Our 2003 Christmas Letter

23 December 2003

        Alice and I should have sent this a month ago, because this is a letter of Thanksgiving.  During the past year, more than at any other time either of us can remember, at odd times we have caught ourselves remarking to each other how very lucky we are.  Alice’s daughters each had a healthy, adorable baby this year - Jeanette and husband Kieran had Daniel in March, to keep Kevin and Savannah company, and Debbie and husband Joe added Josette Marie in October, one day after brother Jack’s second birthday.   Then just after Thanksgiving, my oldest son Bruce came home safely after six months as a Military Policeman in Iraq.  My younger sons, Scott and wife Tracy, and Jeffrey, are healthy and moving ahead with their lives.  Grandchildren Leaha, Ashley, Michael, Travis, and Wade are sweet and adorable.  All in all, a lot to be thankful for.

        But there is more.  A lot more.  By the grace of God and accident of birth, we were born into the most free and freedom loving land ever to grace the Earth, in 1942 when that freedom was most grievously threatened.  Evil that should have been nipped in the bud almost destroyed liberty, while good people stood by and allowed it to grow.  Hopefully we will never let that happen again.

        In July we went on a Baltic cruise and visited the United Kingdom, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Denmark, and Russia.  To me, the highlight was two days spent in Saint Petersburg, Russia.  The palaces and museums were unforgettable, Alice loved the colorful onion domed buildings, but my most lasting image was watching the young Russians coping with freedom.  Many were fit and trim, stylishly dressed, well spoken and educated, and trying to take advantage of opportunities.  Older Russians, however, may have wanted the old ways back. We ended our vacation in London, thoroughly enjoying “Mama Mia” and “time” at Greenwich.

        Debbie and Joe had a dog Buddy, who nipped a jogger on the left nipple while Debbie was walking him in a park.  Now Buddy is living with us.  He jogs three miles with me most mornings, then walks to the beach with Alice in the afternoon.  On mornings when Alice goes swimming, Buddy goes to the office with me, and loves showing property.  We are both still on the School Board, and by invitation Buddy now goes to all the meetings too, so we don’t have to leave him alone and lonely. He is spoiled. 

        Other highlights of the year include Granddaughter Leaha visiting for three weeks, visits with friends and relatives here, in the Bay Area, Southern California, and Lake Tahoe, and completing the remodel and moving into our home among the redwoods.  We love it here and hope all our friends and family plan to visit us soon.

A very Merry Christmas, and the happiest of New Years!