Hello friends!
This is just a brief hello to wish you the best this holiday season and a healthy, stress-free 2005. Please accept our best wishes, and let us know if you want to visit at any time--just drop us an email or phone call!
This year we lucked out and didn't have too many changes--no new family members, moves or upheavals! The biggest change was Declan's move to middle school this fall, and he has handled that very well, enjoying percussion in band and really enjoying science class (he is not wearing a brace below--he is drumming). Kynan has enjoyed being in 8th grade and among the oldest in their school. He still plays the tuba, and made regional band (as an alternate), so he must have a clue about it! Both boys have spent a lot of time in the school's Magic Card club and playing the Magic the Gathering card game with their friends. All those cards can be a mess!
Jeffrye's work has improved steadily this year. He is now working with a country/rock band that he really enjoys, fronted by a talented guy named Mike Clifford. He has also formed his own trio that plays a combination of originals and covers with lots of harmonies. A highlight of the year was going to St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands in July, to work on a CD where he played ALL the backing instruments for a lovely woman named Carol Miller. Sue Ann got to come along on the trip and meet Jeff's island friends, who were very hospitable and filled Sue Ann's days with fun while Jeff worked away. Thanks to Dan, Janet and Nicky for the hospitality!
Jeff did a lot of other traveling as well, including a trip back to San Diego for a Folk Alliance conference, a concert tour across the midwest for Danny Santos, and a trip to Vermont in August, where he celebrated his mother's 75th birthday with his extended family. Back in March, Sue Ann and Jeff did a road trip to Florida, where they had a nice visit at the Villages with Jeff's mother, Rose,and briefly revisited Sue Ann's home town of Gainesville, too. They managed to sneak in visits with some of Sue Ann's email friends, as a bonus! We are happy to host Rose for Christmas this year, so she will get to meet the boys and see our home.
Sue Ann is still with La Leche League and got promoted to director of online communications recently. She has been working on some interesting new computer projects for the organization, as well. When not typing away, she knits. The knitting "hobby" has turned out to be pleasantly lucrative this year, and she is pleased to see so many people wearing her scarves, felted hats and socks! Her work took her to Kansas City, Missouri this year (home to a great knitting store), in addition to the usual trips to suburban Chicago.
To round the travels out, Kynan and Declan spent July with their dad, and tacked onto that a visit to Washington DC with Sue Ann's dad and his wife, Flo. Great grandparental memories! They went to Ireland in December with their father, and got to see their grandmother and beloved cousins, plus many statues and castles.
All that traveling tires one out, so we'll wind this letter up by saying all is well here in Texas, where we spend most of our time watching large networks of toll roads being built at amazing rates. We're in pretty good shape and enjoying each other's company. The children are funny, sweet, and kind still--even though Kynan will be 14 in less than a month! None of the pets have died, even the ancient cat, Joe, so something must be going right!***
We wish you peace, wishing really hard,
The Braesgate
Gang
www.braesgate.com
Sue Ann Kendall, Kynan and Declan Murtagh, and Jeffrye Glenn Tveraas
 Declan, grade 6 |
 Kynan, grade 8 |
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 Sue Ann in things she knitted |
*** Oops, we spoke too soon. We just lost Joe the cat on December 28. He didn't get out of the way when the car was backing out of the driveway. We are sad. Sue Ann had him since 1987.