2008

Christmas 2008

Hello all,

No graphics this year as Sharon is speed typing to get this done, but we will experiment with changing the font color. We did pull a photocard together this morning that has pictures of our North Shore trip with the kids and Mike and Sharon's overnight at Stillwater thanks to Mike's digital camera and ritzpix.com.

Mike is still at the U although he isn't quite sure these days which department or floor he should be in. He moved from his building on University Ave in October (he had been it for only a year). He is being moved to a different floor in the new building next week. The U is ever consolidating and shifting his whole department and now he has a new manager although it has taken since he moved in October to decide which department to assign him to after breaking up his old department.

Sharon is still homeschooling the kids although she will be losing a pupil as Joel graduates in May. She has been trying to stay on top Joel's college applications, scholarship deadlines, and deposits required. After Mike purchased a “spa basket” at the St. Raphael School Wine Tasting fundraiser (of which Sharon can't taste any due to stomach problems), Mike and Sharon stayed at bed and breakfast in Stillwater to purchase items with the spa gift card.

In January 2008, Joel's braces were removed and he got contact lenses. Joel has a new hobby-playing guitar. He took a PSEO guitar class at North Hennepin College spring semester 2008 and loved it. He bought a guitar in October. Joel is now a certified Water Safety Instructor for the City of Brooklyn Park. Between working two nights a week and two PSEO classes fall semester, he was kept very busy. He is hoping things will slow down a bit spring semester as he is only taking one class (calculus) at the college in addition to his homeschool classes.

Paul is now in high school as well. Paul bought an electric guitar that the St Raphael youth minister was selling. After playing a pirate in Peter Pan earlier this year, he is now gearing up to play Devlin Scarp in Dick Wittington and His Magical Cat. He had braces put on this year.

Stephen is in fourth grade and in braces. Several years ago he had a “supernumeral tooth” (an extra tooth). It was a very pointed tooth that came in upper front. After the tooth was pulled, his adult tooth

came in crooked so the orthodonist suggested straightening the upper four adult teeth as long I was driving Paul in anyway. A few months later, he suggested we straighten Stephen's lower adult teeth as long I was bring him for upper teeth.

Serena is second grade. After our trek to LaCrosse in June to the allergist, she is now being treated for a mosquito allergy. I made the remark that Serena had a good spring allergy-wise and I only gave her Benadryl to help with mosquito bites. The allergist immediately tested her for mosquitos and found out that, yes indeed, she does an have allergy to mosquitos (which explains why her mosquito bite welts take a long time to go away). Isn't Serena lucky our unofficial state bird is the mosquito?

The Hedmans