Another busy year at the Crosses...with 3 boys (still small-ish) and 1 boy (big-ish), how could it be otherwise. This year’s news comes to you from your reporter on the scene, Gin, alias “Mom” - now equipped with a fancy new computer, as if you hadn’t noticed.

Scout News -- Or what we do with our quality time

As you know our family is really into Scouts, and this year we got in deeper. Richard, aka “the big kid” or “BK” for short, graduated from Webelos to Boy Scouts. He’s a “gung ho” Scout, and since March he has advanced from New Scout to Tenderfoot to Second Class and now is a First Class Scout. He went to Boy Scout Camp at Camp Strake for 2 weeks this summer and was thrilled to earn 9 merit badges.

At the same time that Richard went into Boy Scouts, John, alias “Dad” also changed from Cub to Boy Scouts, first as Assistant Scoutmaster, then shortly later to Scoutmaster. He’s having a ball working with the Scouts and especially camping. He took Richard to Camp Strake one week and Robert another. With the Boy Scouts, he camps regularly every month, and goes on a few special ones, such as canoeing weekends. After Christmas he and Richard will go to winter camp - John as staff to teach the chemistry merit badge and Richard as a camper. Next summer, they’ll both go to Virginia to the National Boy Scout Jamboree, a definite high point in Boy Scouts.

In Cub Scouts, Robert graduated from Wolves to Bears, and so did I, as the den leader. Robert shares Richard’s and John’s enthusiasm for Scouts and, especially, camping. This summer, Robert had a ball at Camp Bayshore with his den, and at Camp Strake with John, where his favorite “activity” was nature -- he fell in love with the camp’s baby raccoon named “Chuckles.” He also really liked archery and did pretty well in hitting the bull’s-eye a few times, too
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School and Kid News -- Or the plot thickens and grows

This was a big school year for the boys. Everyone has been doing fine and keeping on honor roll. Richard graduated from Armand Bayou Elementary and entered Space Center Intermediate, which just opened and is quite conveniently located near us. In 6th grade, he changes classes like in high school, and I often get the lecture about how hard it is being a kid in the ‘90’s with only 5 minutes to change classes. I guess that might be the worst of his problems. Academically, he’s doing great and qualified for all advanced classes. Richard started band this year and is really excited about learning to play the trumpat. He’s also continuing his piano lessons and competitions. One of Richard’s musical highs this year was singing in the Armand Bayou Boys Choir. They had numerous engagements, the most exciting being singing the National Anthem at the Astros game and singing a repertoire of patriotic songs for Mrs. Bush and the Republican ladies at the Republican National Convention held here in Houston this summer.
Robert entered 3rd grade this fall at Armand Bayou and has a very nice teacher. Robert began piano lessons this year and practices meticulously. Although he loves school and music, he’s really wild about sports, especially baseball, which he plays almost every day.

David turned 6 in September and finally started kindergarten at Armand Bayou. He could hardly wait, but seemed a bit disappointed that they were only learning colors and the alphabet. He’s also going to Montessori kindergarten, where he’s into subtraction and multiplication, reading and learning the flags of the world.

Travel and Vacation News -- Or how not to go on a guilt trip

Both John and I didn’t have to travel much this year, which makes it easier to juggle kids, school and scout doings. For work, I took a trip to Belgium, Poland and Germany in January. It was indeed cold, but on the warmer side of the average, so I didn’t freeze completely. In Belgium, I again visited a few of our relatives, and saw the farm of Grandpa Coussens and the convent where two of my great aunts lived. Poland was an incredible experience. The economy is poor, but 1OOx better off than Russia. Most of Warsaw was rebuilt after WWII, but very little has been updated since then. Food prices seemed about like ours, but the average person only makes about $300/month!
Our vacation this year was to Florida to visit Disney World, Epcot, MGM Studios, and Cape Kennedy. We were hoping to see a launch, but the flight was delayed (darn) due to cracks in an engine. We couldn’t stand the thought of the heat or the crowds at Disney World in the summer, so we went on this educational jaunt in mid-October. After getting over the guilt of taking the kids out of school for a week, we had a super time. We all especially liked “Typhoon Lagoon” a Disney water park, lush with tropical atmosphere. We had never been to a water park before, so it was a real kick.

Business and Work News -- Just in case anyone’s interested

After 2÷ years of managing a plant, John’s on assignment to develop a new strategy for his business area. In November, I went from technology to the business side of catalysts. Are these interim assignments, or what?

Home and Hobby News -- or Boosting the Economy the Cross way

We didn’t mean single-handedly try to bring the country out of recession, but it seems that after so many years things just break. Some of the acquisitions included a new computer (486-50) -- the IBM PC just couldn’t handle Windows, 2 new A/C’s -- after we found out not all A/C repairmen are knowledgeable (there’s a long story with this one), a new car -- the old one had over 160,000 miles on it and no room for all the camping gear, a new washing machine, after old one clocked 15.5 years (that’s 93 in washer years) -- and became incontinent, a new iron, and, last (at this writing, at least) a new toaster after the 20-year old one that came with John started groaning and burning the input. What’s next? Read on...

John’s new and latest hobby -- just the thing for economy boosting.
So far, we’ve been through gliders, planes, target shooting, model rockets, and radio controlled planes. Now it’s ham radio operation! In the last few months, John’s been studying the “regs” and practicing Morse code for his operator’s license. The big bucks are next -- power amps, generators, antennae, mobile receivers and transmitters, trips to Fiji, ... The sky, or rather, the ionosphere is the limit. Stay tuned!

Visitor News -- Or, Yes, Some People really do visit Texas

Mom and Dad Coussens even came twice - in the Spring and Fall -- lured by that great Texas camping (for Dad) and Galleria shopping (for Mom). Aunt Alice and Uncle Ralph Meeuwsen also ventured as far south as Clear Lake for a visit. This year we got a new attraction designed by Disney Imagineering at the Johnson Space Center called Space Center Houston. It’s very close, in case anyone is planning a jaunt this way. (Hint! Hint!) If you’re up north and cold, Houston’s a fine place to come to thaw out, except for summer, when you might melt.

We hope this finds you in good health and spirit, and wish you all the greatest Christmas and best New Year filled with happiness and Christ’s peace.