December 2002

Merry Christmas! It doesn’t seem possible that another year has flown by but the calendar tells us that it is true. As the end of the year approaches we each take time to think of those who are special to us in so many ways. We are grateful for our family and friends with whom we have spent so many special times.

This has been a busy but fulfilling year for us all. Beth has perhaps made the most changes as she turned 18, graduated from high school, got her driver’s license, found her first job and started college. She is now a freshman at UCLA! She joined Marc in the marching band this year so we were able to watch both kids perform at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena this fall. What a thrill for us!

Marc is a senior biochemistry major at UCLA and is busy making plans for next year. He is hoping to enter pharmacy school in the fall, but is also open to finding a job in his field. He traveled to Pennsylvania with the band to play at the NCAA tournament in the spring and, along with Beth will be performing at the Las Vegas Bowl on Christmas Day.

Jenk still likes teaching on most days. This year he is teaching only networking and accounting and then spends the rest of his time as the campus “technology guy”. He continues to enjoy his genealogy research.

I had a busy spring with a bout of pneumonia and the arrival of 25 French students for a two-week visit. Then in summer I was offered, and with Jenk’s encouragement accepted, a round-trip ticket to Europe for an incredible price. I had the opportunity to visit with friends in France and spent a wonderful long-weekend in Germany with Margit, my German “sister” who lived with the us in 1968-69!

Other than my trip we all stayed home this summer. The kids worked, Jenk spent many days at school, and I spent a month visiting the area with a French teenager who had hosted Beth when she was in France last year. Also we enjoyed the visit of Jenk’s two sisters, a brother-in-law and a nephew who drove out from Texas for Beth’s graduation. For Thanksgiving we all managed a couple of days together in the mountains with friends.

This will be our first year apart on Christmas. Marc and Beth will be in Las Vegas from the 2 rd to the 25th so Jenk and I will be spending the day with our friends. The four of us will look forward to spending the day together on the 2 th for a belated Christmas celebration.

We join together to wish you all joy, health, happiness and peace in the new year.

Love,