Another year has passed - more quickly than the last! We've been through many changes, which gives us the vague feeling that we're about to enter a new stage of life.

Our family went through 3 surgeries early this year. Terry and Tim both had all four of their wisdom teeth out in the spring and Jocelyn, after many years fighting off constant bouts of tonsillitis, finally had her tonsils removed. We're waiting to see this winter if this has a positive effect on her health. Tim went through a major change in his life. After 20 years with Bechtel, he was laid off ironically within days of receiving his 20-year service award with the company. He has since been working with another environmental consulting firm, Environmental Science Associates (ESA), also based in San Francisco. In an effort to improve himself and his skills (including beer making), he has been taking various classes at the local community college and to his satisfaction has maintained a high GPA (it had to happen sometime).

Terry moved out of the house in July to an apartment in Santa Rosa about 15 miles from here, near his campus. While this was long-awaited by the whole family, we still miss him! He stops by our house sometimes after a long day working at a local deli to use the computer or take a shower, to remind us we're still needed. This is crunch time; besides completing finals (which he aced) it's application season for the UC schools. He's still following his dream of going into genetics, whether he transfers this year or next. In his rare free moments and when his buddies are home from schools elsewhere, he still likes to backpack or hike. He and Jaime, his girlfriend, are still going strong after 4 years together.

This summer we attended a reunion of the babysitting co-op we belonged to in Novato (CA). It was fascinating to see what plans these young adults have and watch them in some cases try to reacquaint themselves with each other, (probably for their parents' benefit), while others have remained life-long friends.

Jocelyn finished high school this June, by taking a proficiency exam. With that behind her, she found a job as a magazine telemarketer. We cringed, but within 3 long weeks, she realized how much better her life would be if she wasn't selling magazines to crazy people all day. After a week as head counselor in her final year at our local Girl Scout camp, she had another assignment - as one of the main support people for her best friend's pregnancy and as a second labor coach. The baby, Celeste Marlaina, was born September 12, and Jocelyn was there with Mom and Dad the whole birth. She also is working part-time at a local ice cream shop and has registered in the local community college for the spring semester. Another big event for Jocelyn, after 51/2 years, was having her braces removed! Then, after her 18th birthday, she decided to put some metal back in her mouth by piercing her tongue. She is currently saving her money for a trip to Alaska next summer.

Amanda is not the baby any more! She's a high school freshman this year, and is determined to maintain her GPA. Her electives this year are choir -she's always been a singer - and French, which will qualify her to participate in the school's bi-annual trip to Aix-en-Provence after her junior year. We were also reminded the other day that we signed up to host a French student this April. (We did??) Her dreams are to be a fighter pilot and then go into the space program. After a week in Washington, D.C. in June, she, too, was a counselor at Girl Scout Day camp this summer, and after that week was over, we were wondering what else she was going to do. Just then, she joined a local Sea Explorer ship named the "Compass Rose". Sea Explorers are a co-ed branch of Boy Scouts for teens and cruise - a lot. So, after a couple of meetings and work days readying their converted 65 foot diesel-powered torpedo retriever, their crew of approximately 25 left for a ten day cruise up San Francisco Bay, through the Sacramento River delta, as far as Old Sacramento. Amanda loved it, and after coming home smelling of diesel and looking a little moldy, she had a new group of friends. We have found that the group is very involved with community events and in its free time gets together for movie and pizza parties.

Tim and Sharon had planned to do something special to celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary this year, but with an impending job layoff, we really couldn't consider a cruise or a trip to Hawaii. Two days at a lodge near our favorite cross-country ski resort was the extent of our celebration, but it felt like a vacation. Our other big vacation was a 3-day camping trip to Yosemite at the end of the summer. Jocelyn, Amanda and her friend Meredith all gave a go on the climb "Monday Morning Slab", a popular beginner's climb under Glacier Point.

Sharon's parents celebrated 60 years of marriage this year, and are still traveling around with their RV group. Tim's parents are very active, also. They, along with our whole family, Terry's girlfriend and Tim's sister just returned from an overnight trip to the Grass Valley/Nevada City area in the Sierra foothills. It was settled by Cornish miners, among other groups, during the Gold Rush, and Tim's great-grandfather, John Christoe, was one of them. It was a nice family outing and one of the rare times we see all three of our kids together these days.

Sharon is still working in the Mobile Clinic, and awaits the adventures of each new day! It really is a crazy place to work, but satisfying, too, as we provide health care to families who otherwise would have nothing. Sharon is also still playing clarinet in two bands and helping with the kids' activities as much as possible. After all these years, Tim and Sharon sometimes find themselves (gasp) alone without children! So what do they do? Visit Terry at Franzi's Deli and then Jocelyn at Clo's Ice Creamery. Yes, we're hopeless, but may eventually get used to this post-child status.

Leafing through pictures, cards, and letters from previous years, we realize how many memories we have from friends around the country and around the world! Keep your cards, letters and e-mail coming - we love them! We still long to travel, and hope that in the future we can see some of you again, and that you will let us know if you come our way.

Merry Christmas and Best Wishes from all of us!
The Morgan's