Holiday Family Letter 2024

    Well, I got to read a holiday letter from our neighbors next door this evening; it inspired me to write my own! It promised low expectations: I promise no such thing! I got some high expectations for this letter and life in general. When it comes to family, as the Church of Jesus Christ has always advertised: it is about time. There are three weeks left of the year, so it is by no means concluded, but there is plenty to reflect and consider, and celebrate. It has been a good year. I will mention folks without their names, but I think that those that know us should be tracking okay.

    Where to start? Why not in Germany? And Turkey?

    Our second to oldest has been serving an amazing mission for our Church based in Frankfort, Germany, but serving and working with the Turkish people of Turkey. She arrived there by the end of 2023, so all of 2024 she has been assigned to working with membership and friends in Ankara, Antalya, and most recently the big and ancient one, Istanbul. She is having a great time and making a big impact. She has had many good and wonderful assigned companions, good and supporting leadership, and even gets to talk to her close cousin Lance who is serving German-speaking not far away. She decided to go into her mission until later spring of 2025. W

    We miss her, but we get to speak to her regularly despite the time differences; we wish she would write more emails, but she is journaling, which is most of the battle when chronicling a mission for the Lord. We love her and celebrate her great friendships and accomplishments.

    Our oldest has had an eventful year. She started it traveling and is ending it singing and teaching, not necessarily in that order. In January she and her travel partner were in New Orleans, heading west, two months into their cross-country trek that ended in May. Upon returning to our abode, she worked five different jobs, preparing for graduate school, putting together a jazz trio, and also knocking out the long Vermont Trail, also known as the Long Trail, in September, followed by completing a marathon in October. She has been a crepe stand worker, lawn mower, tutor and assistant, behavior technician, and academic participant while getting her applications ready for graduate school in psychology. All this while maintaining her college friendships, or at least some of them.

    We are excited for her future; enjoying her present. She did lose a car to an accident in July, but she was okay and learned from it. We recovered the cost in insurance, but we got a great deal on it in the first place, so we are looking for the next means of locomotion soon. She may be moving out of state, so this will be a good investment.

    The oldest boy graduated from high school, had a somewhat adventurous summer, and began college in Rexburg, Idaho, where he has stayed active and is doing well. He is preparing to go the next semester out there, where he also visits with cousins and aunts and uncles in Utah. Finishing out high school, his baseball team almost won the state championship, and the game that eliminated him he did not get any at-bats, and they only scored 2 runs in 11 innings, which they should have won 2-1 in regulation. Put me in, coach? Oh, well, it was the best the Dominion Titans had ever done. He did well in spring track. He finished winter track earlier in the year pretty well, despite being wiped over with an illness mono-like from the end of 2023.

    We love and appreciate him, knowing that he should achieve what he sets his heart and mind on. Running, volleyball, ultimate frisbee, classes, outdoor living and exploring. He and I had a fun trip across the country to drop him off. We scaled a good mountain in Alberta, which was mostly him. After many days and nights of driving and camping. Poutine and root beer were cool stops. 

    The second oldest boy also did his high school exploits well, with winter and spring track ending as sophomore, with outstanding grades and attending early morning seminary. He fulfilled his priesthood duties, many with his older brother, and maintained fun friendships where they played a lot ping pong, volleyball, plus trips to the west in youth conferences and survival camps. He is a very fun addition to the family and his environment, and increasingly likes to sing, as he and his older have done successfully, and to some aplomb. 

    Both the older sisters are good singers, too, as is the youngest Clinch girl. The oldest is accomplished at playing instruments. She written and composed multiple songs, made into tracks or singles. The youngest has taken her piano lessons and sings like a lark. She has a talent for learning lyrics and does very well at songs. She is active in not only her church activities but those at school and her friend, too. She has fun friends and spends quality time with them. She has gone through a series of books where she has been heavily invested, but not currently. She works on some Spanish, but more math with her mom. She had a good summer visiting with family and spending quality time with her friends.

    Then there is the mother. Wow, what a lady! She likes to stay positive and active, maintaining the house, scheduling trips to ancient wonders of the world, making sure all the kids are on task and accounted for. And that includes her students at the high school, too, and the primary and activity children at church. She supports all of us, many hours daily and weekly, and finds a little time for herself. She loves to go to the temple and do other church activities, supporting sisters and brothers and missionaries, and she stays active with her schoolteacher friends as well.

    

    I could go on, but I am running out of time now, as my family this evening enjoys a detective police show.

    A few days later...

    My year has been up and down, but mostly up. I have been able to accomplish some long-time goals;  at my age I am trying to line up things for winding down the career. My health is relatively good, but could be slightly better. No complaints, as I just learned an old friend who is not so old is likely dying of appendix cancer. I want to go another 40 or so years! We shall see.

    This year I deferred a good chunk of change to retirement savings. I need to catch up and do things more in that regard. Maybe publish that book that I wrote the last few years.

    Happy tidings and best wishes, all.

    Merry Christmas and Happy Chanukah and Happiest Kwanzaa and Boxing Day.

    May all your good wishes come true.

    Senhor Eduardo