2005 Holiday Letter

As 2005 draws to a close, we once again send you the latest news of life in Poughkeepsie.

This year has flown by, and we are thrilled to be preparing for our second Christmas in our home. We've spent the last year getting to know the house, and along the way we've made some small improvements. Some of our more interesting and rewarding experiences have been removing a chipmunk from inside the ceiling of the second floor (apparently choosy chipmunks choose Jif, although Chris prefers Peter Pan peanut butter), and installing a garage door opener (no more trudging through the snow this winter!). There is still a long wish list, but we are thoroughly enjoying ourselves!

It seems travel is always a big part of the year for us, but this is especially true for Paul. Together we made another trip to Maui in February, where we once again basked in the sun despite the snow falling back home in New York. We drove to Boston in April to see Erin and Matt run the marathon &emdash; and as a bonus, Michelle and Greg were our gracious hosts in their fabulous new South End apartment.

In accordance with tradition, we spent a week in Stone Harbor again this August. You just can't top the Jersey shore for a relaxing summer vacation, and it seems like the whole family is starting to agree. We hit a record high of eighteen people on the trip this year!

In addition to those trips together, Paul went solo to Edinburgh, Scotland; Sydney, Australia; and Seattle, Washington to attend various conferences and teach classes for work. Chris really misses Paul when he travels, but since the frequent flyer miles keep adding up, he doesn't complain too much!

It has also been a year of loss for our family. In February, at the age of 93, Chris's grandmother passed away. And in late August, his aunt Barbara Hogan lost a long fight with lung cancer at the age of 84. As we continue to grieve for our losses, we also celebrate their amazing lives, and give thanks for the impact they had on our lives, and on the lives of so many other people.

We were fortunate to celebrate Chris's parents' thirtieth wedding anniversary in October. It was a beautiful day, despite the rain. Surrounded by family and friends, Mom and Dad reaffirmed their marriage vows and then hosted a delicious luncheon. We're incredibly proud of them and felt honored to be a part of their special day. Only 24 years to go until we celebrate our own thirtieth anniversary!

As 2005 ends and 2006 rushes in, we hope that you are celebrating, remembering and enjoying time with those close to you. Our warmest wishes for health and happiness are yours, now and always.