From our Family to You . . . 2005
As penitence for not publishing last year, Barb says I must step over two years (is that the sound of my
pants ripping?
:-)) and bring you all up to date. I think I can get it all in if I write in
and use fewer words, and say less (You're relieved at that aren't you?
:-)).
As predicted in our last missive, Christie -did- marry Jeff Peterson ("The Truck" - refer to letter before and the one before that - Ah come on! You didn't keep them?
:-( ). They have a cute house in the North Ogden 'highlands' - sans one huge, towering pine tree, which they ripped out the minute they moved in (sawdust and pine needles were everywhere). Christie keeps the office at Lil' Audrey's Health Spa together and well oiled and Jeff works at CNA Precision Machining, planning, scheduling, expediting, and buying, to support the manufacture of all sorts of thingee-majigees (You knew this letter would get technical, didn't you
;-)).
Melissa is newly married too! . . . to Trevor Black. Liss manages the Ogden DMV, while Trev works hard at RC Willey Furniture delivering . . . sometimes as far south as St. George. They have a brand new house in the North Ogden 'lowlands' and are planning to put the yard in this next Spring (Psst . . . let me know when the works done and I can come out of hiding
;-)). It's great to have them this close though, both daughters in North Ogden, Jon in very nearby Ogden . . . and then there's . . . there's . . .
Patrick. Who spent the sweltering summer (yes, his car tires actually melted!) in Las Vegas selling for 'Living Scriptures', and who leaves January 8th for D.C. Pat's doing great in school and taking on an internship for the semester in Washington with 'Development Associates', a 'Mid-East' policy think-tank, based in Arlington, just across the river from all the 'hot air' and stump-thump'n hubbub. Then it's back to finish up at Weber State University (in Poly Sci) and then on to . . . on to . . . we don't know . . . maybe Grad School . . . you can't expect us to know and Pat to tell us . . . for goodness sakes, we're only the parents.
:-)
We had a new addition since my last epistle . . . no, no, not the new dog . . . we'll talk about that later . . . but a new Grandson - Connor. So that makes three: Haylie, Makenzy, and Connor - all cute as a button and growing up fast. We attended Haylie's first grade Christmas program this past week and it was great fun. While Connor, 18 months old now, climbed underneath, over, and into the seats (yes, those auditorium folding seats can swallow a guy whole, just like a Venus Flytrap), Makenzy clapped hard for her sister, and asked the owner of every lap she sat upon, 'Do you have any gum?' - she likes chewing gum - gum rules! All the while, Haylie sang her heart out on the stage. All three belong to Misty, who is a full time mom now, and Jon, who works as hard as ever at Ben Lomand Heating and Air Conditioning (BLHAC) and at launching Fremont Heating and Air (his own, nascent, company).
Nick is in High School! Yep - he's 16. James is not far behind in Jr. High. Both seem to spend hours playing the popular MMORPG 'Worlds of WarCraft' game. MMORGP stands for
May My Orangutan Run Pleasantly Galumphing . . . not really . . . (but some of the characters look and move like'um) . . . truly it stands for
Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game. Whatever. I think Nick's Avatar is 'Ragnar the Odious' of the Alliance, while James' is 'Throckmite the Vile' of the Horde
:-) Just kidding . . . may the best avatar win. Both, however, are growing up and I do mean up. James is taller than his mom now, and Nick is taller still (no not -that- tall . . . I still beat'em by a ways
:-)).
Barb is the now the ward activities chairman and is busily readying the church Christmas party as I type. She has presided over many an activity to this point: campouts, programs, parties, of course, and even last year's Martin's Cove ward pioneer trek - handcarts, and all. I wore my 'dude ranch' cowboy hat and suspenders to that jaunt, and re-injured a knee, upon which my Brother remarked "You'd think the Mormons would fix it so that Martin's Cove couldn't claim anymore victims - guess not?"
;-)
But back to Barb. I'm still at ATK Thiokol and . . . :-)
Barb and I have continued to enjoy an annual pilgrimage to the Cedar City Shakespearean festival (doing something totally 'else' for a change), boating (yes, Utah actually had water this year), and doing things with the grandchildren (e.g. we went the Logan Pumpkin walk . . . boy was it cold!), etc. But this year was the year of the BIG-T, yes the BIG T(rip) across the nation, starring -- you guessed it -- us terrorizing villages, parishes, hamlets, and wards, by way of Washington D.C., New York City and the like, all the way to Vermont and back! 31 days IN A CAR with Barb, and Nick, and James. 31 days of cramped AUTOMOBILE travel. 31 days STRAIGHT of miles and miles . . . just kidding -- we had a blast! Uncle Craig suggested we 'stick close to the settlements so as not to starve to death', but we did alright, even with the very little pemmican available, by subsisting on supplies brought with, and on junk food at the mini-mart (it's a jelly!) ;-) Read all about it, with pictures, at: http://www.xmission.com/~psneeley/Personal/BigT-intro.htm
Barb says (she's hovering over my shoulder as I write - like a buzzing mosquito ;-)) that I -must- write more of the trip. Why? It's all on the website. Well, OK, here ya go:
We saw Lincoln's Gettysburg Address . . .227 North West Front Street, right there in Gettysburg (he only stayed there one night) :-). (note: If you didn't get this joke, go back and read it again)
Oh yeah, and Barb -does- have a new dog - Molly (note: Barb is the dog lover, while I'm the dog 'tolerate'r :-)). Anyway, Barb and I drove all the way to Douglas, Wyoming to retrieve Molly - a good little ways, and a long ways back for a little puppy.
And with that pawnote . . . we do hope that the Holidays will find you safe and well.
You like good writing? You like good humor? Then don't visit http://www.xmission.com/~psneeley/
Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!
