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Only a little late; with a nod to the traditional American Christmas newsletter. I didn’t realize I had had such a busy year!

Happy Holidays!
After a late start, it is definitely wintertime in northeastern Nevada. The fall was great, weatherwise, (this coming from someone who no longer has to worry about winter snow packs for spring irrigation). Lately, however, several snow and wind-laden storms and many nights of sub zero temperatures have brought winter in close and personal.
This has been a year full of changes for our family. A year ago John and I were able to bring in the New Year in Japan with Bob and Tomoko, getting to know our then 8-month old grandson, Lincoln. Now, I know many of you think your kids/grandkids are pretty great, but I have to tell you, from a totally impartial viewpoint that Linc is actually quite perfect. His little cheeks did get a bit chapped, however, because ‘Grandma’ kept kissing the ‘sugar’ off of them! We had a great time doing some local sightseeing and trying new foods.

In May, John, Jim, my sister Debi and I were off to Nashville. We saw the Country Music Hall of Fame, The Parthenon (yes, it IS in Nashville) and The Hermitage, Andrew Jackson’s historic home.  Oh, one more thing: we watched Johnny graduate from Vanderbilt University School of Law! What an accomplishment. Johnny is now back in Boise, clerking for an Idaho Supreme Court Justice for a couple of years. He took the Idaho Bar Exam in July, but had to wait until October to find out the results. As everyone who knew him predicted, he passed the Bar and was soon sworn in as one of Idaho’s newest attorneys in a ceremony Johnny likened to a ‘big high school graduation.”

In last year’s newsletter, you may remember Jim was newly engaged to Jessica Kasper, the tall, beautiful blond he had met while attending college at University of Idaho in Moscow. In May, Jessica graduated from U of I with a degree in accounting/dairy science. On July 18th Jim and Jessica were married in her family church in Boise, followed by a lovely reception at River Rock Ranch in Star, Idaho. The bride and bridesmaids were lovely, the groom and groomsmen dashing. The food at the reception was outstanding: fruit, unusual breads, myriad salads, prime rib and the best salmon I have ever tasted. In keeping with her Dutch heritage, Jessica had a chocolate (even chocolate iced, ) wedding cake topped with a cute, chubby Dutch couple. Another Dutch wedding custom? Bells at every table which, when jingled, required the happy couple to kiss. A nearby table of young sister/cousins made sure that happened often! The only blot on the day was when Linc got stung by a wasp when he stuck his finger into an old wagon wheel spoke at the picuresque, but rustic River Rock, but the ranch manager who was patrolling the party scene produced some baking soda which helped ease the pain, and soon all was right again, as long as ‘Daddy’ didn’t get too far away!

Linc, Bob, Tomoko, John, Kathy, Jessica, Jim, Johnny, Heather, Heath

LOTS of family.

Peter, Jenell, Tom, Jessica, Jim, Johanna, Joanne, Josina, Eric

We had a great week leading up to the wedding. Dave (Kathy’s brother) and Jane from Placerville, CA and Debi (Kathy’s sister) and John Ryder from Emmett, ID were SO much help (and a lot of fun.) One highlight of the week was a visit to Jessica’s home in Melba, ID. Jessica has a large, close-knit family and together they manage a huge dairy/farm in a very picturesque setting. We had a great time and a delicious lunch. 

Kasper Family home in Melba, ID

Many of us got together at Nicki and Chad’s house in Boise for a wonderful Dutch oven breakfast the next morning. Those kids are doing some amazing things with their yard! Later on, as many of us lingered, eating, visiting and watching Johnny, Sara and Tomoko go head to head in a Dr. Mario tournament, the young newlyweds put in an appearance.
After a brief honeymoon in Jamaica, Jim and Jessica returned to southeast Idaho for a month so Jim could finish up a summer Internship at the INL. Then it was back to a tiny apartment in Salt Lake City so Jim could complete his final year of graduate school at the University of Utah in the field of Environmental Health. Jessica will be working for Liberty Tax this tax season, then studying to take the CPA exam.

We were very happy that Bob, Tomoko and Linc could make it out for the wedding. They planned for a pre-wedding vacation in Oregon, so John, Heather and I met them in Portland for a few days.  I was able to spend part of my birthday on a beach in Newport! Linc, though utterly adorable had turned into a Mamma and Daddy’s boy. But from the safety of his Daddy’s arms, I was able to play with him, kiss him and elicit occasional smiles or laughs.

Heather had some exciting news for us a few months later. Her longtime boyfriend Heath had proposed while they were out hiking, and she now has the ring to prove it! It seems we will be having another July wedding in 2010. Plans are sketchy at this point, but Heather assures me that one of her New Year’s Resolutions (along with the ubiquitous diet and exercise) is to ‘Plan the wedding!’ The kids are still in Pocatello, Heath employed by the US Postal Service, and Heather still working at Sizzlers. 

John is still working for Nevada Dept of Transportation, or ‘NDOT’ as we like to call it. Nevada, as are many states, is in a budget crisis, so all state employees are required to take an unpaid ‘furlough’ day once a month, as well as all wage increases being frozen for the next two years. I guess at the same time we are fortunate to be employed.
Kathy finished up some prerequisite courses at Great Basin College in Elko and, along with 21 other students, was accepted to the nursing program in June. It was a challenge, but with the successful completion of Fundamentals of Nursing and Nursing Pharmacology, I now have one semester under my belt. We spent a little time at the local nursing home, a little time at the local hospital and a LOT of time with our noses buried in books! I’m currently enjoying a month’s break in-between semesters. If I can stick with it and can pass the NCLEX exam, by summer 2011 I will be a registered nurse. I am also still working part time at the local minimum-security men’s prison, or ‘Conservation Camp,’ running an inmate canteen. At first it looked as if I would have to give up my job to go to nursing school. I submitted my resignation, but was allowed to work 2-3 times a week as my schedule allowed until my replacement could be hired. As the hiring process dragged on, my semester became less crazy and I was able to put in more regular hours at work. I put in a final plea to keep the job and after some deliberation my boss agreed for the time being. The income is much needed and I enjoy the job. Like John, I have to take an unpaid furlough day once a month. I also continue to work for Weight Watchers in Elko several times a month.
In August, much of the McDonald clan made the journey to Sawmill Canyon for our first (hopefully!) annual family reunion. It was orchestrated by Bill & Patty and Chuck & Joy McDonald. It was quite the conglomeration of campers, tents, camp chairs with lots of dogs and even some horses. Capable Patty planned and implemented meals from a large canvas cook tent. We hiked, rode horses and did lots of eating, drinking and laughing.

Chad, Nicki, (Rowdy), Johnny, Heather, (Murphy), Jessica, Jim, Sara

When we got back to ‘civilization’ (ie cell phone service) we were shocked to learn that during that same weekend, Kathy (John’s sister) & Kay Lear had lost their home in Currie, NV in a kitchen-started house fire. They lost pretty much everything, but a month ago were finally able to move into a newly acquired manufactured home. I haven’t seen it yet, but from all accounts, it is very nice.  They got a lot of much-needed support from family, friends and the local community.
Kathy had spent much of the summer rising at the ungodly hour of 5 AM to go walking with friends. The culmination of this effort was the Walk to the Angel, a 30 + mile walk, run or bike from the city of Wells, NV to Angel Lake, with a nearly 3000 foot vertical rise. Kathy, Tonya and Rachel did this together; it took us 5 hours and we were the last to cross the finish line, but we had quite a sense of accomplishment and hope to do even better next year.
Labor Day weekend, John and I took a small camping trip with Jim and Jessica to Lehman Caves at Great Basin National Forest.  We roasted hot dogs and marshmallows. The only blot was John getting stung by wasps when he went to collect firewood. He had probably been planning this since Linc got so much attention back in July! I think it backfired a little; John got attention all right, but not much of it was sympathy! Lehman Caves are unique and amazing and well worth the out of the way drive. Several weeks later, Jim, Jessica and John went for a week-long hunting/camping trip. John had a deer tag, but didn’t see one that week that was worthy of being shot. It sounded like they all had a good time, though Jessica said she was glad to see a shower again.


Lehman Cave

Thanksgiving found most of the McDonald family congregating in Swan Valley, ID at Mike and Chenoa’s newly built home. Chenoa is our niece, daughter of John’s sister, Pat. Mike and Chenoa, just a couple of months earlier, had finally been able to bring home their adopted children from Haiti. It has been more than a 2-year proess. In the meantime, Chenoa had given birth to the adorable Rowan, who turned 2 in December. Siblings Chrisnaider (called Snaider, pronounced ‘Snyder’), 8 years old and Djoulisa (called Djouli, pronounced ‘Julie’ with a hard ‘J’), 5 years old, were cute personable and seemed to be adjusting well. Billie and Brandi (Billie is Pat’s son), both attorneys in Cheyenne, Wyoming, brought with them Anna, an exchange student from Sweden. Anna was vicious at German Rummy!  Also on Thanksgiving, the annual cousins (and me!) football game took place.  This year saw QB Billie, Jim and Anna against QB Johnny, Mike, Chad and me. I do some running around the field, but my most important job is to pose in the after game photo holding the football.

Mike, Johnny, BIllie, Jim, Kathy, Jessica, Anna, Chad

Snaider, Billie, Brandi, Johnny, Bill, Anna, Nicki, Chad, Sara, Patty, Pat, Djouli, John, Chenoa, Mike, Rowan, Jim, Kathy, Jessica

Djouli and Snaider give Rowdy some well deserved petting

Johnny was the only one of our kids who made it home for Christmas this year, but he always makes any occasion a lot more fun. Pat came over for Christmas dinner, so we had four for an afternoon Pinochle game!  We will see Jim and Jessica for a few days this week, and hope to get together with Heather and Heath soon. For Bob, Tomoko and Linc, we will have to make do with Skype video chats for the time being. I am enjoying my semester break, but am getting ready to gear up for the next round of classes. I have a few evolving health problems, but nothing I can’t handle. I am fortunate that I have been given so many blessings and opportunities in life.
So, on that note, I wish each and every one of you a healthy, happy and fulfilling 2010, full of your own unique blessings and opportunites