This year, the newsletter contains only the high points….for the full story, see Mom's new blog -- www.kshicks.blogspot.com. Feel free to bookmark it for semi-regular updates.
Family Vacation
This year we drove to the North Carolina side of the Great Smokey Mountain National Park. My husband and I were sworn in as two of the first ever “Not So Junior Rangers” in the United States. Sam learned how to make a real, live arrowhead out of a piece of stone. Isaac discovered the fascinating and organized world of the MP3 self-guided museum tour. The whole family trekked several trails including a total of ½ mile on the Appalachian Trail. (For a daily journal of the trip, see the months July/August on the blog.)
The Husband
Dad finally caved this year and allowed us to adopt a dog this November. Tobey (a female, Pointer-Beagle mix from the pound), is a fantastic addition to the family. This year, he celebrated 16 years as an employee of Ferguson. He enjoys watching “Life on Mars” on ABC – currently suffering withdraws as we wait until the new season starts in several months. The rest of the time he has spent vigilantly monitoring the physical and mental health as well as sanitary conditions of the house.
Me
Mom has spent the year learning the pending changes created by this year’s reauthorization of Federal Student Aid. She was chosen as one of the national trainers for financial aid officers in the Rocky Mountain Region and assisted her state association as a trainer of high school counselors in Southeast Kansas. She still volunteers as a member of the church choir, chair of the Campus Ministry Team and this year took on the role of Whittier Elementary PTO President.
Our 10-Year-Old
A man of numerous interests, our oldest continues to enjoy sports – football, soccer and swimming topping the list. He favors defensive positions contributing to the team by making several important tackles and one interception in football and scoring two soccer goals while playing defender/midfield. He made it to Regional 4-H Days with a demonstration about How to Draw a Hedgehog and received a purple on one of his photos at the fair. A Lego junkie, he has enrolled in the self-determined 4-H project next year to share his love of Lego’s with the world. He exercised his right brain by beginning guitar lessons and by playing Rev. Hopkins in the school play. His favorite computer game is Age of the Empires III and he designed and built a pulley-driven, bucket, delivery system to his loft bed using some string and a plastic container.
The 7-Year-Old
Our youngest completed his years as a 4-H Cloverbud by making a replacement blankie for the one that was lost at Disney World. He “officially” joined 4-H this November and has enrolled in Shooting Sports as his project. (A Red Rider BB Gun is on his Christmas list – Lord help us.) He continues his piano lessons, reads up a storm, and loves art. He is spending this winter playing basketball and told me that his favorite school event this year was Body Venture – a traveling, walk-through exhibit on the Human Body. He misses his Kindergarten teacher to the point that he occasionally runs by her room to tell her hello, but thinks his new, first-grade teacher is really nice. He was a ninja for Halloween and enjoys playing Animal Crossings on his Nintendo DS where he has created a sweet bachelor pad.
Family Events
This was a quite a year of family events. We ended 2007 by hosting my Aunt and Uncle’s 50th wedding anniversary in November. We were saddened by the sudden passing of my husband's Aunt early in the year. Then it was on to celebrate Grandma and Grandpa’s 75th wedding anniversary in May. After that, there was the family reunion and Grandma and Grandpa’s sale during the months of June and July (they moved into assisted living early in 2008). We squeezed in the nephew's confirmation in Junction City. And finally, my Grandpa passed away on October 25, 2008, a few days after he celebrated his 96th birthday. (For the eulogy, see October on the blog.)
Wishing you and yours a very, happy Christmas and New Year.
