Now that we have your attention...
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from Texas!Thank you for accepting our newsy letter by blog... the money we will save on printing, paper and postage is being donated to Heifer International (
www.Heifer.org).
Life with the Drake Family has not drastically changed. We are living in another warm climate. It is another 80 degrees as I sit and write this! It was near freezing Thanksgiving weekend. I just don’t think I will ever appreciate Texas weather.
We've had a busy year due to another move. California is a wonderful state and we explored more hidden corners on our way out of state. We visited King’s Canyon and Sequoia National Parks and Joshua Tree National Monument. The rest was a blur (except for a near speeding ticket soon after crossing the Texas border) as Scott’s new boss wanted him quick. The Air Force never changes.
The leave Scott did not get this summer we managed to take this fall. We went to visit friends in Germany and had the most marvelous three weeks. Visiting Germany is like visiting home. So many friends welcomed us with open arms and we had a marvelous time. Come over and see the photos!
So... here’s the quick and dirty update.
Scott is working for the Air Force Personel Center at Randolph AFB. I have no idea what his job title is but I do know that he has ten people working for him who place all of the Logistics Officers in their jobs. When they’re busy, they’re very busy. When it’s slow, they’re busy. He’s enjoying himself very much. And he’s keeping his eyes open for that next job :) Scott's also become Ryan's math instructor this year. The pair of them make a great team and it's nice for mom to be a parent instead of a teacher for one subject!
I am taking time for art classes and just completed a semester of basic drawing. I am amazed how a few lessons can make a huge difference. Also, drawing isn’t about lines. It’s about shade. Who knew? I've also learning how to play Mah Jong (big thumbs up) and how to organize a Local Foods group. The latter is a new concept here – how to buy and eat local food and share it with others. I've had to learn where the food is! The Drake Men have had to learn to appreciate local cows’ and goats’ milk as well as local meats, including lamb and bison, as well as fruits, veggies, and pecans. Texas has a lot to offer!
Ryan is no longer a boy but a young man. He turned 12 in September. He loves martial arts and is looking forward to playing Soccer again this spring. Math is his favorite subject and he hopes to become an engineer or an inventor of some kind. Currently, he’s working on a National History Day project about children on the homefront during WWII. He now has his own email address:
ryan.ernest@gmail.com. He would love to hear from you!
Connor is still our fun loving, adventure seeking boy. And he is all boy (see picture on front page). He just earned his blue belt in Kuk Sool Won and loves the challenge of learning new forms. He doesn’t have a favorite subject but you can’t keep him away from books. He is always reading something new and something old, sometimes at the same time. He discovered Calvin and Hobbes a little over a year ago and I think he’s become an expert. He has started designing his own comics and wants to learn how to make games for the computer. I never know when he walks down the stairs if he’ll be dressed to slay dragons or to play four square. He makes our lives exciting! You can find Connor’s recommendations about computer games at his blog,
http://gaming-by-connor.blogspot.com/For those who would like to keep in touch by email, Angie’s has stayed the same:
angiedrake@hotmail.com. Scott’s is
ff94533@hotmail.com. If you would like our snail-mail address, please send me an email. I'd rather not post it on the internet for all to see! Please let us know how you are doing. It’s hard to keep in touch with AF friends and family but we are always happy to hear a voice from the past!
Our love goes out to all of you!
Angie, Scott, Ryan and Connor
