Greetings from Colorado!

I can’t believe I’m writing this letter again so soon. It seems like it was just a month or so ago that I wrote last year’s letter. I guess that means we’ve been busy all year (or at least I have been busy!)

<!–[if !vml]–><!–[endif]–>This year we discovered geocaching. While we had heard about it before, we hadn’t done it. Talk about fun! For those that don’t know what geo-caching is, it’s a high tech treasure hunt. People hide containers with trinkets & a log book in them. Then all they give you is the GPS coordinates to find it. So you have to use your GPS receiver and maps to figure out how to get there – sign the log and exchange a trinket. The boys think it’s GREAT to find a treasure (and Robert and I enjoy the hiking to get to it). It has taken us on lots of fun hikes that we probably wouldn’t have known about otherwise.

Our big trip this summer was to the Black Hills of South Dakota (cool caves & Mt. Rushmore) and Grand Teton’s National Park (where we met up with Coleen’s sister & family and Coleen’s Mom). We camped in our trailers and enjoyed hiking (and geocaching), campfires, ice cream, beer and margaritas (no healthy eating happening here!)

The main effort for Coleen this year was the new elementary schools in our town (replacing 3 old with 2 new). She’s been on the committee working the effort for a year and a half. This fall it was time to get a $12M bond passed by voters (in the midst of a shaky economy). So she was constantly at a meeting, preparing for a meeting, giving presentations, walking door-to-door and doing anything else that was needed to campaign for the bond. It passed by a narrow 300 vote margin – so her hard work definitely did make a difference.

Robert is still at Adams State College teaching physics and math. The BIG news is that he’s officially been recommended for tenure. There are still a few rubber stamp approvals that have to happen before it’s official, but that should bring no surprises. In addition, the physics professor who runs the observatory and teaches astronomy is retiring. So Robert is looking forward to expanding his teaching into that area as well. This last year he got to teach a whole bunch of cool advanced level classes, so he’s been quite happy. When he’s not teaching he’s flying – his flight simulator that is. He now has 5 computers running 5 wrap-around screens, with rudder pedals, throttle quadrant, yoke, and a radio stack. So it’s almost like the real thing (but not as dangerous!)

Justin started 2^nd grade this year. His class is a mixed age 2^nd/3^rd grade class which he enjoys as he has the 3^rd graders to keep up with. Over the year he played basketball, volleyball, baseball and is back to basketball again. However, his passion is tetherball! It’s the only thing he plays on the playground at school and every day when I would pick him up from school he’d ask to go play. So we put up a pole in our yard and he bought his own ball so he has one to play at home now. Occasionally Coleen can beat him. But in general he wins. He needs some more height to beat Robert (but that day will come). Yet he’s still one of the tallest in his grade level.

Ryan entered all day kindergarten and he loves it. He’s reading at the 2-3^rd grade level (keeping up with his brother) and loves all the songs they sing at school. He just had his Christmas program and he’s quite the performer. At one point when they were singing “I Ain’t Getting Nothing for Christmas” I looked up and saw he was crying – until I realized he was acting! (Watch out Aunt Stephanie!) He also loves gymnastics & is constantly upside down. When there is no gymnastics he’ll settle for Taekwondo.

We hope you all have a very Happy Holidays and a fantastic 2009!

Coleen, Robert, Justin & Ryan