Dear Friends,
Welcome to our 2005 eChristmas letter. This is the fifth year since we've gone all-cyber with our annual greeting, and we still highly recommend it. Here it is, Christmas Eve Eve. We're all just out of the hot tub, watching a 1938 version of A Christmas Carol on the Tivo. The children are nestled on the sofa, warmed by their laptops. And I'm spoiled by the ability to put off writing our Christmas letter until the very last minute. We have greatly enjoyed the holiday greetings we have recieved from so many of you, and hope we can return the favor with this brief look at what's been up with us in 2005. We took a lot of photos this year, and did a bit of blogging, so follow the links you'll find in this letter, if you'd like something more of the story. Yes friends, we're lengthy and linky this year, so loosening up your clicking fingers and read on.
We enjoyed some fun travels this year, which was appropriate, as this year marked 20 years since the tour of Europe that brough Chris and Jennifer together.. Being the year that Chris and some friends would facee with the same milestone of 40, they went surfing in Mexico. His friends surfed anyway. Only if you call the split second between standing up on a surfboard and falling off of a surfboard 'surfing', can Chris make the claim. Regardless, we had a fine getaway and didn't act our age at all, or maybe we acted exactly our age. Other travels followed, including a Rappahannock River trip, a July road-trip home to Illinois which included a game at Wrigley and some fun family visits with both the living, and the less so, and August trips to the OBX, and a company retreat to Vermont.
Katie started high school this year. Rather than attend the nearest option, she applied to Woodbridge High School's Center for the Performing Arts and was accepted into their creative writing program. Proving her ability to be prolific, she wrote a novel in November. And if she's not writing, Katie is singing, and this year earned herself a spot on the all-district chorus. Next stop, all-state.
Will ran track in the spring and looks forward to going out for the team again this year. A seventh grader in school, Will just turned 13. He's a master of multi-tasking, demonstrated by his ability to carry-on multiple chat sessions, do his homework, listen his iPod, all at the same time. He also plays soccer and the trumpet, but not at the same time.
Colleen, now nine, plays soccer and has decided that her favorite position is goalie (probably the toughest position for a sideline parent). She also sings in the church choir, and took some overdue swimming lessons this summer in Lake Montclair.
As for Jennifer and Chris, we are just enjoying life, love and family. We both enjoy our jobs, and our growing (vertically, not numerically) family. After 15 years here, you can expect to find us at our current address for some time to come. We have finally decided that, though small, we love our house and community too much to think about moving away to find something larger. And so instead we'll make the house larger and we're making plans for a major home addition in 2006. Follow the online photo albums and blogs for updates, or you can be sure to hear about it in next year's letter.
With best wishes from our family to you, for a very Merry Christmas, Happy Holiday Season, and a wonderful New Year in 2006!
Chris, Jenny, Katie, Will, Colleen
Figaro, Kitty & Spaz (the cats)
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Casey Web Surfing |
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2005 Holidays and Highlights
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WARNING: This Christmas greeting may be subject to monitoring by government agents. He sees you when you're sleeping, he knows when you're awake, he knows if you've been bad or good, and what your checking out from the library :-/ |
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