2017 … Year of the Fire Rooster
See, you learned something right away by reading this! It’s time again to write awkward Christmas
letters and share what details of our life were NOT on some form of social
media. Because we are GenXers, that is
(thankfully) quite a lot.
·
Officially
decided we will REALLY leave California…eventually
·
Todd continues to
embrace “extreme hiking.” He’s managed
to enchant Allison with it. The rest of
us have somehow been able to resist the allure of 10+ mile hikes in blazing
heat where participants occasionally get lost, meet bears, or fall into a
cactus …
·
Kelly has managed
to work even more swim meets, almost making minimum wage some days!
·
Julia has started
her pre-nursing curriculum at CSU-Long Beach and can’t wait to start doing “nursey”
stuff.
·
Allison has decided
to possibly pursue a degree that will lead to a career in the FBI. The truth is out there…
·
Amanda changed
majors to Forestry with a Wildlife Biology Concentration. It means she’s outside more now. On purpose.
·
Proving that Catholics
can handle anything, Matthew entered his second year at Saint Mary Magdalen Catholic
School.
Amanda
– College Junior (California Polytechnic University – San Luis Obispo)
Adopted/rescued a tarantula. Named her Edna. She now “protects” our garage because
tarantulas are apparently not allowed on campus.
Still afraid to drive on California
highways. Luckily, with her lack of
geography skills, she can rarely find them.
Has been safe around dumpsters, but
proved to be a menace to a motionless decorative rock protecting cable
equipment in our front yard.
Has embraced the sport of axe throwing
with the Cal Poly logging team.
Proud to be able to handle a
chainsaw. We don’t know if it was
actually running or if that meant she could just pick it up…
Julia
– College Freshman (California State University – Long Beach)
Learned you can freak out “creepers”
(what GenXers would call a stalker) by convincing them you are in a satanic
cult.
Watches Fail Army videos and dreams of
the day she will be the nurse at the hospital ready to treat these fools...
Spends an amazing
amount of time staring at videos of things she is allergic to (mainly cats
& dogs).
Exclaimed in shock one day after
Statistics class, “OMG, someone asked ME for math help!”
Was terrorized by a bear in
Mammoth. And, by “terrorized” we mean
“scared and cowering like a tiny giraffe hiding in a Winnebago.”
Allison
– High School Junior (Princess Grumpy Pants)
Successfully flew a plane before she
could legally drive a car.
Electrical boxes and garbage cans cower
in fear when she hits the road.
Climbed Mt. Whitney with Todd and several
other completely insane people.
Was not at all devastated to learn she
can never eat pineapple or hummus.
Because falling down is so
“pre-mid-2010s,” Allison’s switched up her annual injury this year to a stress
fracture. And she got Scarlet Fever.
Matthew
– Catholic Middle School 7th Grader (self-described “lovable
brat”)
Has achieved his dream of becoming a
“one-sport man” by dropping karate and doing only swimming.
Survived on a diet of only French fries during
our trip to Europe.
Has decided to become a “gluten-rights”
activist.
After realizing girls his age mature a
bit faster, he dejectedly uttered, “I am so under-done!”
“Complaints”: The name of the fragrance that Matthew would inspire.
Bucky
– age 10 ½ - “Bumpasaurus”
His ratio of “chocolate” hair to gray
hair is nearly equal.
Has added all the shrubberies in the
front yard that MAY contain critters to his list of “works of Satan.”
Has added any critters found in front yard
shrubberies to his list of “foods that must be tried.”
Has added “possums in yard at 3am” and
“people wearing suits/carrying religious pamphlets“ to his list of “things that
must be barked at.”
Can be equally startled by the doorbell
ringing, any cat, food hitting him in the face, or accidentally walking into
the refrigerator door.
When you throw him a ball in our
backyard, sometimes he will bring back an avocado instead.
Have a
wonderful holiday season and a safe and happy 2018!
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Todd,
Kelly, Amanda, Julia, Allison, Matthew and Bucky
