Happy Holidays!

As 2017 draws to a close, Kathy and I are pleased to be able to look back on the year with fond memories. We started the year with a trip to Orlando for a veterinary conference. Meeting our good friends there, we took an extra week and explored Amelia Island, enjoying the relaxation and good food it had to offer.

The family gathering was held in Ohio this year, a destination we had considered unusual, until we saw what the area around Hocking Hills State Park had to offer. We spent a week exploring the trails, waterfalls and unusual rock formations and enjoying family.

The weather cooperated with us this summer to give plenty of beautiful weekends out on the water aboard Lotus. We managed to get Mom and Dad out on the water for a nice sail while they were visiting.

For our Fall vacation, we headed north to Charlevoix, MI with our trailer to camp and kayak the Lake Michigan shoreline. From there we spent a few days on Drummond Island before heading back to one of our favorite sites, Leelanau State Park by Northport.

The annual Father-Son hiking trip went well, and Craig, Dad and I racked up a good 30 miles in the Smoky Mountains, enjoying a couple bear sightings along the way. Kathy kept Mom busy with exploring the shopping options.

Kathy recently cut her work schedule back to two days a week in an attempt to nurse more time out of her hands, which are suffering the ravages of years of repetitive motion in the dental world. I tried to work myself down by a day as well, but the departure of one of our veterinarians brought me right back up to my previous schedule. Perhaps we’ll have luck attracting a replacement in the new year.

Our families are doing well. Betty continues to maintain an active social life and keeps quite busy. Mom and Dad have had a good year and remained healthy, although the same cannot be said for their vehicles, which have been a bit of a source of consternation for them.

We’ll be spending Christmas this year with Kathy’s side of the family. Her niece, Thea, will be hosting the holiday gathering in Michigan.

We wish all our friends and family a wonderful Christmas season, and the very best of everything in the coming year.

Steve and Kathy