The Christmas Letter 2012

Preamble: I put this up because not everyone gets the hard copy. I do not know how you get on the mailing list but there seem to be 2 factors that allow it to happen.
1. Be in our 20 year old, fraying, address book which was inputted in computer; or
2. Send us a Christmas card.
Each year we are too busy to get the letter together. Between, writing it, picking the background paper, printing it, getting a family photo, ordering it and picking it up from Walgreens and then getting labels printed (neither Sandy or I really understand a mail merge) and then folding, stuffing and labeling 180 letters, combined with my wife's former need to write personal notes on some, make the process a nightmare. So every year it ends up being a hassle. While out letter was likely an amusing change of pace 7 years ago, now it even seems a little trite to me but, with no further apologies, The Becker Christmas Letter 2012!

Soooo...Christmas 2011. Last year Jon wrote the letter. It was too nice. As always with the Becker family...life is good and life is...funny. Sandy and I are finding our way being empty nesters. We miss our odd children. Both of our jobs are going surprisingly well and we continue to be blessed. We both do work relating to Banks... we don’t talk about work much. As is my habit, I come not to inform you of our blessings but to speak poorly of my children.

Jon is plowing away at BoomReactive.com with his partner Shawn Hautly. They make the web safe for social media marketing, web hosting, web design and digital media. I don’t know what any of that means but he has moved out of our house and followed my dreams back to live in St. Louis Hills. He is engaged to the beautiful and tolerant Lydia and all eyes will be on Michigan next September when we are all planning on a wedding. Lydia is mentoring for Lutheran Family and Children’s Services. They are very cute together and seem crazy about one another and we now have a “grandcat” named Henry David Thoreau. Historically we Beckers are not cat people. This must be love. Sometimes they play board games with us.

Pat is a senior at Truman and looks to graduate in 4 years with his degree in Psychology. Not even Abnormal Psych. He plans on going to grad school to get his Masters in Social Work. We cannot believe how well he has done at Truman. Apparently it is a really good school. Pat waited until senior year before starting to act again but has been in a few productions where in my opinion he has been brilliant and he has had a very good time. Pat still comes home, sits in the basement, watches anime and if I were to guess is still contemplating whether being a pirate or a ninja would be the best choice. Pat makes me laugh.

Laura...Miss Laura Becker is a Freshman at Valparasio who started out as an “Exploratory” ($30,000 a year) major and now will follow family tradition and major in communications and minor in business to be an “Event Planner”. Once again I don’t know what that means. She LOVES college, her friends, parties and apparently her classes where she tells us she is doing very well. Apparently it is none of our business. She has a room mate who cries a lot and has stinky feet. So far the boys have seemed to come and go. Once they get interested in her.... her interest...wanes. Laura lights up a room every time she comes in and now that she is gone I cannot bring myself to watch COPS anymore. Laura came home for Christmas, sat on our kitchen table... it broke. There is a reasonable chance Laura will take over the world. Be afraid.

Our dogs Lily and Lola refuse to die or run away though they do enjoy barking incessantly and acting sad.

So what are we to do? Really all we can do is marvel at all of our blessings as a family and give a lot of thanks as we look around at the kindness, tolerance and beuaty of our family and friends who support us through all this wonderful craziness. Whenever we are all together the whole seems greater than the sum of it’s parts. We close this year again with thanks for all of you. God is good. All the time. Have an awesome 2012. Our door is always open.