12.1.06
We have just returned from our Christmas trip to Italy and I have posted over 100 photos on Flickr. That should keep you busy!
Our first few days of the trip were spent skiing. Benjamin was by far our best skier, going much higher and farther than either Stacey or I would sensibly go. One day he came down off the mountain with a broken ski pole and complaining that his ribs hurt "a little" after a particularly bad tumble. Lilly went with him for the first two days of the week but then she wisely chose to hang with us for the last three days. The ski instructors were excellent - Simone, Stacey and I got higher and skied much better that I ever expected. You will have to ask Stacey about "Claudio" especially. They really liked the kids and we all learned fast.
After skiing for a few days, we drove to Venice which was, of course, beautiful. We had one really nice day there followed by three cloudy, cold, rainy days. I am glad we went - there were fewer tourists - but I could imagine that it probably would be better in spring/summer.
Best wishes and see you soon.
4.1.06
Daily we receive your Christmas cards and letters and with each one, I feel more and more guilty that we have not sent out any ourselves. Some cards are from family that we talk to often, but some are from far away family who send beautiful cards with handwritten notes like "it would be nice to hear from you soon so we can hear how you are doing in Nigeria."
Christmas cards are always a problem for us. Being in Nigeria requires that cards be mailed out early enough to make it through the company pouch mail. If we procrastinate and they are not out the door by Dec. 1 we tend throw up our hands and say 'Oh well, it's too late now!" and another year goes by.
The content is also an issue. In 2002, we succeeded to write a newsy family letter with photos, etc but that was really tough to get it done. The stress was unbearable for the lead writer (me) who worked hard to get the wording just right and include enough detail to make it interesting. 2003 saw a scaled-down version of the letter, and 2004 went by without any letter.
So, I guess maybe this website can act as our annual newsletter and with it we can wish you a Happy New Year. You can always wander through the archives or take a look at the photos on Flickr to get a good idea of how our 2005 went.
We hope 2006 goes well for us and you all, too.
