Christmas Letter 2017

Hello family and friends:

I hope this letter finds everyone doing well.  We’ve had another blessed year and hope you have as well.

I am at TI still and doing the same job of WW Product Training focused on online training and video overall.  Its a fun area to be working in right now with video becoming an important medium for any kind of content.  I'm still doing some travel to China and within the US, but not nearly as much as I used to.   This year I took on several roles in the PTA.  I was co-chair for the big yearly fundraiser (we raised $17000 thanks to the families at the school), I am one of the main people for the new online systems we started using this year, and I own the overall 6th grade graduation and celebration for Landon's class.  I'm also co-leading Kasey's Brownie Girl Scout troop.   I've been continuing to workout all year, and had lost about 30 pounds overall.  Most of the year I maintained that until recently - likely stress, but I'm back to trying to lose some weight between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

As Landon has moved on to Boy Scouts, Greg is transitioning his cub scout responsibilities to other parents.   Greg is also helping with Boy Scout board of reviews and he went on a campout with Landon where they stayed on the Lexington ship for a night.    Greg has also taken over coaching Landon's fun indoor soccer team that plays with some guys and girls from his grade.  We spent several weekends in College Station again, but sometimes it gets harder with kids activities to go down for every game - we try to make it work though.   We are interested to see how next season goes with new football coach.   We will see.  

We took a few vacations this year.    We went on a cruise with Grammy and Gramps over spring break.   We all had a good time on and off the ship.   Good food, shows, family and fun.  

This summer we went a few places in the US.  We started out in Washington DC for a few days.  We got to see several monuments and enjoy the area.  Then we drove to Jersey shores and rented a house near the pier with some friends.  We had a great time at the beach, hanging out, riding rides, and more.   After that we flew to Nashville and drove to Knoxville to stay with some other friends.  We got to celebrate 4th of July with them.  We enjoyed fireworks, hanging out, and even going to Dollywood to ride some very fun rides.

Also over the summer when the kids went to sleep away camp, Greg and I went to Sonoma for a few days.   It was nice to get away for a bit and we enjoyed Sonoma which is a bit more laid back than Napa area.

We plan on going skiing for the first time at Crested Brutte between Christmas and New Years.

Kasey is now 9.   She's in 3rd grade.   She’s started taking a theater dance class (which is some theater and some jazz).  She's also playing piano and is a Brownie in Girl Scouts.   This summer Kasey went to her first 2 sleep away camps.  She did a 2 day Girl Scout camp with a friend, and then went to Pine Cove church camp for a week.    Kasey is now getting grades in school and doing well so far.  She enjoys helping the teachers and helping other kids.  She says that she really wants to be a teacher when she grows up.  Kasey and I enjoy watching Hallmark movies together.  I even got her listening to Christmas music with me right after Halloween.

Landon is now 11 1/2, and while 6th grade at our school is still in elementary school they treat them more like middle schoolers.  He's still playing sports year round including soccer (indoor and outdoor), basketball and flag football.  He’s also still playing piano and he has started playing the trumpet at school but might switch instruments. Landon joined a Boy Scout Troop in March and has enjoyed camping each month and different activities.  So far he has earned his Scout and Tenderfoot ranks and now he's working on 2nd class.    Landon is getting bigger all the time.  He's taller than my mom and won't be to long that he's taller than me.   We signed Landon up for Cotillion this year.  He's not a huge fan, but we think its good for him.  Landon and I have enjoyed watching superhero TV shows and movies over the year.   

We hope that everyone has a wonderful Christmas and Happy New Year.  May God Bless you this 

coming year.

Love,     Dana, Greg, Landon, Kasey &Patch Myers