The Annual Holiday Letter

Dear Friends and Family,

Today is December 23rd. Matt returned to Afghanistan a week ago; the tree has collapsed on the floor in a puddle of water and broken glass, and my two kids have just handed me “final” drafts of their Christmas wish lists. Although Nick’s list is short, the total value exceeds our monthly gross income. Kelly’s list is more modest in cost but is now five pages long and includes a companion puppy for our dog Tyler and an adopted little sister from another country. It’s going to be a tough holiday.

Yes, Matt is working in Afghanistan for a year even though he promised me several years ago that he would not return to a war zone. He claims he was speaking specifically of Iraq but that is just a technicality. The good news is that every few months he comes home for a break. Matt arrived home on Thanksgiving and we had three solid weeks together. Although he slept the entire first week, we were able to go away for a weekend, see all the latest movies and do some holiday shopping. The time flew by far too quickly.

I am sure that many of you are surprised that we have a dog. It was a moment of weakness on my part. And I almost instantly regretted it. Tyler ate my niece’s new sandals, my brand new glasses and a Fiber One bar that produced a frightening and probably record setting output. He’s afraid of beach balls and vacuums and is aggressive towards bicycles, Fed Ex trucks and all men who are not Matt. Tyler is impervious to all training and cannot follow a single solitary verbal command. And don’t even get me started on anal glands. But despite all of this, Tyler has grown on me and I find myself talking to him in the middle of the day when no one is around. We have become pals.


Even though Tyler is Kelly’s dog, much of his care falls to me because she is one busy 9th grader. Kelly started high school this fall and ran on the co-ed cross country team. After a few weeks, Kelly made the JV team and in her final race, she placed and ran her fastest time. It was so exciting to watch. Kelly also takes ballet classes four days a week. Just last week she danced in the Nutcracker as one of the snowflakes and later as an Arabian dancer. She was beautiful to watch. I know what you are thinking: Kelly may not look like me but surely she gets her grace and speed from me. Yep. You bet. I take full credit.

Kelly is an extremely neat teenager….every other day. Her room can be pristine and organized – each item of clothing hung neatly on a color coded hanger. But just one phone call from a friend (“we are all wearing leggings to school today”) or an impromptu activity can alter the alignment of the planets and disrupt the calendar of planned outfits. In less than fifteen minutes, she will be dressed fashionably but her room will resemble something you see on TLC that requires a HAZMAT, a carpenter and a life coach just to restore order.

Nick is a junior in college. Even as I write this, I cannot believe how fast time flies and how much he has grown. Nick is studying Graphics Communications and Multimedia at a college near Pittsburgh, works delivering pizzas at school and when home, works at an upscale grocery store (I never go there…my culinary creations only require a 7-11 and the local Giant). He has taken up long-boarding (which resembles a very long skateboard) and allows him to fly down hills at speeds up to 35 mph. Nick shows me videos of his runs and I marvel at the fact that the kid who wouldn’t go down a slide unless I went down first and showed him that I survived, now rips down hills without a second thought. It makes me very nervous.

Aside from his Anatomy class, he’s doing quite well. If you are wondering why he would take a class like that, stand in line. Apparently he needed a science elective and he didn’t register in time and had to take the only science course left. It wasn’t a total waste of time; he’s ruled out surgery as a potential career choice.

It was a busy year for me. I tore the ACL in my knee playing racquetball and had it repaired with a cadaver tendon. I’m practically bionic now. I am thrilled to report that I will be back on the courts in the spring. This summer I flew to Chicago to celebrate with my college friends our collective 50th birthdays. We had a riot and, as you can tell, we all look exactly like we did in college. We are remarkably well preserved and nary a shot of botox or plastic surgery for any of us. It’s impressive, don’t you think?

2010 was a year of miracles for our family. After four years of fighting ovarian cancer, my sister Michelle has been declared cancer-free. Thank you for all your prayers and words of encouragement. A little over a month ago my dad became ill and was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Fortunately, the tumor was small and placed in a spot that made him sick right away. The prognosis is very good. Matt’s Mom and step mom live close by and are in good health. So not such a bad holiday after all. There is a lot to be grateful for. .. wonderful memories, good health, great friends and a loving family.

May God bless you this Christmas season and bring you good health, hope & happiness.