The Annual Christmas Letter is done...read if you are really bored

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 7^th 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!

Todd, Kelly, Amanda, Julia, Allison, Matthew and Bucky