2011 Highlights

December 2011
I hope this letter finds you warm and in good health.
January sent Greg back to UW LaCrosse for a second semester and Sammi finishing her junior year at Spooner High School. It’s usually a pretty quiet month around our house, except that this year there was a little hubbub about the Superbowl.

We finished out the rest of the winter with a regular routine, then March Madness sets in and things start to get crazy. Sammi was in the spring play, Becoming Juliet.

 In track, she almost qualified for regionals in the high jump and their relay team took second at the conference meet.

She did well at the solo ensemble competition, was on prom court,

was inducted into the National Honor Society and elected Secretary,

was elected Student Council President for their senior year, and Senior Class Vice President.

The high school baseball team that Dan helps coach made it all the way to the Championship game at the state tournament, so we all made the trip to Appleton to cheer them on.

Spring was polished off with Sammi’s dance recital.

Summer was pretty low key this year. Greg came home and worked full time at the grocery store and part time at Pair ‘O Lakes restaurant and played on a couple of baseball teams. He and a buddy had coached a 7th grade team in LaCrosse, so he had been playing a little,

 but took one between the eyes at one of the first practices and ended up with two black eyes.

Sammi worked part time at both Pair ‘O Lakes and Victory Fireworks and drove down to Rice Lake two mornings a week to take a college algebra course at UW Barron County. Dan painted a few houses and took a couple of motorcycle trips with friends. Dan and I took a ride up in the UP of Michigan for a few days. It was hot – until you got near Lake Superior.

There were some pretty big changes in the fall. The biggest was the arrival of our foreign exchange student from Belgium, Malvine. It’s been interesting learning about the similarities and differences between our cultures.

Greg transferred to the University of Minnesota – Duluth. He is still majoring in computer science, but now has season tickets to the Bulldog hockey games, a season pass at Spirit Mountain, a Frisbee golf course out his back door, and has been active in Campus Crusade for Christ.

Sammi’s senior year is in full swing. She was on the volleyball team,

the student director for the senior class play, The Teahouse of the August Moon,

was the Master of Ceremonies at the annual Veteran's Day ceremony

and is applying to colleges and trying to figure out what she wants to do next year.

During Thanksgiving break, Sammi, Malvine and I took a trip to Orlando. We walked in the waves of the Atlantic,

spent a day hitting the highlights of Disney

and another day at Sea World.

I continue to work at the technical college and am plugging away one online course a semester toward my Ed.S. in Career and Technical Education from UW Stout. Hopefully, next year's Christmas message will include a picture of me in a cap and gown!

Wishing you a very merry Christmas and a happy, healthy 2012.