Believe it or not, 2001 marks our 20th anniversary in Texas! To say this was an
eventful year would be, as usual, an understatement.
The most unexpected event was Danny’s decision to buy a car
and run away from home. He made it 600 miles before a police officer matched his
name to a runaway bulletin. Becky and Paul spent many anxious hours worrying and
trying to track him down. When the call came there was great relief, and we
drove to San Angelo to pick him up. Angela met us there for a family meeting.
After we got home, Danny decided to drop out of high school,
get his GED, and get on with life. He earned his GED and attended a semester of
aviation maintenance training. This caused him to decide that he wants to fly
planes instead of fix them. He’s now gainfully employed at a grocery store
while he decides how to pursue his new goal. Click here
for pictures of Danny.
We have two new members of the family – both kittens.
"Joey" was a gift from Angela’s roommate and lives with Angela in
Lubbock. Danny was given "Bubbles" for his 17th birthday.
Speaking of Angela, she’s midway through her third year at
Texas Tech University. She has only one more performance with the marching band
- at a bowl game to be determined. This Autumn, we traveled to see the "Goin’
Band From Raider Land" in Austin and Lubbock.
Angela will have her clarinet recital on February 17, 2002. This is the biggest
event in her academic life! You are invited to attend, and it should be well
worth the trip to Lubbock! She’s cautiously looking forward to her senior year
and is debating whether to hit the job market right away or go on to earn a
Master’s degree. Click here for more pictures of
Angela.
As usual we did quite a bit of traveling this year, and for
the first time since 1981, Becky and Paul began taking "childless
trips." It’s nice not to have the back seat arguments, but we certainly
miss the various games and family conversation that have been a part of our road
trips these past 20 years.
Becky and Paul took trips to Denton (Near Dallas) to see the
Texas Tech Orchestra perform. We also visited Paul’s Uncle Wendell and Aunt
Lorene and their son Bob Van House in Oklahoma City. It’s the first time we
had met Bob, and he even let us stay at his home for the weekend. In October we
drove to Corpus Christi for our 23rd wedding anniversary. We stayed at a hotel
right on the beach. Another trip took us to Schulenberg, Texas where we toured
several ornate century-old churches known as "The Painted
Churches." Check out an index to pictures of
our trips by clicking here.
Our family vacation this year took us to Ohio. It’s
possible this was the last trip all four of us will take together. We spent part
of the week at Paul’s parents and the rest with Becky’s mother. We also took
a quick trip through Springfield to visit Becky’s Friend Leisha Young then on
to Marion to visit our friend Lisa Powell. Paul and Becky spent an evening
catching up with Paul’s friend Chuck Hamlin and his family. We saw many
members of Becky’s family and were treated to a barbeque and overnight stay at
her sister Sandy’s house near Lexington, Kentucky.
Paul and Angela took a side trip to Cedar Point where they
rode 11 roller coasters including the "Millennium Force," which has a
300-foot drop and travels at speeds of up to 92 miles an hour. They also toured
the birthplace of Thomas Edison, the tomb of President James A. Garfield, and
spent an evening at "Jacobs Field" to see the Indians beat the
Reds. Click here for more Summer
2001 pictures.
In June, Becky’s sister Sandy, her husband Jake and
daughter Katelyn, along with Becky’s mother paid us a visit. Jake was here to
attend a military reunion.
To wrap up our year Danny, Paul, and Becky played with our church handbell choir
in the "Washington Mutual Thanksgiving Day Parade." This is the parade
that Paul and Danny have missed only once since 1986 – but it’s the first
time we’ve been IN the parade! After the parade we rushed to Lubbock where
Angela put us up for the remainder of the Thanksgiving weekend.
It’s also worth noting that Paul’s sister Linda, who
lives in Hong Kong with her husband and son, was diagnosed with breast cancer
early in the year. After several months of chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation
treatments, the doctors are confident they eradicated all the cancer!
In spite of turmoil and change everything is going well for
us. We’re looking forward to 2002 and hope the new year brings you good luck!
