2004 Christmas Letter

The boys pose on the boat, October, 2004, Table Rock Lake.

Wow! What a year. So many places, so little time... that sentiment will be reflected in this year's letter. A bit more on the boring side, not nearly the time to put the creative juices to work!

Our kids also got real busy this year and it was so exciting to see them develop into little athletes, musicians, students and people. They really have been fun to be around. We have had so many of those "perfect moments" and "perfect days" these past 12 months that it would be difficult to list them all. We have simply been blessed. OK, say it, "gag me!" or "it's getting thick in here!!".

First, Hayden, now in 5th grade, started taking guitar lessons last January and is really coming along. He has a goal of playing in his school Jazz Band eventually so he keeps practicing and is progressing nicely. It is yet to be seen if he will actually make the Band this next year but it won't be for not putting in the time or having the right teacher. Hayden also picked up a band instrument (a requirement for Jazz Band) and is playing (amazingly well?!?) the Baritone (like a small Tuba). He practices it almost more than his guitar. Hayden also continues to show his acedemic strengths, turning in high grades in all of his subjects (all that he doesn't RUSH through, that is). Dumb mistakes!!!! A parental nightmare! (My parents have no sympathy.)

Hayden also has been taking tennis lessons all year and competed in local tournaments over the summer. Last year we split the focus between soccer and tennis but this year Hayden chose to put more of a focus on tennis in hopes to make a better position on the school teams in the future and to compete better in tennis tournaments.

Hayden also let his hair grow out this past semester and got braces in the spring. His looks REALLY changed and it has been very fun as parents to see him want the braces, want the long hair, want to be different and to actually relish in the attention he gets. I simply remember NEVER wanting to be that different, never liking the pain of braces. His positive attitude is just FUN!

Zachary, on the other hand is a mess. Ugh!

Just kidding! He also has been delightful this past year. Now a 1st grader, we think he is a bit bored in school. Math comes very easy to him, partly, we think, because he spent so much time the past few years in Hayden's classrooms as Sherri helped in Hayden's classes, tutoring math. The 4th graders last year really hated having a kindergartener that could do their math for them. Zach certainly couldn't do all of their math but he was able to do quite a bit of the 'easy' 4th grade math and shout answers to some of those struggling in the subject... much to their dismay.

Zach has taken to the piano in a somewhat amazing way. Last year he took piano and we noticed that he seemed to prefer making up variations to songs over playing video games. We found him an instructor that will push him a bit and open his eyes to the world of Jazz and more sophistication over time. At first he hated the change but now he is really again enjoying the piano and is making his parents very proud while having fun.

Zach also has tried his share of sports this year. Tennis, soccer, basketball. No baseball or football but that is fine with us. 3 is enough. He'll probably settle on something one day but for now we'll continue to let each kid try 1 sport a season and never double up... for our sanity. Hayden is pretty settled on tennis, we'll see where Zach focuses someday.

Acting Goofy! Notice Hayden's teeth. His jaw is being widened by the Orthodontist in preparation for braces and it made his teeth split strangely!

 

OK, enough bragging on the kids. Well, just a bit more. This past year we as parents had an amazing number of those 'perfect days'. It just makes me SOOO happy to say that. I'm sure you know the ones I'm talking about. Those days when everyone gets along, everyone seems to have a good time, the kids do something 'amazing' that floor the parents or something that other parents search you out to compliment you on your kids. THOSE days. Our family hit a sweet spot this year and as a parent I am just plain proud to be a part of it. The kids really do it. We ask them to try and they come through, they finally seem to really understand that attitude is everything and THAT MAKES ME VERY HAPPY.

Sherri continues to put in time in the kids' classrooms, helping as much as she can and as much as the teachers allow. It seems to make a difference both with our kids and the others in the class, plus it gives the teachers a great break or at least lightens their loads a bit. She also has become very active in our church on several committees and activities. She tried pottery in a class (made some pretty neat stuff) and continues to plan the most amazing vacations. I really enjoy that last thing and am REAL spoiled. I get off work the first day of our vacation, hop in the car and ask "what now?". She has it all planned, us all packed and I worry about nothing. The vacations are great, the arrangements are superb and there is never a shortage of something to see or do. We pack it in and maximize our vacation time, thanks to her! She continues to work one day a week on the off-season and several days a week during tax season.

Aside from tagging along on so many great vacations this year my focus for most of the year has been running and running faster. The challenge to myself was to see if I could go from a nearly 4 hour marathon time to something closer to a Boston Marathon qualifying time of 3:20:59 or less. It has been nearly a year of hard work, injuries, several pairs of shoes, and miles upon miles of running. I can only say I'm close. How close? I won't know again until January 16 when I plan to run Houston (as long as I don't injure myself or get sick again). I ran the Tulsa Marathon in November but came down with a sinus infection the week of the race, a knee injury 4 weeks before the race and didn't turn in a time anywhere close to qualifying (3:46:30). The story of the actual race could fill up an entire letter and would somewhat explain the time but, as I said, I won't know how much I'll actually shave off until I try again. I've trained the past few months (since July or so) with the pastor of our church (Doug Luginbill), who is a very fast runner and a great person. He helped me speed up greatly by acting like the rabbit in greyhound races during short fast runs and continuing to push the pace on the longer ones. He was very patient as I built speed, died on some runs and otherwise tried to kill myself running hundreds of miles. I really got to know him as a person (mile upon mile together does that) and I can say I cherish many of those runs for the fellowship and fun (and pain!). Thanks, Doug!

I shot a couple of lucky pictures during this performance and caught them in mid-air.
This year we vacationed and we vacationed more!!!!!! We travelled through 14 states, saw 3 great lakes, the Gulf of Mexico and countless amazing things on vacation after vacation. I really don't know how we did it all, thinking back. First was San Antonio, TX over spring break. We drove down and had a great time seeing the sights, the river walk, the Alamo, Sea World and Six Flags.

Of course no visit to San Antonio is complete without visiting "The Alamo"!

Next, was a tour of the southeast gulf coast flying into New Orleans, touring that city for a couple days.

In the French Quarter we met this man playing on the street.
He offered to let the boys help him play a tune.

We then drove to see our friends Michelle and Ky Kobayashi in Biloxi, MS and then seeing Pensacola, FL and Destin, FL before returning home. Wow. We got there months before the hurricanes and were treated to sun, surf, sand and a great time for a week along the coast. We highly recommend the area. The water is amazingly clear and a pretty blue in several locations along the "Emerald Coast". Wow, again.

We went on a "Dolphin Cruise". Very cool. We all swam in the Gulf, the boys "boogie boarded" in the surf, we saw the "Blue Angels" perform at their home base, went shrimpin' on a boat and did a host of other activities.

Later, in July we hopped in cars with Sherri's family and drove to Mackinac Island, MI (it sits in Lake Huron sorta between the U.P. of Michigan and lower Michigan, if you didn't know already, I didn't). A very long drive but there were so many sights along the way it was worth it. Cool. Amazing history, great sights and a part of the country I'd never seen. I'm so glad the kids got to see all of this. The kids swam in Lake Michigan, rode bikes around the island, ate world-famous fudge in the town, played a bunch and we all had a great time. A day-trip had us eaten by giant mosquitos and seeing Lake Superior while visiting a state park in the U.P. We drove back across the giant suspension bridge that joins the U.P. to lower Michigan, across the top of Lake Michigan, into Minnesota (to the Mall of America as a pit stop) and then home. A great vacation!
On the way, we swam in Lake Michigan and visited friends of the family. In the above picture the football is about to impact me in a very sensitive spot. Yes, I fell and doubled-over. Finding out that I "got the shot" anyway made it somewhat worth having my stomach in my throat!
A cool ship anchored in the port area of Mackinac Island. Our luggage passes us on the horse drawn cart. A picture of the town from the perspective of the Fort with the two light houses in the background. The boys pose in front of the Mackinac City lighthouse.

Big picture: Our hotel - Mission Point Resort
Top small: The Grand Hotel
Small Left: Main Street Mackinac Island
Small Center: View of the harbor from the Fort. (it's a long walk up)
Small Right: Front of the Fort - restaurant (our party is behind the first column). The "War of 1812" started here!!! If I learned that sometime in school it was long forgotten. Amazing history.

The boys pose on a canon that sits where the British landed to attack the Island in the war of 1812. The Mackinac Bridge ("the bridge that could never be built") is in the background.
Finally, in late September we dashed over to Big Cedar lodge in Missouri for a long weekend and nabbed our 14th state by having lunch in a boat as we floated on Table Rock Lake across the border from Missouri into Arkansas. We cheered and laughed, thinking back on all the great times we'd had this past year.

We have just been blessed this year as you can tell and I'm so pumped to be able to tell everyone about it. The crazy schedule we have kept has really cramped my ability to spend much time doing creative things (like working on the Christmas web site), so I'm running real late and it isn't very creative this year. Perhaps next year I'll have a bit more time to spend and I'll try to make up for such a poor job this time.

We hope the season finds you all in good health and spirits.

R.B., Sherri, Hayden and Zachary Woods (and Katie "the dog").

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