THE PATTINSON TIMES,  CHRISTMAS 2016

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO OUR FRIENDS AND FAMILY AROUND THE WORLD.  WE HOPE THAT THIS LETTER FINDS YOU IN GOOD SPIRITS AND WITH A BOTTLE OF THE SAME TO SEE YOU THROUGH THE HOLIDAYS.

IT'S BECOME APPARENT THAT WE ARE TRAVELLING DOWNHILL GIVEN THE SPEED AT WHICH THIS YEAR HAS PASSED.  WHAT I'D LIKE TO SAY IS THAT WE'VE HAD MANY BEACH HOLIDAYS, LONG WALKS WITH THE DOGS, SOOTHED OUR ACHING MUSCLES POST WORKOUT IN THE NEW HOT TUB EVERY NIGHT, ENJOYED THE MAJIC OF PARENTHOOD AND HAD TAKEN UP A MORE MODERATE PACE IN OUR WORK LIFE.  BUT THAT WOULD BE A BIG FAT FIB.

WE DID MANAGE TO GET THROUGH THE YEAR WITHOUT REPAIRING OR RENOVATING THE HOUSE DESPITE WINDSOR'S STELLAR WEATHER WHICH INCLUDED THE HOTTEST SUMMER ON RECORD, A TORNADO THAT BLEW THROUGH TOWN AND A MAJOR FLOOD THAT COMPLETELY DISABLED OUR SEWER SYSTEM.  THE UPSIDE IS THAT THE SURVIVING PEPPER AND TOMATO PLANTS PRODUCED LIKE CRAZY GIVEN THE EXCESS OF HEAT AND SEWER WATER UNTIL THE END OF NOVEMBER!

I ACQUIRED A NEW MOM VAN TO LIVE IN THIS YEAR.  IT IS EXACTLY THE SAME AS THE OLD VAN, A GREY HONDA ODYSSEY, AND FOR A LITTLE WHILE IT WAS A LITTLE CLEANER THAN THE OLD VEHICLE.  TONY SOLD HIS SAAB AND BECAME A PICKUP TRUCK OWNER...A NEW HONDA RIDGELINE, WHICH HE LOVES BECAUSE HE CAN GO TO THE LUMBER STORE AND PILE IT FULL OF WOOD FOR ANOTHER PROJECT.  BIG KITTY (THE JAG) REMAINS IN THE GARAGE FOR THE WINTER GIVEN HER SENSITIVITIES TO ADVERSE CONDITIONS.

THE REALLY BIG PROJECTS TURNED 13 AND 8 THIS YEAR AND HAVE DISCOVERED THE FUN IN ARGUING WITH EACH OTHER.  ON OCCASION THEY TAKE A BREAK AND PUT THEIR HEADS TOGETHER TO PLOT AGAINST THE PARENTS, BUT FOR THE MOST PART DO BETTER IN SEPARATE SPACES.  GRACE HAS LEARNED WHERE ALL OF LILY'S BUTTONS ARE AND LILY HAS PERFECTED THE EYE ROLL AND FOOT STOMP.

LILY STARTS HIGH SCHOOL NEXT SEPTEMBER AND IS READY TO TAKE ON THE SECONDARY SCHOOL TRACK TEAMS.  SHE CONTINUES TO SWIM WITH THE LOCAL SWIM TEAM AND TOOK FIRST PLACE IN BREASTSTROKE AT THE MEET THIS WEEK, BUT HER REAL PASSION SEEMS TO BE RUNNING.  SHE RECEIVED A GOLD MEDAL FOR THE REGION IN CROSS COUNTRY TRACK THIS YEAR AND WE AGREED TO ALLOW HER TO SKIP A COUPLE OF SWIM PRACTICES EACH WEEK TO JOIN THE LOCAL LEGION TRACK CLUB.  IT IS BEGINNING TO DAWN ON HER THAT RUNNING AND SWIMMING ARE NOT CAREER PATHS, BUT HER YEARS OF BUILDING WITH LEGO HAS SPARKED AN INTEREST IN ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE.  ALTHOUGH SHE COMPLAINS ABOUT BEING THE ONLY JOCK AMONG THE NERDS AT HOME, SHE HAS DONE VERY WELL IN MATH AND SCIENCE THIS YEAR DESPITE HER LEARNING STRUGGLES AND HOPEFULLY WILL FIND A CAREER PATH THAT MAKES HER HAPPY.

GRACE IS A SUPER SMART NERDY KID WHO DOESN'T HAVE TO WORK VERY HARD AND GETS AWAY WITH TOO MUCH BY BEING SO DARN CUTE.  THIS YEAR SHE HIT THE WALL WHEN HER BEHAVIOUR GOT IN THE WAY OF A GOOD REPORT CARD AND ALMOST GOT HER YANKED FROM THE DIVE TEAM.  SHE JOINED DIVING WHEN WINDSOR RECRUITED AN OLYMPIC COACH AND GIVEN HER PREVIOUS GYMNASTICS AND SWIM EXPERIENCE, IT SEEMED LIKE THE RIGHT FIT.  I HAVE TO COVER MY EYES ON OCCASION WATCHING HER JUMP FROM A 10 METER BOARD GIVEN MY FEAR OF HEIGHTS AND WATER.  IT WILL BE WORTH IT IF SHE DEVELOPS THE DISCIPLINE AND STRENGTH TO EARN A SCHOLARSHIP TO A NICE NERDY UNIVERSITY ON MARS SOME DAY.

NOT TO BE OUTDONE TOO BADLY BY THE JUNIOR PARTNERS, TONY AND I CONTINUE TO ESCAPE TO OUR LOCAL GYM TO LIFT WEIGHTS SEVERAL TIMES EACH WEEK, AND DESPITE WHINING ABOUT THE PAIN THAT RESULTS, WE SENSE THAT IT WILL BE GOOD FOR US IN THE LONG RUN.  SOMEBODY HAS TO BE ABLE TO LIFT THE COSTCO BAGS!

WE ALSO DECIDED THAT THIS WAS THE YEAR TO SCREAM INTO THE 21ST CENTURY AND CONVERT OUR PRACTICE TO ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORDS.  INITIALLY IT WAS VERY EXCITING, AND IT HAS IMPROVED OUR EFFICIENCY WITHIN THE CLINIC TREMENDOUSLY.  THE COMPONENT THAT WE FAILED TO FACTOR IN, WAS HOW LONG IT WOULD TAKE TO SORT AND SCAN THE 6000 EXISTING PAPER CHARTS.  I HAVE CALCULATED THAT I WILL BE FINISHED THIS PROJECT BY MY 83RD BIRTHDAY...AND I AM GOING TO SERIOUSLY PARTY ON THAT DAY!

TONY AND I TOOK A TRIP TO BURLINGTON ONTARIO FOR 24 HOURS THIS SUMMER TO ENJOY A COLLEAGUE'S RETIREMENT CELEBRATION.  WHEN WE RETURNED TO THE SITTER AND KIDS, BELLA DOG JUMPED UP WITH EXCITEMENT AND PROMPTLY COLLAPSED,  DYING OF HEART FAILURE A FEW HOURS LATER.  BELLA WALKED BESIDE ME EVERY MORNING, WATCHED OUT FOR THE KIDS AND FUNCTIONED AS OUR CHIEF OF SECURITY.  I MISS HER EVERY DAY.  BUT SHE DID SEND US OLIVER, A BEAUTIFUL COFFEE COLOURED SCHNAUZER BOY WHO IS A BUNDLE OF ENERGY AND FIERCELY PROTECTIVE OF HIS FAMILY.  SOPHIE HAS BEEN VERY DEPRESSED SINCE BELLA PASSED, BUT OLIVER PROVIDES HER WITH ENOUGH MOTIVATION TO GET OFF THE SOFA, EVEN IF ITS ONLY TO TEACH HIKM SOME MANNERS.  I'VE HAD TO SQUEEZE IN A NIGHT OF PUPPY SCHOOL EACH WEEK AS OLIVER HAS DECIDED THAT PEOPLE AND ANIMALS OUTSIDE OF HIS FAMILY ARE EVIL AND NO AMOUNT OF BRIBERY OR CHEESE HAS BEEN ABLE TO DISSUADE HIM OF THIS IDEA.

LOVE HAS BEEN IN THE AIR AND THIS MONTH WE GATHER IN CHICAGO TO WITNESS MY NIECE LINDSEY'S WEDDING TO HER LONGTIME LOVE JOSH.  LAST MONTH WE ENJOYED THE BEAUTIFUL WEDDING OF MY NIECE SARAH'S MARRIAGE TO JAKE AT THE ZOO IN GRAND RAPIDS.  REMEMBERING THESE GIRLS SO WELL AS BABIES, AND HOW QUICKLY THEY GREW INTO BEAUTIFUL YOUNG WOMEN REMINDS ME OF HOW SHORT LIFE IS, AND THAT WE REALLY NEED TO SPEND A LITTLE MORE TIME IN THE HOT TUB....NEXT YEAR.

HAVE A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS SEASON

LOVE TONY, MARY, GRACE, LILY, SOPHIE AND OLLIE