So here it is December again and time to reflect on the past year. Definitely been a roller coast ride, but I guess that what life is – a series of ups and downs.
So let get the downs out of the way. We lost 2 good people this year.
Shortly after our returned from Nuevo Vallarta with our friends Mike and Barbara Morton, Mike took ill. It took a month or so before the diagnosis of Pancreatic Cancer was made. By early Sept. he was gone. Mike was always quick witted and loved by everyone who knew him. He will be missed.
Last month I received the shocking news that my 1st cousin Dale had passed away. Dale gave me my first big girl haircut. She was at every family function while I was growing up. She was a tiny peanut of a women who always had a smile on her face. She has left a whole in our cousin get togethers.
Now that I remembered those that we’ve lost, let go onto more happy topics..like births! Our little granddaughter Harper Ella Jean Katz was born to Nick and Ashley on May 12th. We gathered up the whole CA clan and flew in 3 days after she was born. Because we couldn’t get enough of her, Danny and I flew back to Macomb again in Sept. This way we also got a few days to bond with little Hayden. We even got to help him pick out his Halloween costume. This trip also allowed us to see Lani’s dorm room and meet her friends.
We celebrated Jackson’s first birthday in May. Now 6 months later he is still a bundle of joy and energy. Learning his first words is a wonder to see, but him always coming to his grandma and grandpa is priceless.
Luke went back to AZ in June so that he could get a job. This along with a new church house to stay in, allowed him to start the clock ticking on his AZ residency. He’s working at the Outback Steakhouse as a server. The downside is less time when he comes to visit, but the upside is the bundle he’ll save on tuition at ASU starting next year.
Lani did come home for summer, but by the beginning of August she was ready to go back to her school routine. Holding down 2 jobs plus a contributor to the school newspaper, she definitely is busy.
All the kids will be home at one time or another during the holidays and for this we are very thankful. Danny’s and my joy is the journey we take together. Our children, grandchildren and our travels, make life a joy to live!
