Christmas Letter: 1995

Dearest Friends and Family (both near and far),

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays

Our life this past year has been crazy and hectic which is why I’ve finally graduated to this generic-type letter. I love you all and want to tell you so much, so please don’t mind that I had to jot it down this way so I could share it all.

Summer was HOT, but fun! Stephanie and Nick both did swimming lessons in town all summer and Nick became a terrific swimmer. He now lives in the 10’ end of the pool and is sure he’ll be in the Olympics someday. We did lots of day trips (the Renaissance Festival, the Drive—In, the beach) and we even dragged my morn and sister to the Great Adventure Amusement Park. We haven’t yet decided, though, if the highlight of the day was when they had to stop the Big Wheel (ferris wheel) to let me off because I was crying (what a great example I set for my kids), or when my mom got drenched at one of the water shows (the rest of us stayed perfectly dry - although Julien says he got wet too)! We didn’t really pay attention to him — we were too busy drying off my mom.

Our fall has been full of activities too! I’ve gone back to college (part time) to finish my degree and go on for a masters of arts in teaching. Boy is it tough to do homework again — but I love getting out of the house all by myself and using those dead brain cells again. I work part time in the Warwick Middle School as an Instructional Teacher’s Aide and have decided that when I teach it will be with adults (middle school kids have too many hormones flying around). Nick has just finished playing soccer after a full spring of baseball games. Chris ran Cross-Country for the Warwick Middle School — The Purple Waves and the high school team just won the New York State Championship. Stephanie and Nick both swim on Friday nights and Stephanie will be going for her level 5 Red Cross Swimming Course in February. The kids keep me running, and with two now in the middle school the homework is hard and long.

Now, about my dogs! Yes, I now have two German Shepherd/Seeing—Eye Dogs (Doreen and Gypsy). I’m a crazy woman — but I wouldn’t give it up for the world. They are my “kids with fur” and require more time and attention than all of my three kids combined. Our club is called “Pals with Paws” and I am the secretary. We meet every other Friday night to train the dogs, but spend more of the time laughing at the 15 dogs trying to get along. We’ve marched with the dogs in a parade, took them into town for an ice cream outing, have done demonstrations of them training for various organizations, and basically can take them anywhere we want to go. Doreen is due to be picked up by The Seeing Eye any day, and unless she fails the program we will not get to see her again. My box of tissues is already out and waiting.

Julien’s job is doing great and it requires him to travel some. He travels mostly to New Hampshire and Massachusetts, and enjoys every minute of it. Maybe it’s that he likes getting away from those dogs! (NO, not really — he loves them as much as me). It gets kinda hard at night, though, trying to sleep with two huge dogs trying to share the bed with us!Well, over and out for this year. I wish you all a blessed holiday and a wonderful new year in 1996. I miss you all very much.

*Note: I used Courier for this entry because mommy actually typed it on a typewriter...