Seasons Greetings 2009

Another very warm and happy holiday greeting from the blog-o-sphere! As we did last year, this year we continue our tradition of being 'green' by digitally sharing our heartfelt wishes for the holidays.

Another year has yet again come and gone too quickly, and as I sip from my holiday Grande non-fat, no-whip, Peppermint Mocha (shaken, not stirred) I ponder where the time goes. 2009 will forever be remembered as the year of the F-word. No, not that F-word (please, this is a family letter!). I'm talking about THE F-word, the big one, the queen mother of all F-words: F-dash-dash-dash-dash-dash-dash-dash. That's right, I'm talking about...kids, close your eyes and ears...Facebook! Against our better judgment, Amy and I joined Facebook this year, and our lives haven't been the same since. Now that I think about it, do we really even need to do this holiday letter? I mean, seriously, thanks to Facebook, everyone (that is unless you unfriended us) knows about our every move, thought, and event that happened throughout the year. And thanks to Twitter...oh, wait, no one follows me on Twitter...never mind. Anyway, suffice it to say, Facebook has allowed us to stay connected with many great friends, new and old, as well as family, near and far. Call me a gambler, but I really think this internet thing is here to stay.

And now, on to the family updates...

Meredith, now 8, can't turn 18 soon enough (in her mind). She still aspires to be an Olympic gymnast and a veterinary doctor. To prepare for her future, she is doing individual gymnastics twice a week in the gym and 'team gymnastics' 3 times a week in the family room with the cats. It really is true that cats always land on their feet, amazingly enough! Meredith has also discovered Hannah Montana (a.k.a. Miley Cyrus) and Taylor Swift, and now I - I mean she - knows the words to all the songs by heart.

Nicholas, now 5, continues his obsession with scoreboards, team logos and knowing who wins and who loses. Nicholas enjoyed another season of tee ball this summer, and is ready for pitch ball next year. Although Nicholas has chosen soccer over hockey as his fall and winter sport, he regularly checks the 'highlights' on NHL.com of all the NHL games from the night before. I quickly learned that fighting makes the highlights, as Nicholas regularly 'drops his gloves' against me when we play knee-hockey in the basement (why am I always the one with the game misconduct and on the penalty kill?).

As for Amy and I, 2009 has been another year filled with fun, friends and family. I turned 40 in January and celebrated with the stomach flu. And while it was enough to have to cancel the great surprise party Amy planned for me, it wasn't enough to keep me from enjoying a pick-up game of hockey with a few of the Blue Jackets over the weekend. Yes, I am still playing hockey and, as a result, have met many wonderful doctors, nurse practitioners, physical therapists and hospital administrators. Is it a bad sign when you are greeted by the staff at the X-Ray/MRI facility like Norm from Cheers? Not to worry, I have friended them all on Facebook. Nicholas, Meredith and I went to the Junior League World Series in Taylor, MI, 27 years to the day after I played there 1982. In the fall, I saw U2 in Chicago, continuing my streak of only one missed tour since 1984. But the highlight of the year was my mom's move to Columbus in the summer. And after a trip reminiscent of some combination of "Trains, Planes and Automobiles", "Driving Miss Daisy" and "Little Miss Sunshine", Meredith and I successfully led Mom, Tasha and Marilyn into their new home without incident. I had forgotten how much a place can feel like home when mom is near!

With the kids in school and me out of school, Amy has rediscovered life beyond her Chief Domestic Officer role. She had a fun-filled weekend for her 20th High School reunion this summer, and, quite frankly, hasn't been the same since. If you recall, last year Amy was petitioning for a no-technology night - now she is petitioning for her own laptop and a new cell phone with a keyboard for easier text-messaging. I have already checked her phone for text messages from Tiger - all clear. Whew!! She passionately cheers on Courtney Cox in the ABC hit show "Cougar Town", and when I asked her what she wants for Christmas, she simply replied - with a straight face, I might add - that she wants a date with Blue Jacket's tough-guy Jerod Boll (which makes perfect sense given our striking resemblance). Amy is regularly volunteering at the school, working out, and continues to keep everything and everyone in line at home.

As always, we are extremely grateful for our many friends and family who bless our lives, and who continue to provide unconditional support as we endure our mid-life crises (did I say that out loud?). And, we look forward to sharing many more memorable times in 2010, both in person and on Facebook (what do you expect?)!

Back by popular demand (OK, I demanded it), we offer you for your listening and viewing pleasure the video below of U2 covering one of our favorite Christmas classics, "Father Christmas".

May the dream of Christmas be with you now and forever.

Chad, Amy, Meredith and Nicholas
(and Bella and Gretzky)