I thought the Christmas letters were getting a bit tired and stale but the howls of protest have not fallen on deaf ears! The Owens Family Christmas letter is back! However, we're gonna kick it new school now and get all techy with it. So, welcome to the new Owens Family New Year's Blog, where I can now post pics, keep you updated more frequently and hear your thoughts, questions, comments or laments. So, let's not waste any time and get right to it.
No question of where to start: we first go to Noah and Natalie since nothing else really matters, at least according to Suzie. Noah is now in the second grade and way smarter than he should be at this age. Don't let the snaggle tooth fool you: he is one sharp little boy. Sadly, he has decided that the second grade curriculuum is beneath him and often refuses to lower himself by participating. Still, he is a kid and when we took him to Great Wolf Lodge, an indoor waterpark in Traverse City, he never tired of going down the three huge waterslides, often spending hours at a time running up what felt like fricking Mt. Everest and then shooting down Niagra-like falls with Aunt Kimmie silently and simultaneously praying and cursing, hoping that the fact she couldn't see two inches in front of her wouldn't matter when she smashed into the tiny wading pool full of fleshy Midwesterners. For those of you looking for a quick ego boost, Great Wolf Lodge is money well spent. Screw your New Year's resolutions! Take the family for a quick retreat at the Lodge where Shamu's extended family visits year round. Sue was a great help and graciously agreed to let Noah be her shadow all weekend. It took us both two weeks to fully dislodge our swimsuits from our buttcracks. On land, Noah continues to enjoy soccer, playing video games and making smoothies (yes, you read that right and no, it's not my fault nor did I encourage him).
Natalie turned three in November and continues to bring great pleasure to all those not in charge of her potty training. Her diapered tush is the last vestige of babyhood and she is clinging to it tightly (and vice versa). Her vocabulary and speaking ability grows daily, making her excuses for NOT using the toilet even funnier. Some of our favorites: "My tummy is too hot," "I not want to go right now. Maybe later," and "Kimmy will be here next week. She can change my diaper then." Noah (or Woah, my bwother) dotes on her and she loves it, usually. Fights are rare as Natalie is not afraid to toss out a few punches (again, not my fault).
Dan and Keri are still enjoying their house as cleaning and organizing now is more permanent than before: the immaculate, pristine environment actually belongs to them. Keri teaches first grade this year and waits tables on Saturday nights at a local restaurant. She further established herself as favorite daughter by running the Crim (all 10 miles) with Mike this year. Kim's only hope for competing with her now is if Kim manages to make the Red Wing's team next year and scores the winning goal during the last game for the Stanley Cup. Dan ran the Crim as well as the Detroit Marathon, vowing once again that he would not do it again. As of this writing, he is already training for 2008. He starts school soon at Baker college, going for a career as Physical Therapist Assistant. We hope that once he can tell people how to train for and run races, he will actually stop.
Mike and Suzie continue to be the Lewis and Clark of the family, traveling to Arizona and various other places I can't recall right now. They also joined us (and, bless them, paid for) our Great Wolf Lodge vacation, so it was a true family vacation. We even stayed in the same room, all of us, and actually had a good time. Suzie is doing well and is officially on the public dole, signing up for Social Security early so she can "get it while it is still there." Watch for her gleefully shopping at a store near you. Mike continues to work endless hours but 2008 will bring something new: a 40 hour work week. GM has put the kabosh on overtime, so Mike will now gain 35+ hours of free time per week. He is eagerly awaiting the spring thaw so that 30 of those hours can be spent on the golf course.
Kim and Sue continue to stick it out in Carriage Town, the official up and coming ghetto of Flint. The gunshots and sirens barely even register now and they actually slept through a shooting that occurred a few doors down from them this past summer. Sue now works at LISC, Local Initiative Support Corporation, still fighting the good fight and helping to build stronger communities. Saint that she is, she also bought Kim a PSP for her birthday. Both of them are now obsessed with racing games and Super Collapse 3. Kim and Sue traveled to Wisconsin at Christmas to visit Sue's parents. On Christmas Eve, Kim drove their car into a ditch. To make the blessed event even more special, Sue's parents were in the car at the time. It was then that Kim realized the true meaning of Christmas: no matter how dumb or idiotic their actions may be, family and friends must always be cherished. At least that's what she tried to convince Sue's mom as they sat in the freezing cold, stuck and in shock, waiting patiently for Sue and her dad to pull them out. Kim is now drinking fruit and veggie juice (made with the new juicer she got for Christmas) everyday to improve her eyesight and reflexes.
Hope 2008 gives you plenty of opportunities to cherish your loved ones. Happy (Belated) New Year!
