We hope you are well and happy, and willing to read the latest version of my Christmas Letter!  We’ve done pretty well this year, apparently surviving without any major problems - at least none anyone has told us about.  Cathy did go to the orthopedic doctor and had her right hand “trigger finger” ailment fixed.  And the damn pack rats ate a couple thousand dollars worth of wiring and insulation on our cars.  Don’t let them live near you if you can help it, no matter how cute they are!

               This year was pretty much about visits to and from the kids and grandkids.  Greg, Rebekah and Kirstin reluctantly left Hawaii for the Lone Star State and Cathy and I went over to “help” them a couple times as best as we could.  They bought a really nice house in a relatively new development up US 281 (for those of you familiar with San Antonio).  Greg is stationed at Lackland and Rebekah works at Kelly.  Both are still in the “Manpower” career field, and Greg was promoted to Senior Master Sergeant this year.  Only 2% of the USAF enlisted force are promoted to SMSgt, and we are very proud of him.  Our granddaughter, Kirstin, is in 7th Grade this year, and “lettered” in Cross-Country and Volley Ball in the fall, and is now playing in one of those big-time volley ball operations and is doing great with that too.

               Chris, Janna, Connor and Geoff made the move from Japan to Germany last December.  Chris is now the manager of the Army’s hotels at their bases around Stuttgart, Germany, and Janna is a long-term substitute teacher with the DoD school system there and is hopeful to get picked up as a full-time teacher in the fall.  Grandson Geoffrey is a junior in high school and is immersed in the drama/communications path.  Grandson Connor is a sophomore and is really into his programming electives.  They all like it over there, although it is a big switch compared to Naples or Japan.  The most interesting thing to me is that they have rented an apartment with an indoor swimming pool.  Definitely not a Las Cruces style apartment!

               Cathy and I were very pleased that Chris and his family were able to come “home” for a visit in July.  We brought Eric over from Oklahoma and he had a great time getting to know his nephews again.  We then loaned Chris a vehicle and he and his family made some trips around and about and we all met up at Greg & Rebekah’s in San Antonio, which is where the picture was taken.  We had just eaten at one of those Brazilian restaurants and then went to one of those Mystery/Escape rooms for Cathy’s birthday.

               As for others you may have been following over the years, Mom is doing really well.  She, Kerry and I go out to lunch on Thursdays, and I take her to the guitar jam session on Fridays, which she really likes.  Kerry is doing well too, as are Jon & Anna (in Denver) and Jessie & Jake (in Tucson).

               And that’s about all the news this year.  It gets slower and slower as I get older and older...That’s all the news.