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Text Box: We hope that this wonderful and glorious season finds all of you in good health. Well, where do I begin. How about a year ago. Last Christmas season, we were in Cozumel, Q.Roo, Mexico—– PARADISE. We spent the holidays with our very dear friends and their families on the island. Thanks to Arthur, who didn’t want us to feel homesick (we didn’t) we even had a fully decorated Christmas tree waiting for us in the apartment that we stayed in on the island. Needless to say, being away from BJ produced a certain amount of consternation, but I guess that’s life. We did in fact manage to get to El Paso for Easter and BJ and Jim used our home as a flop house for the Byron Nelson golf tournament. In January, Arthur and I went to Las Vegas for DEMA (Dive Equipment & Marketing Association) so that I could personally receive an award from NAUI (National Association of Underwater Instructors). It was the outstanding contribution to diving award. It’s the highest award that NAUI gives its members. Continuing the saga of the year’s happenings. Over Tres’ spring break from school, the three of us went to an island in Honduras called Roatan. We stayed at a place called Coco View. A week of diving in the deep Caribbean. Talk about a 3rd world county . . . 5th world would be more like it. Upon our return, Tres started with baseball. He’s quite a little hitter and fielder. His team unfortunately didn’t do too well. Anyway, before the season was quite over, but quite soon enough, he was off to sleep away camp for what was supposed to be a month… 3 weeks of camp and one week of what they call “home run” where the kids get to travel and play golf and “other fun things.” During this period, we were in Cozumel for our annual 2 week trek to reacquaint ourselves. The last day we were there (Tres still had a week of camp left), we received a call from BJ saying that Tres was sick and that he needed to come home. I was beside myself. Thank god my sister Heidi is living in Dallas. She drove down to Marble Falls, Texas and picked him up and stayed with him until we got to Dallas at 12:30 in the morning. Talk about a long flight. Next summer Tres will be with Momo and Papa (BJ and Jim) as I turn 40. Arthur is taking me to the South Pacific (Fiji) to romp topless (what a sight) with the natives. Oh, how I wish Gauguin was there. Well, with the summer over, Tres started 7th grade—Junior high. Where does the time go. This coming June he will be confirmed. Talk about growing up. This year in addition to baseball, he played football and golf too. I really didn’t care for football and right now I’m delighted because he says he doesn’t want to play it again next year. He is also a real little musician. He plays the piano and is in the percussion section of his school band. He even got a “trap set” for his birthday last summer. Of course, it is in a backroom and practice is permitted only during reasonable hours. On top of all of this, he is quite the little scuba diver and underwater photographer. He has won quite a few 2nd and 3rd places at our local underwater photography society meeting. I am working on a “Mock Columbine” project with Tres’ school. My dad (Tom Rood) participated in a similar project in Canutillo, Texas and from all accounts it was very successful. Well it looks like I’m out of room, so “We hope that you have a very wonderful holiday season.

Text Box: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests. Luke 2:14