The Annual Christmas Letter

So. Another year. The best wishes of the various Beckers are rained upon you and yours. After some lengthy consideration regarding sending out last years Christmas letter again and seeing if anyone noticed.... here we go. We do of course have a theme and that is a year of celebration for the Beckers...perhaps too much.

It was a great year when I think about it. The family celebrated Pat’s graduation from High School, Jon’s 21st birthday and Sandy and I celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary. I should just end the letter there but you have to be on the edge of your seat wondering what goes on minutiae-wise over the year in a family in which the major form of showing one another affection is cooking bacon. The Becker children continue to celebrate their migration away from our smothering neglect (and our basement).

Jon celebrated the first semester on Valparaiso’s program abroad in Cambridge England. He was very brave as he was living in a house in Cambridge with two other boys and thirteen girls. Every Thursday class ended at noon and then they would travel until Sunday night or in some cases Monday morning. He has had an excellent time and although he is broke after working the summer at Arcadia I think he is grateful for the experience. He plans to go back to Arcadia as head server or wherever they tell him to work. We are also celebrating his relationship with the lovely Lydia Schaffenar.

While we worried about whether Pat would ever move out of our basemen, God has blessed him (and us) richly by taking him to Truman State in Kirksviville where he is celebrating college life and an independent life. He thinks he might major is Psychology and is also taking some drama classes. Pat made a trip to Spain and ate several things that were not officially “pizza” and I believe also bought a sword. Quite a trip. Seriously, he had a great time and it was an awesome experience for him.

Laura is celebrating still living with us although Sandy and I continue to insist that we are “empty nesters”. Although neighbors have called the Missouri Division of Children’s Services several times on neglect hotlines, she is still hanging tough. We are told that Laura is in her sophomore year at Lutheran South. She continues to play tennis and is busy with Student Council and trying not to get her cell phone taken away. Laura is frequently in love with several boys although the Arcadia boys seem to have the inside track. Laura is trying to fill up the vacuum in our basement in Pat’s absence. She turns 16 in January and has aged me significantly with practicing hitting curbs and smaller, un-tethered animals.

Sandy is working more and plans to work even more at Cummings & Ristow. She likes work and is generally smarter and more industrious then her husband. Her work is challenging but she is very diligent and focused so of course they love her. Sandy is celebrating that we bought a house in Michigan. I thought was for the whole family but was primarily it was purchased so that she would not be separated from her dogs. Sandy now has a Facebook status....”Married To Mike Becker (still)”. Although she continues to serve our Church and Community Bible Study her greatest act of Christian charity would have to be keeping the rest of the world safe from me.

Mike...Mike... what does Mike do? With the economic down turn I am busy at Hepler Broom trying to take care of his clients and not billing enough hours. The firm has been kind enough to let me stay there for another year. I have been taking a course this last year at Meramec and am considering getting a Masters Degree in something other then law. The highlight of the year for me had to be celebrating our 25th with a party and also with a trip to europe (where I had never been). We visited Jon in Cambridge (for about 20 minutes and some bad food) on our way to a week traveling around France and it was sweet. Sandy’s patience is great.

So once again, we look back, we take stock and with a couple of minor twinges... we smile gratefully at how God has blessed us. I know it is a recurring theme in these little missives but without all of you, we are poorer and sadder. So from the Beckers a big, fat, beautiful, perfect, warm and well loved Christmas, and thank you for another Blessed Year of your love and friendship.