, Brandi Bronson as our Social Media Director, and Eden Gannon as our Special Projects Director.
Watch for an announcement soon on our new services and team members when our new website launches in the coming weeks.
Sara’s Big Win
After much preparation and persistence, Sara landed a Physical Education teaching role at Sweetwater Union High School in San Diego County. She is thriving and inspiring students daily, while embracing the excitement and possibilities of this new chapter in her journey with much energy and dedication.
The Girls: Brilliant, Busy, and Getting Along (Like Feral Cats)
In addition to the typical horseplay and sibling tussles that keep households lively, each of the girls has carved out her own exciting path this year.
Leland has been accepted into Advanced Theater, which means more rehearsals, stage lights, and the thrill of stepping into new characters with confidence.
McKinley made the All-Star Soccer Team, which means extra practices, weekend tournaments, and plenty of cheering from the sidelines as she pushes herself to new levels of play.
In the meantime, our youngest, Noelline, is fully embracing the art of building with Legos and crafting worlds limited only by imagination. (I remember those days!)
Coaching x3
I somehow ended up assisting all three of the soccer teams my daughters played on this season—surviving the chaos and loving every minute of it. From helping on the field at practices and games to connecting with other parents on the sidelines, it’s been a whirlwind of whistles, teamwork, and community spirit.
Other Highlights
Coach Justin Giles and me kissed McKinley’s championship trophy for U10 AYSO Region 341 (team name: Emerald Pythons).
Leland and Noelline’s annual soccer-pallooza birthday party, celebrated their turning 11 and 7 (or shall I say 7-Eleven!). About 50 parents and kids attended.
A June Family Wedding
We celebrated the beautiful wedding of my niece, Lizzie June, to a wonderful man, Tom Borchert, in Virginia. Heading back east gave us the chance to dress up in our finest, reconnect with family and friends, and send the happy couple off on their own journey in the way only the Junes can— full of laughter, love, and some dance‑floor antics to remember (and a few better forgotten!).
Side Trip
While in Virginia for the wedding, I found myself with a half‑day free and took the opportunity to visit the Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C. with my sister, Lorraine, and her husband, Doug. We had a terrific time exploring the exhibits—especially the primate section and this particularly memorable orangutan!
Health & Healing
I continue to heal well from my fourth back surgery—a spinal fusion at L5-S1 in mid‑summer—and I’m deeply grateful for steady progress and renewed mobility. The recovery proved tougher and more painful than I anticipated (my body’s way of telling me time marches on!), but the encouragement and support from so many has meant the world to me. THANK YOU!
Bonus Adventures
My older brother, Marc, came to San Diego with his family to celebrate his 70th birthday! We marked the occasion with a Dodgers game—a fitting tribute, since Marc took me to my very first one when I was just five. The Dodgers won that day… and they won this time, too!
I went with Monkeyz Teammate Travis Perreira to the basketball showdown between San Diego State University (Aztecs) and the University of San Diego (Toreros). It was a fun night at Viejas Arena, though I have to admit his team (SDSU) absolutely dominated mine (USD). The final score was a lopsided 87-54.
Closing Out the Year with Gratitude
As we wrap up 2025, we’re feeling deeply grateful—for family, friend, health, meaningful work, and the joy of raising three strong, creative girls.
Happy Holidays from our family to yours. May 2026 be bright, joyful, and rewarding!
With gratitude,
Paul, Sara, Leland, McKinley, and Noelline (“The June Family”)
December 10, 2026
PS: Is it too early to make a wish that the LA Dodgers follow up their World Series win in 2025 with another in 2026?
