Best wishes for a very wonderful holiday season and a happy New Year! We hope this correspondence finds you in good spirits, great health and filled with the reason for the season. Many of you will be reading this letter via the website, please select the links then view the details of our year.
2003 was a year of TRAVEL. We didn’t take an official honeymoon and Anita had never used her scuba diving certification, so to celebrate our 1st anniversary I took Anita diving in Key Largo, FL. This was Anita’s first dive outside a pool or a stone quarry – she was a bit nervous. We did 2 dives per day for 3 consecutive days. The fish were so numerous on one of the reefs that you had to swim through them to part the fins! We even got to spend some time with the friendliest brown octopus. It was easy to get to and the diving was great – we’ll be back!
In July Anita allowed me to go Wreck Diving in Lake Huron on her birthday (am I lucky or what)! I scheduled this trip a few years back but it was cancelled. I used it as an excuse to buy a dry suit and to start cave diving (the training is better than the wreck training). The water was COLD (42 F at depth) and I got to wear double tanks for the first time (my cave certification won’t “permit” it). I got them to move the date for 2004, so maybe I can celebrate Anita’s birthday AND go wreck diving!
I took a business trip to Oxnard, CA in July and had the opportunity to visit Mom and the rest of the southern CA Schwegler clan at Walt & Suzie’s Moon Mountain Ranch. Walt is doing well after his health scare last year and it was wonderful to have the time to see everyone. I’m sure I’ll have the opportunity to return to Oxnard again on P&G’s dime, I just hope my work schedule allows time to bring Anita.
For Labor Day I combined pleasure w/ a business trip to Delaware to visit the Guidry’s in Herndon, VA (about time I stopped in to see the little squirt, he was almost a year old – bad uncle). AJ is such a sweet boy w/ a great disposition. Eric deep fried a turkey for a mini Park View High School reunion and made gumbo one night for dinner – great hosts! I want to go back when they can fire up the wood burning pizza oven in the new addition.
In September we headed back to Gatlinburg, TN. We enrolled in the Discovery package with Fairfield Resorts last year (It’s a hook to get you to purchase at a later date, it worked) and we had to start taking vacations or loose the money. We had a great time, sleeping, working out, watching movies, baking cookies and sightseeing in Gatlinburg. It was one of the most relaxing vacations I’ve EVER had!!
In October we went to Lake Lure, NC (where the heck is Lake Lure?). Lake Lure is the location where Dirty Dancing and On Golden Pond were filmed. We slept, worked out, watched movies (notice a theme), went horseback riding and visited Chimney Rock Park. This was the first vacation we used Anita’s new Fuji Finepix 3800 digital camera (sure made it easier to post photos to the web site).
The end of November/early December we headed west to Pagosa Springs, CO. This is where Fairfield set the hook (line and sinker). We’ll be going on LOTS of vacations EVERY year starting in 2004 (we’ve still got our last Discovery vacation planned for January to Pompano Beach, FL) Pagosa was beautiful – we slept, went snowmobiling in the San Juan National Forest, did some sightseeing and hiking, took a wilderness tour and enjoyed the hot springs every evening. We’ll be back, it was our best vacation EVER!
I survived (this time) the latest outsourcing deal at Procter & Gamble. My pilot project in Lima, OH went live in May (or was it June) after a year of discussion and development. I spent WAY too much time in Lima and have about 10 – 15 extra pounds to prove it. Long work days, late dinners and an expense account – all bad things for the waistline! I’m back to working out and am trying to watch what I eat (watch it go right down), but it doesn’t seem to come off as easily as it used to (the curse of40!). The second pilot is not going to be in Spain (as I mentioned last year), but it is on the radar screen for 2004. Maybe we can use some of those Fairfield exchanges with RCI to tour the Mediterranean!
Anita’s been working hard this year to gear up her real estate investing. She put together a sweet deal in New Richmond and has a home on the market in Anderson. If you’ve never had the opportunity to talk with her about how she does what she does, take the time to ask – it’s fascinating!
Mia turned 7 in November, she’s so grown up! She moved in with her Grandma Gayle and Grandpa Ron in the spring but still sees her Mommy Rebekah and her sister Anna regularly. Mia was so happy that her Daddy Bryan returned to Cincinnati in October. Mia swam Freestyle, Backstroke and Butterfly with the Walnut Grove Wave Runners Swim Team this summer. She won LOTS of ribbons and we’re all very proud of her accomplishments. We spent Sundays (when we weren’t celebrating family birthdays) at Kings Island again this summer and Mia learned how to ride her bike w/o the training wheels! She’s in the 1st grade this year and is enjoying reading. She’s scheduled for ski lessons in January and wants to join a winter swim team.
Dad and Nancy moved to Miami, FL (we’ll visit them in January). Mom‘s still in Laguna Beach, CA. While visiting Kendra, Eric and AJ in VA, Mom was attacked by their dog Pinto. It was a terrible accident and we’re fortunate Kendra was home to rescue her. I got to see Kevin when I went to VA to visit Mom in the hospital. His little ones (Andrew, Grace and Will) keep both Tina and Kevin busy fulltime – 3 kids 5 and under!! Mom’s accident has demonstrated to me why it’s so important to get together to celebrate the good times! We’re going to schedule a Barron reunion for 2004 at a nice (you guessed it) Fairfield Resort!
Anita’s family is doing well in SW Georgia. Her Daddy Sam is enjoying his “retirement” as a Deputy Sheriff for Worth County (although he had his cruiser wrecked this year) and her Mama is enjoying Sam’s retirement (just kidding). Anita’s Granny Rabon is enjoying her great grand children and the company of her dog Cookie. Her Mom & Grand Daddy Thompson have been struggling with health issues but are enjoying each other’s companionship. We’re looking forward to seeing everyone during our visit for Christmas.
We found a new church closer to home but unfortunately have not been diligent in getting actively involved. We want to find a small group to begin making close friends. It’s been difficult to carve out time this year for us – doesn’t sound that way with all the travel. I think we’ve got a few changes for 2004 that will help – someone to mow the grass and clean the house! Look for an update next year.
Our babies are doing well – not human babies, the kitties! They’re getting used to the idea of having me around and a few of them (we’ve got 4) actually like spending time with me. No news on the baby front (of the human variety) but we’re getting lots of practice. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers.
We wish all of you peace and serenity and hope you’ll join us in Cincinnati or at a vacation destination soon.
With Love,
& 