2011

There was a cute picture of Jack in the letter. You can probably find it on grandma's refrigerator.

*Happy Xmas 2011*

So, after making a big deal of our moving in last year’s letter, I realized just after sealing the envelopes that we didn’t include our new address in the letter. Hope you all saved the envelopes! Actually I think they had the old address on them as well. So, you all got follow up change of address cards, but for those who don’t maintain your address lists but once a year (guilty) our new address is 19440 Front Street, Leesburg, VA 20176. We’re in Lansdowne Village Green (LVG), approximately 1,500 feet from our old house.

Speaking of addresses, our new house is terrific! There were quite a few exciting twists and turns during the move, like the painters working on the last three days of new floor install, and the movers putting down their drop cloths as the painters were picking up, or the snow/freezing rain mix that accompanied our move-in date, or the fact that our new owners didn’t call the utility companies, so the Gas, Electrical and Water companies all turned off service, not only delaying the settlement on the old house but leaving it empty and cold all weekend during 20 degree winter. <Deep Breath> But, all that is behind us and we are in our new place, settled and happy. With just over half the square footage we had in the old place, it has been a constant struggle to fit everything in (Rob) or get rid of everything (Jean) that doesn’t fit. But through loving compromise, trust, open communication and extensive therapy, we have arrived at a happy equilibrium where I try to keep everything and Jean tries to get rid of things. It’s working for us. What is very nice is that our expenses are way down, we have less “stuff” to worry about, our home projects are much more manageable (as is cleaning and maintenance), we are steps from stores and restaurants and our new neighborhood does all the landscaping and yard maintenance (sweet!) so I don’t ever have to think about landscaping ever again!

So I’ve joined the Grounds committee of the HOA, so I can think about landscaping ever again! Somehow it seems easier to think about EVERYONE’s landscaping than just thinking about your own. But this is one of the things I have picked up since being off work. I left the DOJ in March. It was my way of downsizing the federal workforce. Since Congress refused to furlough me by shutting down the government, I felt I had to take action on my own. This qualifies me as a Tea Party Republican! Earlier last week I was the front-runner for the Republican Presidential nomination for about 24 minutes. I think everyone gets a turn at that except Mitt Romney.

When I’m not wandering the neighborhood looking at shrubbery, I do a lot of field trips and other stuff at Jack’s school, I have taken up fencing (the kind with the sword, not the kind with the pickets), am doing a little consulting on the side, dabbled in house-keeping, and, along with Jack, started doing Tae Kwon Do. So far we’ve made White Belt. And I’ve blown out my shoulder and hip. So I’ve also become an amateur medical subject! I wish there were a cool story about how I injured myself, but unfortunately, I’m just old.

Jean is still working at Accenture, keeping them running and profitable. Through many twists and turns, she continues to garner top ratings and the support of her sometimes ambivalent management. But, she’s excellent at what she does, works so hard on everything, is a model for the teleworking, multi-cultural team of the future, and really takes care of her people (and her family). She makes me very proud to be her house spouse.

Aly has returned to Virginia Episcopal School (VES) for her junior year. In the first trimester she was making mostly As, carrying 4 AP / Honors classes, while playing volleyball, working with the student government and doing a variety of service projects; which is adequate. She’s really enjoying her AP composition class, and has written some great stuff that’s really sarcastic and funny (wonder where she gets that, says Jean). We’ve been happy to have her home for a few weekends, and we even squeezed in a college visit! She’s interested in business programs at a small college right now. Any of you who offer scholarships, please keep us in your thoughts and annual giving schedules. Aly has her learners permit and will probably get her license over winter break. She’s a careful driver, and has really been enjoyable to coach. She had her first “paying” job this summer as a counselor at Camp Greenway where she’s attended as a camper since she was a tykette. She did great, got up herself every morning, drove me many mornings. Jack went to camp for two weeks of the seven, and loved sharing big sister’s camp experience. We’re extremely proud of her and her achievements and we’re really happy with how she’s developing as a student and young lady. She still loves the heck out of Jack and spends time with him while home and calls him a lot when she can get a good cell signal down at school.

Jack is now in Kindergarten, at Loudoun Country Day School (LCDS). We have acronyms for everything. Aly goes to VES, Jack to LCDS and we live in LVG (which sounds like an alternative lifestyle place, but isn’t). After many years in the IT field, it’s soothing to have all these new acronyms to use!

Now, back to the kids. So Jack is in Kindergarten, and he rides a very cute short bus (not THAT short bus) every day like a big kid. He has really gotten into football this year, and plays just about every day with Daddy. He is usually Tom Brady, and I am usually some no-name player that Tom Brady is crushing with his “Warrior Mentality.” (We’ve read a book about Tom Brady) Tuesday is Library day at school, so it’s been football and car books for most of the year, though the football is winning out more recently. This has been a big year, skill wise. Jack learned to swim, ride a 2-wheeler, whistle, play football (and watch the Redskins with Mommy on Sundays) and read. He’s in a reading enrichment program at school, and he’s reading at a 2nd grade level. But now I’m bragging, so I’ll just say that he’s a really talented and sweet kid and a great budding artist. Jack draws many pictures every day. We’ve saved a bunch in case he becomes famous, and I regularly put them up on our website when they’re extra awesome.

Travel this year was a mixed bag. We started off the year in Denver with Uncle Craig and Aunt Christi, with some wonderful late-season skiing at Breckenridge. It was a whirlwind 3 day visit with Jean working in between fun bits. Jean also did work trips to Chicago and London, where she loves to visit despite the work pressure of visiting all her bosses. Jean and Aly got a last minute trip out to Rome Italy this summer, for each of their first visit to the old country. We are hoping to do a big Italia trip on our 10th anniversary in a couple years. We also hit the Delaware beaches with Grandma Linda, Grandpa Ron, cousin Sawyer and the whole Fanti clan in a couple of beach houses near Dewey. Aly brought her roommate Amelia who fit right in with our whole crazy family. We also travelled down to Georgia three times this year. I went once during January with Jack to very happily visit with my grandma Peg, once again in February to very sadly remember her life, and then again with Jack and Jean to celebrate the wedding of Meggie and Charlie. Meggie is my last cousin to marry. Unfortunately we missed the penultimate marrying cousin, Rebecca, who not only got married in a ski lodge in Alaska (awesome!) but also perhaps outdid her brother’s wedding mariachi band with an oompah band. We also went down to Roanoke a few times this year to visit with a new branch of our family. Jean’s mom, Joann reconnected with her sister Betty, and we’re really happy to have new cousins! Betty, her daughter Marcie and her kids Savannah and Tyler came up for Thanksgiving, and with Aly’s school nearby, we’ll see them more and more.

So that’s the recap. It’s more news than jokes this year. I suppose with me out of work I ought to be ashamed of that, but I’m also getting older and I’m now wise enough not to care what you think. You’re just going to skim this and hang up the card with the cute pictures of my kids on your card rack. I doubt this letter will even make it to the wall, you’ll probably just show it… hey, hey, I worked on this thing for… what? The trash can? Your wife hasn’t even read it… Aww come on, man, there’s coffee grounds in here!

Love, **Aly, Jack, Jean, Rob, and Buddy (we lost Biskits this year '***L'* **after a long and very happy life)**

**You can see more of us, as usual, on your Internet machine at** www.alyandjack.shutterfly.com

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