Charlotte and Emma Haupt living it up in the hotel eating cookies
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Saturday, December 5, 2009
December 2009 - Executive Office of Ken Woodward
Dear Family,
I noted in last month’s Newswire Aaron complained that he had had only one 2-week vacation in his entire life. I wonder how a person can acquired a PhD with such a short memory. Over the years that I was a personal witness, there was never a time Aaron wasn’t on vacation.
November has been a good month here in Sacramento, and I anticipate that December will be even better. There are two dates that are especially important to me, the 6th and 19th. The 6th will be Corene and my 65th wedding anniversary and the 19th is the anticipated arrival of Rocco for a one week visit with the McClintocks. I don’t know whether to send Susan and Bob a congratulatory or a sympathy card, but I’m leaning toward the latter. Aaron should be so lucky,
November was also a good month for Joshua and Zachari. The school not only recognized Veterans Day with the day off, but they also had a full week off for a “Thanksgiving Break.” What won’t the schools think of next? In my grade school days we were given two hours off on Thanksgiving Day to go home for quick dinner and then return for the rest of the school day. And that’s the way we wanted it. None wanted to miss even one minute of learning.
November 29 was the 50th anniversary of the completion of our ward chapel. Some of you were around during that 2-year construction enterprise. I was invited to be one of the speakers at sacrament meeting commemorating that historic event. I was probably selected because so few of us are still around who were personally involved, and most of those can no longer remember back much further than last week.
Rocco, Aaron and I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Love, Dad
I noted in last month’s Newswire Aaron complained that he had had only one 2-week vacation in his entire life. I wonder how a person can acquired a PhD with such a short memory. Over the years that I was a personal witness, there was never a time Aaron wasn’t on vacation.
November has been a good month here in Sacramento, and I anticipate that December will be even better. There are two dates that are especially important to me, the 6th and 19th. The 6th will be Corene and my 65th wedding anniversary and the 19th is the anticipated arrival of Rocco for a one week visit with the McClintocks. I don’t know whether to send Susan and Bob a congratulatory or a sympathy card, but I’m leaning toward the latter. Aaron should be so lucky,
November was also a good month for Joshua and Zachari. The school not only recognized Veterans Day with the day off, but they also had a full week off for a “Thanksgiving Break.” What won’t the schools think of next? In my grade school days we were given two hours off on Thanksgiving Day to go home for quick dinner and then return for the rest of the school day. And that’s the way we wanted it. None wanted to miss even one minute of learning.
November 29 was the 50th anniversary of the completion of our ward chapel. Some of you were around during that 2-year construction enterprise. I was invited to be one of the speakers at sacrament meeting commemorating that historic event. I was probably selected because so few of us are still around who were personally involved, and most of those can no longer remember back much further than last week.
Rocco, Aaron and I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Love, Dad
December 2009 - Bos, Rick & Kristy
Family,
This month we had a similar experience that the rest of you had, Thanksgiving. It was very enjoyable, but hardly relaxing. Todd helped me with the turkey (a recipe he got off of one of the food networks) and I did the rest. We had a smaller group this year because Tracy and family went to Jackson for a Wilcox Thanksgiving. However, we had both of Rick's sons, Matthew, Nathan, and my crew, Craig, Todd and Sarah, and Katelyn. I do miss the Sacramento Thanksgivings we had until I moved to Utah. (What was I thinking?)
Things here are about the same; work, Temple every Wednesday, and being a Grandma. Life is good. I wish the same for the rest of you.
Kristy and Rick
This month we had a similar experience that the rest of you had, Thanksgiving. It was very enjoyable, but hardly relaxing. Todd helped me with the turkey (a recipe he got off of one of the food networks) and I did the rest. We had a smaller group this year because Tracy and family went to Jackson for a Wilcox Thanksgiving. However, we had both of Rick's sons, Matthew, Nathan, and my crew, Craig, Todd and Sarah, and Katelyn. I do miss the Sacramento Thanksgivings we had until I moved to Utah. (What was I thinking?)
Things here are about the same; work, Temple every Wednesday, and being a Grandma. Life is good. I wish the same for the rest of you.
Kristy and Rick
December 2009 - Cannon, Aaron & Mindy & Family
So we recently had a ginormous swell come through that kicked up 9-12 foot waves. I was unaware of this until I was already out in the water (I knew it was going to be big....I didn't know it was going to be THAT BIG). 6-8 is officially my max height. I can also report that I can hold my breath for a really long time.
On a related note the second counselor in our bishopric owns a sport fishing company and was out in a tournament when his 35 foot 12 ton boat got tossed like a ragdoll and capsized. Miraculously, they survived for 20 minutes getting pounded by the surf before the lifeguards could get to them. The waves capsized one of the lifeguard boats as well. We belong to a church that believes in miracles. This is a good thing because it's gonna take a miracle for Grandpa to survive another Sacramento Kings season. Wow is that team bad. For 30 years I have been telling Grandpa that I have been saving him a seat on the Lakers Bandwagon. He's stubborn.
Our family is good. It rained over the weekend and boy am I glad we got that out of the way. Rain more than once a year is too much I think.
Hannah is in full talking mode. She says things like "I could reach it" when she clearly can't. "Could I have it?" when she knows she can't. And most disheartening...."Wubzy!" when she wants to watch wow wow wubzy which is......always. I wonder if this is how Dad felt about the smurfs.
Jakob, Hannah, Aaron, Mindy.
On a related note the second counselor in our bishopric owns a sport fishing company and was out in a tournament when his 35 foot 12 ton boat got tossed like a ragdoll and capsized. Miraculously, they survived for 20 minutes getting pounded by the surf before the lifeguards could get to them. The waves capsized one of the lifeguard boats as well. We belong to a church that believes in miracles. This is a good thing because it's gonna take a miracle for Grandpa to survive another Sacramento Kings season. Wow is that team bad. For 30 years I have been telling Grandpa that I have been saving him a seat on the Lakers Bandwagon. He's stubborn.
Our family is good. It rained over the weekend and boy am I glad we got that out of the way. Rain more than once a year is too much I think.
Hannah is in full talking mode. She says things like "I could reach it" when she clearly can't. "Could I have it?" when she knows she can't. And most disheartening...."Wubzy!" when she wants to watch wow wow wubzy which is......always. I wonder if this is how Dad felt about the smurfs.
Jakob, Hannah, Aaron, Mindy.
December 2009 - Haupt, Levi & Torrie & Family
Greetings from Virginia! What an exciting month we’ve had in the Haupt household. We moved out of our Upstate NY apartment on Nov. 1 and moved into our current residence in Lynchburg, VA on Sat Nov. 21. The interim was spent in various hotel locations in Saratoga Springs (where we began our NY adventure a short 13 months ago) Carlisle, PA since we decided to be stupid, "adventurous" and drive the almost 600 miles to our new residence. Our last hotel stay was here, in Lynchburg, while we waited for our apartment to become available. During our stay Charlotte became quite proficient in walking and considers it the preferred mode of transportation. There is finally a lot LESS screaming since she can pretty much keep up with Emma.
Emma is making great strides on the potty-training front and hopefully will be underwear-only very soon. Levi is enjoying his new job. In layman’s terms: he is the bridge between the design firm in NY and the manufacturer here in VA. He walks a good portion of a 700,000 square foot facility every day. The ward is great. We’ve already had a ward activity, the primary sacrament presentation, a play date, and book club night for Torrie. Thanksgiving was a little lonely since we’ve always spent it with family or friends. Torrie figured the time had come for her to make a turkey by herself (I had a good run-5 years of NOT doing it.) The turkey breast (since only two of us would have eaten it) came out great and we’re pleased to say that almost all of the leftovers only lasted to Friday lunch.
We hope that you enjoy this wonderful time of year when the best in people seems to come out. Until the New Year!
Happy Thanksgiving & Merry Christmas
Love
Emma, Charlotte, Torrie & Levi
Emma is making great strides on the potty-training front and hopefully will be underwear-only very soon. Levi is enjoying his new job. In layman’s terms: he is the bridge between the design firm in NY and the manufacturer here in VA. He walks a good portion of a 700,000 square foot facility every day. The ward is great. We’ve already had a ward activity, the primary sacrament presentation, a play date, and book club night for Torrie. Thanksgiving was a little lonely since we’ve always spent it with family or friends. Torrie figured the time had come for her to make a turkey by herself (I had a good run-5 years of NOT doing it.) The turkey breast (since only two of us would have eaten it) came out great and we’re pleased to say that almost all of the leftovers only lasted to Friday lunch.
We hope that you enjoy this wonderful time of year when the best in people seems to come out. Until the New Year!
Happy Thanksgiving & Merry Christmas
Love
Emma, Charlotte, Torrie & Levi
Charlotte trying to capture the "Christmas spirit" by osmosis
December 2009 - McClintock, Robert & Susan
Dear Family,
November whizzed by and now it is December. We had a quiet Thanksgiving Day and rested from the daily stresses and strains. Aunt Susan continues teaching Gospel Doctrine and conducting the Ward choir. Uncle Bob serves as a counselor in the ward High Priests group. Anna continues to keep us on our toes making sure she eats and sleeps at regular intervals.
Have a joyous Christmas Season!
The McClintocks
November whizzed by and now it is December. We had a quiet Thanksgiving Day and rested from the daily stresses and strains. Aunt Susan continues teaching Gospel Doctrine and conducting the Ward choir. Uncle Bob serves as a counselor in the ward High Priests group. Anna continues to keep us on our toes making sure she eats and sleeps at regular intervals.
Have a joyous Christmas Season!
The McClintocks
December 2009 - Mercier, Cesar & Kelly & Family
The Merciers have nothing much to report. We celebrated a quiet Thanksgiving with ourselves out here in NJ. I really missed having family around. Jilina was very sick the whole week, but she is better now. Jilina and I are coming out to Utah for Christmas break and we can't wait. I haven't seen anyone in 2 1/2 years (except my Dad and Craig last Christmas). If anyone is coming to Utah during that time we would love to see you! We hope you all enjoy the holidays!
Love,
The Merciers
Love,
The Merciers
December 2009 - Westover, Mel & Carol
Well, we have had beautiful weather here in Fresno, Ca. Of course, the month has gone by very fast, and no doubt December will go by just as fast. This month at school, we had parent/teacher conferences. It is always a very interesting process. You truly get better insight as to why the child is like he/she is. I gave out seven (7) retention notices. Hopefully some parents will wake up and start helping their children at home.
We have been practicing our songs for the Christmas program. I am grateful to Bryce Westover for recording our music for us (again for the third year). It sounds so much better than the tinny piano. The kids are sounding wonderful. We are singing, Little St. Nick, (Beach boys) and We Are the World (Michael Jackson). The kids really love those songs, and can really belt them out.
Mel and I are still doing ACN. We will be going to Anaheim, Ca. on Dec. 4 for the international. Mel is still remodeling/building houses, but is slowing down. We are so grateful for all of the blessings that are ours, especially our family.
I am sure that Adam will write and let you know that they are inducing the baby on Dec. 18. (grandchild #37). They had their first Thanksgiving dinner in their new home, and kindly invited Mel and me. Erica is a great cook!!
Hope everyone is enjoying the holidays, Love to you all!!.
Carol and Mel
We have been practicing our songs for the Christmas program. I am grateful to Bryce Westover for recording our music for us (again for the third year). It sounds so much better than the tinny piano. The kids are sounding wonderful. We are singing, Little St. Nick, (Beach boys) and We Are the World (Michael Jackson). The kids really love those songs, and can really belt them out.
Mel and I are still doing ACN. We will be going to Anaheim, Ca. on Dec. 4 for the international. Mel is still remodeling/building houses, but is slowing down. We are so grateful for all of the blessings that are ours, especially our family.
I am sure that Adam will write and let you know that they are inducing the baby on Dec. 18. (grandchild #37). They had their first Thanksgiving dinner in their new home, and kindly invited Mel and me. Erica is a great cook!!
Hope everyone is enjoying the holidays, Love to you all!!.
Carol and Mel
December 2009 - Wilcox, Todd & Tracy & Family
Hello Family,
The Wilcox family greets everyone with a "Happy Holiday's"! We spent this Thanksgiving with the Wilcox side of the family. It was a lot of fun! The kids love to play with their cousins till the early hours of the morning. The kids were able to cut down their own Christmas trees (little ones) for their own bedrooms. They are excited to decorate them, since my white light Christmas tree is too boring for Alexis.
This month my dad moved out of our basement and into his own house. I am sure he misses the chaos of my house! But it is just in time for me to prepare the basement for my sister's visit this coming month. We cannot wait to see them and spend part of the Christmas holiday with them!
Hope all is well!
Love,
The Wilcox Family
The Wilcox family greets everyone with a "Happy Holiday's"! We spent this Thanksgiving with the Wilcox side of the family. It was a lot of fun! The kids love to play with their cousins till the early hours of the morning. The kids were able to cut down their own Christmas trees (little ones) for their own bedrooms. They are excited to decorate them, since my white light Christmas tree is too boring for Alexis.
This month my dad moved out of our basement and into his own house. I am sure he misses the chaos of my house! But it is just in time for me to prepare the basement for my sister's visit this coming month. We cannot wait to see them and spend part of the Christmas holiday with them!
Hope all is well!
Love,
The Wilcox Family
December 2009 - Woodward, Kevin & Tammy & Family
During this past Thanksgiving season, like each of you, there were many things for which we have felt great feelings of gratitude. If one only begins to consider the myriad of blessings we enjoy, it is easy to see how the list grows exponentially in short order.
In my 35+ years of driving, I’m grateful for the fact that I haven't been issued a ticket for a traffic violation. I was pulled over at the tender age of 16 on Highway 160 while driving Grandpa and Grandma Woodward's 1973 Cutlass Supreme with a 455 4-barrel carburetor engine and given a stern warning by Office Hamilton of the Sacramento County Sheriffs Department for my excessive speed (the exact speed, to this day, is deemed classified information). In 1980, I was pulled over for going 65 mph on Highway 99 when the speed limit was 55 mph on that long stretch of road. The California Highway Patrolman upon looking into the 1978 Ford Pinto that Tammy and I were driving, noticed the back seat filled with wedding presents. Upon hearing that we were recently married and were enroute to attend more wedding festivities in Sacramento, the patrolman took pity upon me and issued a warning as a token of goodwill in celebration of our marriage. And on three separate occasions, on Highway 6 near Green River, Utah, on Interstate 25 in Castlerock, Colorado, and just a mile south of our home on Voyager Parkway, respectively, I was pulled over and given warnings for faulty front or rear lighting on the vehicle. But none of these caused an element of embarrassment quite like I experienced this past month.
While driving to work, just 2.5 miles south of our home, I noticed some construction ahead in the lane in which I was driving. A string of cars were to my right and behind me, making it difficult for me to move out of my lane which was blocked off a short distance in front of me. Now perhaps due to some impatience on my part, I elected to move quickly ahead of the car to my right where there was room to move out of my lane. Unbeknownst to me, at that very moment of acceleration, there was a Colorado Springs Police Officer surveying the situation. I no sooner got well ahead of the car to my right, and got out of my lane which was coming to an abrupt end, when I heard a siren behind me. I checked my rearview mirror to see lights flashing from a motorcycle. I pulled well off the road to the right and came to a stop. I pulled my license from my wallet, and took the registration and proof of insurance out of the console. I rolled down my window and placed my hands on the steering wheel in plain sight as I was taught by Brother Al Parker (former California Highway Patrol Officer) when I was a teenager. (Adam might have a more current procedure that he can share with the group.) The officer approached the window and took a good look at me. He had on a helmet and sunglasses. My first words to him were, “Officer, you’re probably going to cite me for going a little fast back there.” His initial response to me was, “Not today, you’re my stake president.” At that very moment, I realized that the officer behind the sunglasses was Brother Betts of the Monument Ward bishopric. His further response was, “President, just watch that speed now. Boy am I going to have a good story for the bishop.” In a flash he was back on his motorcycle, and off on his way. I have since had the chance to meet up with Brother Betts at a church function and tell him that it is good to see him in more favorable circumstances.
I recognize that committing this account to print will quite possibly bring this long streak of traffic warnings to an end. But for as long as it lasts, I will continue to be grateful.
We are all doing well and are looking forward to Christmas.
Much love,
The Woodwards
In my 35+ years of driving, I’m grateful for the fact that I haven't been issued a ticket for a traffic violation. I was pulled over at the tender age of 16 on Highway 160 while driving Grandpa and Grandma Woodward's 1973 Cutlass Supreme with a 455 4-barrel carburetor engine and given a stern warning by Office Hamilton of the Sacramento County Sheriffs Department for my excessive speed (the exact speed, to this day, is deemed classified information). In 1980, I was pulled over for going 65 mph on Highway 99 when the speed limit was 55 mph on that long stretch of road. The California Highway Patrolman upon looking into the 1978 Ford Pinto that Tammy and I were driving, noticed the back seat filled with wedding presents. Upon hearing that we were recently married and were enroute to attend more wedding festivities in Sacramento, the patrolman took pity upon me and issued a warning as a token of goodwill in celebration of our marriage. And on three separate occasions, on Highway 6 near Green River, Utah, on Interstate 25 in Castlerock, Colorado, and just a mile south of our home on Voyager Parkway, respectively, I was pulled over and given warnings for faulty front or rear lighting on the vehicle. But none of these caused an element of embarrassment quite like I experienced this past month.
While driving to work, just 2.5 miles south of our home, I noticed some construction ahead in the lane in which I was driving. A string of cars were to my right and behind me, making it difficult for me to move out of my lane which was blocked off a short distance in front of me. Now perhaps due to some impatience on my part, I elected to move quickly ahead of the car to my right where there was room to move out of my lane. Unbeknownst to me, at that very moment of acceleration, there was a Colorado Springs Police Officer surveying the situation. I no sooner got well ahead of the car to my right, and got out of my lane which was coming to an abrupt end, when I heard a siren behind me. I checked my rearview mirror to see lights flashing from a motorcycle. I pulled well off the road to the right and came to a stop. I pulled my license from my wallet, and took the registration and proof of insurance out of the console. I rolled down my window and placed my hands on the steering wheel in plain sight as I was taught by Brother Al Parker (former California Highway Patrol Officer) when I was a teenager. (Adam might have a more current procedure that he can share with the group.) The officer approached the window and took a good look at me. He had on a helmet and sunglasses. My first words to him were, “Officer, you’re probably going to cite me for going a little fast back there.” His initial response to me was, “Not today, you’re my stake president.” At that very moment, I realized that the officer behind the sunglasses was Brother Betts of the Monument Ward bishopric. His further response was, “President, just watch that speed now. Boy am I going to have a good story for the bishop.” In a flash he was back on his motorcycle, and off on his way. I have since had the chance to meet up with Brother Betts at a church function and tell him that it is good to see him in more favorable circumstances.
I recognize that committing this account to print will quite possibly bring this long streak of traffic warnings to an end. But for as long as it lasts, I will continue to be grateful.
We are all doing well and are looking forward to Christmas.
Much love,
The Woodwards
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