Christmas 2008

  

Christmas 2008

Season's greetings to you all, from a very white winter wonderland in Portland! Thanks to all of you who have already sent letters to us. This has been the year of Facebook, with many of our friends and family connecting online. This allows much easier exchanges of updates, photo and video since it is a post once and everyone can see approach. We encourage you to join in, search for us on Facebook, or email us to invite you to connect. 

This year has seen a return to normality on the employment front. Richard has a job with the City of Portland and it’s hard to believe that it has already been a year. He is the IT Manager for the Bureau of Development Services that oversees development and construction in the City. Richards manages the central information system with a team of about a dozen staff. He is enjoying a change from health informatics and academia and Josephine enjoyed a tour of Dad’s workplace. This year’s “Take Your Kids To Work Day” included a tour of the airport’s new parking structure. 

Jennifer has also jumped back into the workplace. She is an enrollment coach with InsideTrack, working with prospective students interested in her client campuses. She loves working with students again and is reminded how fortunate she has been with her educational opportunities.
 

Josephine is almost 9! She delights, entertains, amazes and challenges us. Thank God we’re still taller. She started a new school this Autumn/Fall at the Odyssey program within Hayhurst School (private school education at public school pricing…YAY!). She has adjusted well to new surroundings and friends, and we are happy to see her rising to new challenges. Both Josephine and Jennifer are taking harp lessons on a beautifully made instrument we received last Christmas. Josephine is planning to hire out locally as soon as she has more than three songs to play.  Is it still considered child labor if she wears pretty dresses and smiles?
 

June saw our annual trip to the other side of “The Pond”. We went to the family villa in Spain for some R&R. Josephine had an “Encounter with the Dolphins” at Seaworld, Benidorm. We also spent some time in the UK with Jim & Liz, and visiting Josephine’s cousins, Shevek, Tchianna and Tarran, and catching up with friends.
 

The end of November saw Richard and Josephine return to England for a family funeral. Uncle John, his dad’s elder brother, passed away suddenly but peacefully. It was very important to be with the family at such a time. We also had to say goodbye to both our beloved Shelties, Nelson (14) and Chloe (16).  Nelson passed away in October and Chloe soon followed in December. They had been great senior sheltie companions and the house just isn’t the same without their presence. We miss them both and imagine them barking and chasing squirrels in dog heaven. Watch for an adoption notice some time in 2009. Jennifer doesn’t think she can go dogless for very long. She’s already offering to dog sit for the neighborhood pooches…she’ll go from dog walker to dog stalker if she doesn’t get another one soon.

Our warmest regards and best wishes for 2009. We’ll see you on Facebook!  Richard, Jennifer & Josephine.

Portland, OR. 97219. USA.