Templin
Christmas 2011 Daughters,
spouses and grandkids first:
Colleen
and Karl, both computer gee
er
engineers, continue to enjoy Austin,
Texas with their two daughters: Karl as a senior hardware/software designer/programmer
and Colleen with a thriving marketing consulting business of her own. Emily, now
13, is the female clone of her dad and is a joy to watch growing into a beautiful
young lady. GT everything plus Japanese, law and national class synchronized swimming
keep her (and her driver-mom) very busy. Trinity, who started life as a one pound,
13-inch miracle baby, is now five, in kindergarten and enjoying the wonders of
daily discovery (and super bug girl). She seems quite stuck on her grandparents,
which doesnt bother any of us.
Meighan
and Frank (FJ) are still glued to Chicago. FJ remains successful as a wholesale
broker despite a finicky market in this crazy economy, and Meig was just announced
as an equity partner in her law firm and is this years president of the
matrimonial lawyers association. Lily continues to prove herself a force to be
reckoned with in French, ballet, Irish dancing, swimming, baseball and drama (we
suspect she actually teaches the class), with a bit of first grade readin, writin
and rithmetic thrown in for good measure. We keep telling Meig and FJ, what
goes around comes around, as Lily is the combination of both of them incarnate.
Clare
and Brian decided to give the burbs a try this summer and moved from the city
just days after delivery of their second boy-child. So Brian is now commuting
to Chicago each day as a structural engineer while Clare very literally holds
down the home front and dreams about the easy days as an event planner.
We recently volunteered to sit on the boys while Clare and Brian enjoyed a much-deserved
overnight break at a friends wedding. Afterwards, we told Clare that heretofore
we had great sympathy and empathy for her plight, but now that has become utter
respect and admiration. Cole is an all boy, sensory seeking two year old; Cute
as a bug and very, very busy! Tate is five months and about the sweetest kid ever
and thats not just because hes one of ours.
Judy
and Bud are well, but learning the true meaning of becoming senior citizens. Just
prior to a family gathering at Disney World, Bud had the common old mans
form of the big C removed by robot (oh, brave new world) and was up and running
5Ks within two weeks. Then after about ten years of living with pain, Judy decided
to have her body rearranged a bit. Shes now well on the way to full recovery;
enough to allow a road trip to Chicago over Thanksgiving during which we not only
enjoyed Clares first large family dinner, but were also privileged to attend
the baptism of the latest clan member, and subsequent reception where we kissed
and hugged Smith family in-laws, cousins, nieces, nephews and young-uns in what
Judy affectionately refers to as the Irish baby toss. Our next big
sojourn will be a month-long cruise of the eastern Mediterranean this coming May
with great friends from Shaw/Desert Storm. Were also looking forward to
having two-thirds of the family down to the Texas lake house over Christmas.
Heres
wishing you and yours the merriest of Christmases and the happiest of new years.
Bud
& Judy
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