At this moment, it is 11:09 am on Wednesday, January 25, 2023. I have just put the Trepagnier Christmas cards in the mail. Just. Now.
Him: What are those?
Me: Our Christmas cards
Him: I am going to pretend I didn't hear that.
Me: What? They say, "Happy New Year," too. And, it's still January.
So there’s that. Major project, completed (albeit, a little late), and justified. It’s a good day.
I did a Christmas letter this year, too. I had never done one before, although I have always loved receiving them. It felt a little silly in the beginning, if I am being honest. But, when it was finished, I was excited. I think I will keep doing them. If I missed you this year, you have my deepest apologies (and, it means I need your address!) At any rate, I will share it here.
With Love,
December 2022
Hey y’all!
This year has gone by so quickly, we hardly know where to begin. As we have never done one of these before, there is no template, no lessons from previous attempts to follow or to learn from. So, I suppose we will start at the beginning and see how that goes (although I hadn’t thought about doing this until now; I am sure there will be things I will miss).
Our New Year rang in quietly while I recovered from surgery. Mike was an excellent nurse. I really should have gotten him an outfit. There was no point; he said even if he wore it, he would consent to no photographic evidence.
While Mike and I have sworn that we do not need one more animal in our home to take care of, that also did not stop me from attempting to domesticate a family of opossums. They really like dog food and will come visit every night if you leave it out for them. While they eventually stopped playing possum, they never did stop hissing, and would not let me get too close. One night they just didn’t come back. I hope it was just the change in the weather and they will be back. I like that thought better than any alternative.
It also did not stop us from adopting two kittens – a bonded pair from the hideously manipulative Cat Café. I mean, seriously, how do you sit, drink coffee, play with a room full of kittens and not take one home? At any rate, Dewey and Decimal have assimilated nicely – even if Decimal does insist on waking us up in the middle of the night for attention.
Madison began her side hustle as a vendor at local Comic-Cons. Because she does not find us overly embarrassing, she invited us to come check out her booth. Her talent is overwhelming, and it was a proud moment to watch her move into the next part of her dream that way. However, that paled in comparison to watching her marry and become wife to Dakota. There still aren’t words to describe how special that was. Mike and I couldn’t be happier that the Hortons and the Trepagniers are linked.
Paintball was a huge part of our year. We traveled to tournaments, and the Savannah Titans podiumed this year – although they thought they were out. We had to chase people down who were leaving and scramble to unpack the gear from the trucks. “Parking Lot to Podium.” Mike sponsored a national team at World Cup in November made up of some of the best people in paintball who were not going to play otherwise. “Hormesis Most Wanted” played with such heart and goodness, I can’t imagine it won’t be a World Cup story for quite some time.
I attended my first writer’s retreat on Ossabaw Island. During one of the beach walks, Mike did a low pass flyby. I think he missed me a little. I tried to make friends with the raccoons and failed, but I succeeded famously with the donkeys. The children were so disgusted that I didn’t bring a donkey home with me that it took them a while to get over it. A piece that I worked on while there was published in a poetry magazine, which is almost as good as a kidnapped donkey. Neither of which was as amazing as receiving my acceptance letter to Georgia Southern University’s master’s program after my graduation in May 2023.
After months of study and preparation, Mike earned his instrument rating for his pilot’s license. The accomplishment was an impressive one to watch. I consider myself a pretty smart cookie, but watching his mind click through all the information needed to fly the plane using only the gauges and panel readings blows my brain. I know I am going to be accused of abject bias, but that man never ceases to amaze me.
This new rating gives us a bit more freedom in our travels, and airshows have become part of our yearly plans. Mike and Kaiden went to Sun ‘n’ Fun down in Florida in April, while all three of us made it to Osh Kosh, Wisconsin, in July. I am looking forward to catching both this year – although, I do hope the weather in Wisconsin is a bit less interesting. Riding out sixty miles an hour winds and tornados in a tent was less than ideal.
2022 held so many other adventures. Patti and John have relocated and live nearby. The grandchildren are thrilled. Our oldest niece is having a baby in February, and we couldn’t be more excited. Kaitlynn and Rue both turned 21, and Emily turned 16. Morgan attended her first ComicCon and won 2nd place in a cosplay contest. Kaiden started his first job and is already promotion competitive.
I am sure there are a host of things I have forgotten to mention. I have not forgotten how blessed we are both to have the people in this letter and family to share it with. Mike and I send our best wishes for the holiday season and many great hopes for the coming new year.
Love,
Mike and April
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