The Didn’t-Even-Make-It-Before-Epiphany 2015-2016 Letter

 

As has been usual the past few years, our Christmas letter has become the new year’s-looking-back letter. Join us in taking a look at the past year:

January

We spent the end of 2014 and the beginning of 2015 in Disney World in Florida. It was a great family time. We stayed on property in our camper and visited all the parks. Meeting Hiro and Baymax was a highlight.

February was Dance Mission Preview by Ballet Excelsior and the dance school. This is an annual fundraiser in which dancers levels 5 and up participate.  Aidan had an ecology project (Alaska tundra) and an insect project (termite) for biology class..

Tartan Alex turned 21 in March. There was Project Dance Houston and then in April, Project Dance New York.

May

Tartan and Naomi celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary a few months early on board the Oasis of the Seas. We had a wonderful time away from it all in the Caribbean.

Also- Kyrie graduated! And, she passed her level 8 exam for ballet.

 

June was the end of year Excelsior School of Dance performance called Awaken. Kyrie danced as a company apprentice with Ballet Excelsior.

And also Bug’s 10th birthday (double digits!). She had an outdoors\camping theme. Instead of cake, we had Dutch oven crumble and s’mores!                                                                               

July was a trip to see Grandpa at the same time my sister was visiting on July 4th weekend.(Tartan’s birthday!)

August and September were birthday months. Kyrie turned 18 and Aidan, 16! Naomi became a year older as well.

October saw another visit to Grandpa & Grandma’s. Abigail celebrated her 14th birthday at the end of the month.

In November, there was Thanksgiving and our annual visit to Renaissance Festival the day after. We added something new this year- we went out Thursday evening and stayed in the RenFest campground in the camper trailer until Saturday morning. Tartan spent two weeks in Phoenix at a training class. Aidan joined an Order of the Arrow ceremony team this year, and Tartan finally got a picture of him as Meteu, the medicine man. Abigail performed at the Bay Area Christmas Market with BET (Ballet Excelsior Trainees).

(do you see the owl?)

Finally we reach December. We spent two weeks on the road to and from California.

We visited friends about to move away and just spent time hanging out, watching Star Wars: The Force Awakens and visiting the Mouse. Kyrie got emotional spending time in the place her hero, Walt Disney, actually spent a great deal of time. On the way home we visited the Grand Canyon, so now we can all say we’ve seen it!

(Christmas eve pajamas)

 

That brings us to a new year and new adventures. Tartan Alex will be graduating from college, Kyrie will be taking college classes at Lone Star, and Kyrie and Abigail plan to go to Poland, Austria and the Czech Republic on a mission trip with Ballet Excelsior in the summer. Aidan continues on his Scouting adventures and hopefully will make progress towards Eagle and a black belt in taekwondo. Naomi hopes to have better success with her garden and Kayleigh will be a sixth grader next fall and will move up to youth group at church.

Wishing you all much joy and happiness in 2016! God bless!

The Colliers