24 December, 2009

A letter from the ranch

Joyeux Noël!

Merry Christmas!

As 2009 comes to an end, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a prosperous and healthy 2010.

Our year started with my husbands company being acquired by Stanley Security Solutions and it’s been a beneficial one. They’ve got lots of new clients and he’s been all over Southern Ca solving problems for them. His range is from San Diego to Santa Barbara to Las Vegas. We never realized safes could be so testy.

XXXX is working at an airfreight company and is in charge of checking in all the shipments that come in from overseas. He’s got his LAX airport drivers license so he plays tag with A380’s, 747’s and other planes as he gets cargo from Virgin Atlantic, China Eastern and other carriers. He’s taking a couple of classes at the community college, but is not certain if this is what he wants to do. In his spare time he's a guild master in WOW and also has become a pro on Beatles Rock Band, which we all enjoy playing. Rock Band has introduced the kids to music that we loved when we were their age. Oh that sounds rather ominous doesn't it?

XXXXXX is attending El Camino Community College and has 3 semesters to go. Then she will transfer into the CSU system and decide what degree she wants to get. This holiday season she’s working at The Disney Store at the local mall. She is getting lots of good experience and customer service. She’s done well in school and has a thriving fantasy football team. She cheers on the Colts as her team this year. At least one of our children loves sports.

XXXX year has been up and down. In January she saw a new surgeon from the Kerlan- Jobe Orthopedic Center, and they advised her to try one more surgery on her shoulder. 4 days before the surgery, on the night before Mother’s Day, she was walking out to the back of the garage when she tripped and fell over a board that was in the front of the garage. She shattered the 5th metatarsal bone in her left foot and was put in a boot for the summer. Her shoulder surgery went on as planned, as she couldn’t have the foot operation being on crutches, and the fact that she was in a sling made that a huge problem. As of now, she’s dealing with loss of use in the right arm and some residual pain. Making the best of it has been her motto through this whole saga. She had to decide whether the Packers or the Vikings were her team of choice this season, so it's been a long season. She's thinking of looking into a Masters Degree program in conflict resolution to do something to take up the hours of the day. After dealing with the Department of XXXXXX for 7 years, it might just be the ticket.

XXXX Mom and step-dad XXXX have had some medical issues this year and since we’re only 4 miles away we’ve been over there. XXXXXX spends most of her Sundays helping with shopping and watching sports. XXXXXX family has moved back to Texas and we keep up with them on email and Facebook. XXXX's brother and his family are in MN and becoming midwesterners to the heart again. They love the twin cities and all the sports opportunities that it affords them.

Didn’t do much traveling this year and there were some mechanical problems with the motor home and lack of time too. Hopefully in 2010 this will be fixed and we will trek to Yosemite and further north to do some gold panning and exploring. We did get to Laughlin and XXXX did really well on penny slots of all things. It was a well-needed R&R.

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.



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