Christmas Greetings!

As always, it has been busy year here in Texas — not to mention lots of fun, excitement and adventure.
For excitement, we had two hurricanes come through Houston. One was especially interesting this year because we learned about it when we were on vacation in Canada. He left for Canada on a Saturday, and the next day we learned that Hurricane Chantal was headed toward Houston. Since this event was not the focus of either the Canadian or northern US news channels, we missed the minute—to—minute update of each exciting detail.

In spite of the ill tropic winds, we had a great vacation in the Canadian Rockies. Towering snow patched mountains, delicate Alpine flowers, crystal blue and vibrant green lakes, ice cold streams, gushing rivers, powerful waterfalls, massive glaciers —— the scenery was beyond belief. He got up close and personal with birds, chipmunks, ground squirrels, big—horn sheep, mountain goats, deer, elk, buffalo —— even a bald eagle in the wild! For two weeks we took in Banff, Jasper, Lake Louise, Kootenay, Yoho, Radium Hot Springs, Galcier (Canada), and Mt. Revelstoke. What a time —— we rode a boat on Lake Minnewanka, rode several gondolas to mountain tops, swam in hot springs, walked on glaciers at the Columbia icefields. Fresh water was everywhere and the kids couldn’t resist throwing rocks in every stream and lake they saw. That had to be a highlight of their trip. He took little hikes every day and had lots of picnics —— always by a picture perfect vista. Naturally, we took lots of pictures too. The trip was indeed incredible. Before flying home, we also visited Calgary and Drumheller where we saw the world class Tyrrell Museum of Paleontology.
In another international jaunt, Ginny went to Belgium this fall for work, but was able to visit 38 relatives that she had not previously met. She met many of the VanNieuvenhuyse family cousins and even went in the house where her great—grandparents lived and where Grandma Coussens was born. There was also time to do some sightseeing in Bruges, Liege, Leuven, Dinant and Brussels. Even though it was November, the weather for the weekends was excellent. The food was even more than excellent —— decidedly incredible.. .and the scales attest to that.

Back at the ranch, this was the year of the kitchen. Ginny took an interior decorating course last fall and decided to apply what she had learned to the kitchen. The project that started last Christmas is still in progress. The wallpaper was the first to go. That was only 5 days of pickin’ and grinnin’. Next, there were new drapes and verticals. That took no time —— only money. Now, the cabinets.. .they didn’t seem to go with all the newness. The big decision was to change the dark oak—stained cabinets to Euro—kitchen white. From our limited experience with painters and our very naive projection that the job “couldn’t take more than a month,” we proceeded blindly ahead to do the job ourselves. John took up sanding and filling, Gin took up painting —— her hair and all. Hell, to make a long story short, the sanding and painting took a lot longer than we imagined. Also, we found out about the myth of “one coat coverage.” Now two, and half of the “third and final,” coats are on. It’s looking great so far and we hope to report completion by next Christmas.

After 15 years of marriage and 8 years of parenthood, a pet finally entered our lives, much to the excitement of the kids. The pet’s name is Thomas. He’s a goldfish. (We didn’t want to start out too big.) For Christmas, Thomas is getting a 10—gallon aquarium and maybe a few fish friends.

The kids continue to grow and amaze us. Richard’s 8 and in third grade. He’s in the Alpha enrichment program and has maintained a straight A average in school. He’s also a Bear in Cub Scouts and is actively working on arrow point achievements.

Robert’s 6 and made up our only emergency room case this year when he ran head first into a barbeque grill and got 5 stitches. He started on his great adventure to school this fall with kindergarten. Ever since Richard started, he couldn’t wait to go to school and now is a model student. When he didn’t get homework like Richard, we had to make some up for him too. Much to our surprise and pleasure, he has never had his name on the board, a record of which he is very proud.

David’s 3 and is interested in everything Richard and Robert like —— planes, rockets, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, e.tc. This fall he was “promoted” out of toddlers and into the “big kids” class at the Montessori school. He loves school and likes to do cutting and coloring “work.” His speech and language skills are most incredible —— you sometimes wonder if you aren’t talking to a 20 year old midget.

John’s flying instincts are still presently concentrated in amateur rocketry. For fun, he continues to build more interesting and fly bigger (some over 6 feetD model rockets. The project also includes calculating weight and balance, center of pressure, thrust, drag, acceleration and flight paths. With Richard and Robert, he and the fellow NASA rocketeers spend many an exciting Saturday at the Johnson Space Center flying and telling “war stories.”

At work this year, John wrapped up his assignment as business strategy manager and became technology manager for Exxon Chemical’s Energy Chemicals Division. That involves managing about 70 people worldwide and making lots of 3 a.m. phone calls to Europe. It also cut his commuting time down by an hour a day, which in Houston traffic, is a big deal. What’s left of his prime time goes to being Richard’s Cub Scout den leader, an honorable continuation of his scouting career.

As for Ginny, besides jet setting, she’s enjoying her work developing products for the Exxon Chemical’s Polymers Division. She hopes to finish the kitchen project and catch up on all the undone duties at home between Christmas and New Years.. .at least that what she plans.

We hope your year has been a good one and that you will be blessed with good health and happiness this Christmas season and always.