Dear Family and Friends,

This Christmas holiday season we wish to extend to you and your loved ones our warmest thoughts and best wishes for a joyous season and a Happy New Year.  As we look back on this year, we are thankful for all the blessings received.

Our children Stephanie and Christopher are doing well and seem to be growing so fast.  Stephanie is now eleven years old and in sixth grade in Montessori.  In her own words “School is pretty challenging” and her favorite subject is “Math with Mrs. Riley” (who is also the school principal).  Stephanie loves to swim, read and do crafts.  This year she learned new techniques in jewelry making and how to crochet.  She's also becoming quite a chef in the kitchen, trying her hand at different recipes.

Christopher turned eight this year and is in the third grade Montessori with Mrs. Alter.  Christopher likes Math and reading.  He is taking keyboard classes this year, and really enjoys making music.  He had his first group performance at the school holiday party last weekend and he did very well.  When asked what he liked best about school he said: ”I like that I have the freedom of doing the work on my own and not have to sit at desks and do the same as the others”.  At home he loves to build fantastic vehicles and aircrafts with Lego blocks.  Last May, Christopher received his First Holy Communion at our parish Church.  He is now a full participant during Holy Mass.  We were honored to have many family and friends sharing this joyous occasion with us.

Both kids enjoy getting together with their cousins Ryan, Nicole, Maya and Jaden.  They are looking forward to spending two weeks with their cousins in Aruba over the New Year’s holiday.

As for Ed and Agnes, we are doing well too.  Ed still works on the Hubble Space Telescope program.  NASA has recently decided to investigate using a robotic vehicle instead of the Space Shuttle to service the space telescope and he is working on the robotic arm for this mission.  It will be a very busy and exciting mission for the next couple of years.

Agnes keeps busy volunteering at school; she chaired a successful spring book fair and looks forward to another successful one next spring.  She enjoys crafting in class and at home with the children, and during the summer the kids love her ‘camp Mommy’.  This summer we climbed mountains, swam in the ocean, hiked nature trails, dug for gems and fossils, and visited interesting museums.