Happy New Year

We're getting closer to being back on schedule with our Christmas letter; next year we might even make it in December.  We've had a productive and an emotional year.  We finally got the exterior of our house redone.  We had dry rot in the trim that had been building ever since the 1993 floods.  Plus it was time to paint again.  It was painful to see all the money go, but we look great.    

Eric continues to practice in Louisburg with no major changes.  Yay!  In January he went to Mexico with a group from our church.  They did manual labor, and we even have pictures to prove Eric helped.  With all the trips he's made to Guatemala, this is the first trip in which he did physical work.  This spring he plans on a medical mission trip, which he's wanted to do for some time now.  He continues with biking and stamp collecting.

 Margie spent the spring and summer working full time and traveling to and from Manhattan to assist her Mother.  Peggy finally lost the battle with cancer Labor Day weekend.  Margie and Jeanne had been with her off and on in the days just before she died, and sister Kathy from Massachusetts was there along with Megan, Sonder and Todd when Mom died.  We four sisters were able to be in Manhattan together for the week after for fellowship, support and distribution of Mom's things.  We plan to keep the farm intact and in the family; we will probably divide parcels of ownership.  Peggy had been able to host a dinner with all her Noble clan the week before she went in the hospital. 

Margie continues as a respiratory therapy supervisor at the University of Kansas hospital.  She especially enjoys all the students training there.    

Alan has now been working in Las Vegas for a year.  He loves the cool winter weather that allows hiking in Red Rock national park just west of town.  He's learning and exploring the "strip", plus bowling on two leagues.  He was able to come home to Overland Park for Thanksgiving, and he enjoyed the great snow we had.

Daniel has completed one semester at KU.  He has a super studio apartment across the street from the stadium.  He switched to KU for the biochemistry, but he's considering dropping that and just majoring in chemistry.   He joined the KU fencing club; he has now fenced at three colleges.  He joins us on Thursday nights ringing bells.

We wish everyone happiness and health for 2005.