Well, one thing about sending Christmas cards that include our blog link is that it forces me to post something NEW! I have tried to keep the blog a little more current this year, but have found it tough to fit into our busy schedules which just seem to get busier & busier! And there have been so many great things going on this year to share! So, I will do my best to put together a newsy recap for you all... (the length of this shall certainly make up for lack of entries before now!)
Every year my intention is always to get a picture of all three kids for the Christmas card. And every year it seems to get harder & harder to gather them all in one place at the same time to do this! So, our very willing little model, Kelly, was once again the star of our card as she just loves to pose for pictures these days! However, I am determined to post a current picture of the boys too sometime over the holidays so that our far away family & friends can see how much they have changed and...well, become grown men really! So, do bookmark our blog site and check back again for more pictures soon!
So we will start with the oldest, Willie, who is now 22 (turning 23 in Feb) As I re-read our last Christmas letter post from 2008 (sorry I just never did get to it in 2009!), I realized that our update on Willie has not changed all that much, except to say that he has certainly logged many, many more miles into his travel journal! Instead of continuing with college, (which of course we encouraged, as most parents do), for now, he has chosen his own individualized path of learning, primarily through travel and spiritual exploration. Willie has traveled all over California and the North West Coast, as well as the big island of Hawaii and has spent time meeting and living with all sorts of new and different people absorbing and discerning everything he can about the world, people, and his spirituality. He drops back in on us every few months, and with each return, he seems more and more transformed into a confident, self-aware, worldly, deep-thinking and peaceful being. He is home now and is making plans to leave again in the next few weeks on his biggest journey yet - to India - where he plans to stay for at least 6 months. We'll continue to share his adventures with you. (hopefully I can get him to send some photos from India too!).
James, who turned 18 in August, has had a year chock-full of milestones and changes. He worked extremely hard in his senior year, and we were so very excited and proud to see him graduate from Sunset High School this June. He spent the summer having fun with his friends and enjoying summer life in Leucadia, which was well-deserved. He also spent a couple of adventurous weeks traveling with Willie on one of his journeys to northern California. In the fall, he registered for full-time classes at Mira Costa Junior College, which is less than 5 miles from home. In addition to the usual freshmen general ed courses, he has taken a few computer graphics and web design courses and absolutely loves it! He will continue college in the spring, but he would also like to get a part-time job or internship in this field to see where it leads him. Just last week, he passed his driver's test, so he is fully licensed and driving now as well too! James has a very positive outlook and seems focused and anxious to pursue all the new opportunities that have opened up to him this year.
Our little Kelly has also had a year of exciting and fun milestones. In June she turned 5, and we celebrated with a gymnastics party at the YMCA. She finished up her final year of pre-school in July, during which time she mastered writing all her letters, counting and writing numbers 1-20, and some basic reading of words and short phrases. In August, she embarked on a new journey into kindergarten, attending Paul Ecke Central Elementary just down the street from us. She did just great on her first day despite not knowing any of the kids in her class. And yes, mommy was the one who shed the tears that day! Kelly quickly settled in, made new friends, and barely skipped a beat during the transition. At our first parent-teacher meeting, her teacher gushed about how sweet, good-mannered, and smart she is. (So nice to hear they think as you do about your own kids, eh?!) She keeps very busy at school and brings home math worksheets, home-made books, and works of art every day, along with homework! We received her first report card a week ago which confirmed that she is right on track as "proficient" or "advanced" on all the required skills & standards for K-1. She has had a fun-filled year going on many playdates with friends (even some overnights!), enjoying the beach, visiting with family, taking swim lessons, losing her first tooth and getting a visit from the Tooth Fairy, visiting Legoland, seeing and playing in the snow for the first time, and seems to have enjoyed every minute! Kelly is doing just great, and we couldn't be more proud of our little girl.
In the past couple years, Gary's business, Telephones Etc, had seemed to be somewhat immune to the tougher economic conditions most businesses were experiencing, but this year it finally caught up with us a bit, and he had some slow months. Luckily, it happened mostly in summer, so he took advantage of it by taking a little time off, spending more time with the kids, relaxing, and enjoying the beach (even more than usual!) Towards the end of this year, it has picked back up to a nice, steady pace again for him. Despite the direction technology has taken towards wireless, there thankfully seems to be plenty of "wired" infrastructure, both new and old, still needing his expertise! He still half-jokes about retiring soon and becoming a professional billiards player... and as many of you might agree with me, I would not be surprised if he does one day - you just never know! In spring, Gary took a quick trip to his hometown in Illinois to visit with family and friends and really enjoyed re-connecting with some folks he had not seen in a long time. In March, we had a nice visit from his sister & brother-in-law, Suzanne & Stan, and his sister Luann, and nephew, Zach, and we are looking forward to Luann & Zach arriving again in a few days to visit with us over the holidays.
Late last year, I was blessed with a wonderful opportunity to take over as the Carlsbad Branch Manager at the company that I have been with as a Realtor with for the past 4 years, Century 21 Award. I spent this first couple months learning the ropes as manager, and since then have focused on building a strong foundation for us to utilize and work from as the market starts to slowly turn the corner. It is an ever-changing industry, and I learn so much every day. I feel so blessed to love what I do both in continuing to build my own real estate business and work with my own clients as well as training, mentoring and supporting an amazing group of agents in their efforts. Earlier this year, I was able to get away on a wonderful and relaxing vacation to the carribbean island of St. Maartin with girlfriends - what a beautiful place! In October, I completed my first super-sprint triathalon which consisted of a 1/4 mile swim in Mission Bay, a 6 mile bike, and a 1.5 mile run. Individually, these distances are not huge, but combining the three sports and distances together, whoa, it was quite a challenge for this gal! So, I did not come in first...but I did not come in last either...I was just elated that I finished! It was such an amazing and rewarding experience, and I am commited to completing another one in 2011.
As this year comes to an end and we look towards 2011, Gary & I are truly thankful for everything we have and count our blesssings every day. We are so fortunate to have loving and supportive family & friends; healthy, happy, thriving children; rewarding careers; a great place to live, work and play; and faith and hope for the future.
Thank you to everyone of you who touches our lives making it that much better, and may you have a beautiful holiday and happy and prosperous new year!!!
With Much Love,
Gary, Kim,
Willie, James & Kelly
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