Michele Randall:  

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! 2008 As I sit among wrapping paper, tape, packages, and bows, I realize that Christmas is just around the corner and I really need to get our cards out in the mail¿so here is my quick attempt to catch everyone up on our lives of the past year. We are all doing very well, with the typical house full of growing children: Kylah (my niece) is 19; Jared, Holly-Anne and Derek are 10 and lastly Ava and Colin who will soon turn seven in January. They are all growing into their own personalities, their own friends, and their own likes and dislikes. Each one of them is wonderful in their own special way, and they make me very proud. We also have our two cats, Magic and Star and two fish (from the original eight :-)). Kylah had a big event this year...she got her drivers license! I do not see her nearly as much as I used to, now it's "can I borrow the car?" She started working at the YMCA, they really like her and are constantly calling to see if she can work more hours. Kylah also starts college in January and Aunt Michele has started paying tuition on a ¿long¿ payment plan! She has been dating someone special for almost a year, and has met some great girlfriends too, so although she is growing up she still has sleepovers and long conversations on the phone. If I need anything technical fixed, she is the one to do it, she is very smart and is a whiz at figuring things out (I do not even try anymore, I defer to her) quickly. Kylah spends a lot of time with her cousins and takes them to many fun places: the zoo, museums, parks, the pool and library to name a few. She is looking forward to an exciting year ahead! Jared of course has been very busy with sports. In the beginning of the year, his basketball team was first runner up in the Championship, and then his baseball team won the Championship, so it was a very exciting start. He then started swim team, his 5th year, excelling in breast stroke again but picking up the butterfly stroke and individual medley-which are very hard but just the challenge he wants. While still dripping, he strapped on his football helmet and started his 3rd year in tackle football. Jared did very well as Captain of the team, the Center and a linebacker; he played every game, the entire game. He executed some amazing plays, which had fans and parents screaming his name, which was a new and exhilarating feeling! After getting his front chipped tooth fixed for the fourth time, we entered into basketball season again where he continues to show his leadership skills. Jared loves to play video games; he excels in school and also took drum and viola lessons. He looks after his siblings as if he is the oldest and truly has the sweetest heart under that tough exterior. As his football coach said while presenting Jared with the All-Around MVP award, ¿he always has a smile on his face!¿ Holly-Anne, I can ¿really¿ say she has changed...boy has she gotten tall! She was always tall for her age (the tallest in her class), but she has shot up, wears my shoes now and her legs and arms seem to go on forever. Holly is beautiful, she finally cut her waist length hair as she now wanted layers ¿all her friends do¿¿¿come on Mom pleeeaasssee!¿ She too has been very busy with her sports, softball in the spring, which they ended as one of the playoff teams (they do not have a championship game), then right into swim team, her 5th year as well, and she dominated in the breast stroke. And while she was still very, very dark from her days of swimming, she transitioned into her 3rd year of cheerleading. Holly-Anne is a voracious reader, to the point where her teachers have had to ask her to ¿stop¿ reading at times! She is a very good student, also artistic, involved in Girl Scouts for the 4th year, and is up to date on all the tween stars, style and music. She has many sleepovers and seems to be a social butterfly in a whirl. Whereas last winter Holly-Anne played volleyball, this season we all felt ¿she must play basketball¿, it would be a shame not to with her beautiful height and she is good! Her best friend Kristina also plays on the team with her Dad as the teams Assistant Coach, so it should be a very fun season! Derek is just such a pleasure, a gorgeous smile to light up any room; he is a favorite of his teacher, friends and friend¿s parents! He makes an effort to always do the right thing, is very easy going, and a pleaser. Derek is very creative, enthusiastic and a bit of a daydreamer. However, even with the daydreaming he is getting very high grades and took on guitar this year. His artwork draws the attention of everyone, and his school framed one of his works from this year. He is a very confident child and seems to have more friends then I can count, he was the Mascot of our football team this year and I had to tell the cheerleaders to leave him alone as they were...Expand for more