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Our children are both at the same High School now, although they are bookends, with our daughter a freshman and our son a senior. Both are also playing school and club soccer ensuring our weekends and evenings are consumed with practices, scrimmages and games.
Our son, of course, is completely absorbed with the process of college admission. He is applying to the UC system and some out-of-state colleges so that he can pursue his passion for Physics. Unfortunately, to get this all done and keep up with studying and soccer he is already burning the midnight oil. Good training for college! Our daughter graduated from junior high with a 3.95 GPA, much to the delight of her parents. She has settled in well to high school and still spends a great deal of her free time drawing.
The family vacation this year was two glorious weeks in England and France. Both our children were anxious to reacquaint themselves with their UK relatives. This was achieved in grand style when all “the cousins” left their parents for a day and a half jaunt to Alton towers. We gather a good time was had by all (although all participants were a little vague as to what constituted a “good time.”) We were able to spend time in London seeing the sights and enjoying West End Theater, at Warwick castle and at the aircraft museum at Duxford with granddad. We took the Eurostar to Paris for three days of intense sightseeing. The weather was great, the food tasty and the sights worth seeing! The Louvre, Notre Dame, Eiffel Tower, Champs Elyse and, our favorite, Muse D’Orsey all fell before our camera.
The wife entered her fifth year at Quova as Preeminent QA Chieftain. Her mother was poorly last year and the wife took time off and spent a week in Puerto Rico with her in May. Her mother is much better now and is spending the holidays with us here. The wife is also active in two book clubs, although one of them is somewhat erratic. She also continues to volunteer her time with the Sunnyvale Soccer Association.
The husband continues as a digital media consultant and an analyst with an Analyst Group. This year has seen many business trips supporting his clients or presenting at conferences to Korea, Singapore, Munich and London to name but a few. Fortunately when he’s not traveling he is stationed at his home office enjoying the shortest commute in Silicon Valley. He continues to play poker once a month with a group of gentlemen of mixed parentage. Last month they spent a great weekend playing poker and hiking in the Sierras close to Yosemite.
We hope you have enjoyed this short update. For a version of this letter with the names included click here. You'll need to enter a password and user name: the user name is our name and the password is the name of our daugther, both use lower case only. If you can't figure this our, email us (see instructions for this on the home page.)
Wishing you and yours a prosperous and happy 2009,
Hoping that we will see you sometime in the New Year.