Greetings Family and Friends!
We’d like to start off this year’s Christmas Letter with a
flashback to last year. After we wrote
last year’s letter, we got on the road . . .it was our 15th Wedding Anniversary
and we determined to spend it someplace warm.
So, we spent four nights on the beach in Panama City Florida. The locals were wearing coats in late
December, but we spent about 7 hours in the outdoor swimming pool on Christmas
Day. On the morning of December 27 – our
actual anniversary – we renewed our wedding vows on the beach, and then headed
for home.
We weren’t home in Chatham long before we were back on the
road. Our niece Makenna made her
appearance on December 30, and on New Year’s Day we got to go visit her. It’s been a blast being an aunt and uncle of
a niece this time.
Karen’s career travails have continued... she started a new
job in January with Autism Services Group in Springfield. She started a mere 7 weeks before the owner
filed for Chapter 13 Bankruptcy and took off for Aruba with his girlfriend
(yes, really). She found a new
professional home working for the Sangamon County Government as the Clerk for
the Juvenile Court – they are pleased with her background working with youth
and mental health. Although this has led
to awkwardness as occasionally a former patient shows up as a defendant. Karen’s big thrill this winter has been an
appearance in a book written by Dr. Kenneth Carter of Emory University. He’s a professor of psychology and spent several
hours interviewing her in 2018. The book
is called “Buzz! Inside the Minds of
Thrill-Seekers, Dare-devils and Adrenaline Junkies” – names were changed to
protect privacy, but she’s called “Gina” with her husband “Ed.” The book discusses her youthful experiences
spelunking and rock climbing, and her more adult experiences with the Polar
Plunge and Skydiving. The author also
touches on our multi-year quest to visit every winery in the State of Illinois.
The boys continue to hit various milestones – I’m reliably informed
that Joshua has now matched his mother in height and his father in shoe-size. Joshua is an 8th grader and has developed
an ever-deeper interest in cooking and especially baking. We spent a lot of time this spring “cultivating”
sourdough starter and baking various breads, and he tried his hand this fall at
candy making. He’s still very active as
a Scout and has earned his Life Rank (one below Eagle) – he’s quick to tell you
he needs 6 merit badges and his service project and that’s all. He spent the first half of the year serving
as the Troop’s Chaplain’s Aide and since August has been the Troop Librarian. He’s beginning to become an advocate for
himself regarding his services and schedule at school. I was informed just today that he’d decided
to change his schedule for the spring semester, because he was having issues in
one class. We’re very proud that he can
see changes he needs to make and ask for them to happen.
John has had the biggest year, by far, of all of us. He spent the year as a Patrol Leader, leading
mostly younger scouts. In April he
wrapped up the last of his Eagle Required Merit Badges and over the summer a
few others he wanted to complete. He
became an Eagle Scout on October 3, 2019, with an incredible 41 Merit Badges, qualifying
him for FOUR Eagle Palms. (One palm is given for each 5 merit badge beyond the
required 21. Initially, John will wear a
Silver Palm denoting 15 extra merit badges along with a Bronze Palm for another
5.) The numbers are a bit vague, but
historically about 5% of eligible youth complete the rank of Eagle Scout. We’re very proud of him. John’s a Freshman at Glenwood High School
this year and is enjoying the new challenges that come with High School. He’s most excited about starting Driver’s Ed the
first Day of School in January.
Patrick has mostly spent his year providing support to the
rest of the family. He’s stepped up a
little bit more in the boys’ Scout Troop, teaching cooking to scouts working
toward their early ranks and Cooking Merit Badge for older scouts. He continues as a Unit Commissioner, now
working with the adults of four troops (all boys, ages 10.5 through 18) and
three packs (Kindergarteners through 5th grade – two of which are “Family”
packs serving both boys and girls).
Over the year he’s been giving lots of advice and counsel to the various
“Scouts BSA” troops locally serving girls.
He’s even been given the opportunity to help moderate an online
discussion group for leaders of these pioneering girls. Things at IDOT have remained the same, with
the agency finally starting to hire a few more employees… now Patrick’s only doing
the work of three people instead of four.
The other big change this year was a change of
churches. We were spending so much time
with scouting at the Chatham Baptist Church that we decided to join the church
(it’s nice being able to attend Worship 2 minutes from home)
Hoping our letter finds you in good health and enjoying the season
Patrick, Karen, John and Joshua
Spoon River Drive, October 2019
Joshua, Age 14
Celebrating our 15th Anniversary, 12/27/2018
Eagle Scout John, age 15
