Christmas 2006
Looking back over last year's received Christmas cards is always a pleasure when planning to write this year's letter to friends with whom we have kept up over the years. And so this afternoon early in December in preparation for the magnum opus, we re-read the news from 2005, recycle some of the most beautiful cards for gift tags, and nearly mire ourselves in laughter (and some tears) remembering special times previously shared.
The culmination of David's AGA Institute presidency was held in LA this past May. The whole family was able to come together to celebrate the end of a successful year. How happy Grammie and Grandfather would have been to see David up on the podium, and how proud we all were of him! After the frantic pace of the year, we now tell each other that we can't possibly become busier or travel more, but our schedules now belie this hope. It should be that stepping down from the presidency would find David at home more frequently, especially on weekends, but that doesn't seem to happen. Retire? Maybe one day - if we can find the time. Or have the inclination!
With Brian and Jen coming to Charlottesville for Christmas this year, we will have a full house with Jessica at home, too. Perhaps the Christmas stockings knit over 34 years ago will all make it here as well. Brian has followed new career opportunity this year at Smurfit-Stone in St. Louis and Jen is in her third year of a Cardiology Fellow at Washington University.
Jessica was invited back to Wilson Memorial High School in Augusta County, Virginia for a second year of teaching Chemistry. The fact that one-hundred percent of her students passed the Standards of Learning Achievement Tests certainly gives credence to her dedication and teaching credentials. And now she has solid lesson plans on which to base her second year of teaching college bound students!
This past year was a re-tuning one for Kristin as she underwent a successful total knee replacement in August and is getting stronger each day. She still manages shopping centers and is the director of IT at Great Eastern Management Company, only she now has the option of working at home from time to time, managing the computers as if she were actually at the office.
We all join together hoping that you have experienced a good year and that you look forward to 2007 with good health, happiness and prosperity.