Our Christmas Letter

I hope all of 2009, and especially this Christmas season have been as good to you as it has for Terri and I. As we prepare for the Christmas celebration, I would like to look back on the year and recount the activities and blessings that we have experienced.

I began the year continuing my employment with Sprint. In February, my role changed slightly and I picked up around 20 additional people. I now have 27 direct reports which make employee review time challenging. In September, I transitioned to Ericsson. The change has been a non-event. I go to the same building and cube, manage the same people and have the same responsibilities. The pay is the same and the benefits are slightly better than what I was receiving from Sprint. For my continued employment in this challenging economy, we are thankful and blessed.

Terri began the year working at the Classic Images salon. The shop was sold in late 2008 to a couple who had no prior cosmetology experience. Very quickly, Terri saw the writing on the wall and began to search for a new salon to work out of. After a brief search, she settled on working for a man she had known as a product salesman for years. Her new location is named Beauty Obsessions. The location is great and the change has been positive for her and her clients. The old shop, Classic Images, recently closed so making the move on her own terms was a blessing. For the loyal clients who follow Terri to whatever shop she works in, we are thankful and blessed.

In May Terri and I were able to sell our house in Overland Park. Since moving to Basehor in October 2007, we had used the house as a rental property. During the 18 months we managed to retain a single renter who did a good job of maintaining the house, and paid their rent (mostly on time). It was a good arrangement for us as we attempted to wait out the housing downturn. We decided early in the year that we really did not want to be landlords any longer, so we put the house on the market. After a couple low ball offers, we received one very close to our asking price. For the ability to get a fair price during a horrible housing market, we are thankful and blessed.

In June, Terri and I vacationed in Destin Florida, thanks to her sister and brother in law who own a time share there. It had been 17 years since we had visited Destin. In that time, Destin had changed from a small fishing and vacation spot, to a busy resort community. The weather cooperated and food was fantastic. We even got a few rounds of golf in before driving back home via Memphis. For these vacation opportunities with close family, we are thankful and blessed.

In July, Terri and I quietly celebrated our 32nd wedding anniversary. Over these 32 years of wedded bliss, we are thankful and have been blessed by 2 terrific daughters, Lyndy and Allison, their marriage to good guys, and the birth of our 3 grandchildren. It has been a wild exciting time. I can't wait to see what the next 30 years bring.

Jimmy and Allison continue to live an uncommon newlywed life. They both work at the same HyVee grocery store, Jimmy as an assistant manager, and Allison as the cash accountability clerk. They live odd hours, usually not getting home for dinner until 2:00-3:00 AM. Earlier this year, they bought a house in Shawnee. It was a 3 bedroom, 1 bath with a nice living area upstairs and another in the basement. My brother in law Steve and I built a 4th bedroom and second bathroom in the basement for them. They now have a little separation between themselves and Joey and his nurses. It has worked out very well.

Dan and Lyndy continue to live a couple blocks away from us, which means we get a lot of grand parenting time. Dan and Lyndy own a lawn and landscape business, however Dan has returned to law enforcement. He now works as a police officer in the nearby town of Bonner Springs. Madison attends full day pre-school several days a week. Clayton is a mischievous 4 year old who spends half his time looking for trouble, the other half being an adorable boy. One year old Coleton has recently learned to walk. He has a great demeanor and is a lot of fun to watch. For these 3 grandchildren, we are thankful and blessed.

As you may know by now, in June I became a blogger. I find it satisfying to write my thoughts on current events and personal memories. Sharing them with friends and family is also fun. How long I continue the effort is not known, but it hasn't gotten old yet. I like to write about a wide range of our subjects such as a recent summer project, my Nutrisystem diet, current events in general, and what I want to be when I grow up. I get the greatest satisfaction from opining on current events, however I receive the best response when recounting memories.

In November, Lloyd, Cindy and Kelsey visited from Memphis for Thanksgiving. Our niece Heather and her husband Kelly also visited and stayed in our home for a few days. Kelly has convinced me the sun rises and falls on Kentucky basketball and I am now a true fan of the program*. The time together this holiday season provided Kelly and I an opportunity to watch a game and relish the long tradition and rich heritage of our favorite men's college basketball team, the Kentucky Wildcats. We also participated in a McGugan tradition, Carpe Deal'em, on Black Friday. If you follow the link to my niece's blog, you can also watch a video summary of the event. For such a tight family relationship, and wise and thoughtful nephew in law, we are indeed thankful and blessed.

From Terri and I, we wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We sincerely hope that 2010 brings you many blessings.