2011 has definitely been an interesting year. A year of downs. A year of ups. A year of a few in-betweens. And, unfortunately, it didn’t get off to a great start.

We got a call in February that Jerry (Rebecca’s Father) had collapsed. He wasn’t responsive and was on his way to the emergency room via ambulance. To an emergency room at a Catholic hospital nonetheless. And this was at the exact same time of his Mother-in-Law’s 90th birthday party.

Are you starting to get the picture? Celebration. Family in town in mass. An accident. Then a convergence of half-tipsy folks at a Catholic hospital emergency room. Yes, it was definitely interesting.

It was such an interesting event that a member of the family emerged as a prophet. A priest. A wearer of black clothing carrying an iPad ensconced in black leather. A heathen mistaken for a man of the cloth. A heathen who took advantage of the situation and ushered the massive family gathering from the emergency room to the quiet room--where the family wasn’t too quiet.

Well, that was all good until Sister Mary came into the picture and ushered most of the family out of the hospital. Needless to say, Sister Mary holds a special place in all of our hearts. And it makes for a damn good family story. How many up-standing families do you know that got kicked-out of a hospital by a nun?

The good news, is that after 2.5 weeks in coronary intensive care, the old man was discharged to go home.



I wish that was the end of Jerry’s hospital visits, but it wasn’t. It was followed-up by months of emergency room visits, hospital stays, and in-patient rehabilitation hospital stays to treat a variety of ailments: atrial fibrillation, pneumonia, a little fluid on the brain, a broken neck, fractured vertebrae, etc. Yeah, Jerry had one hell of a 2011. But, he’s very thankful to see 2012. And we’re immensely grateful that Pat is in his life. She has been a saint and godsend.

Needless to say there were definitely a few downs, but there were also a few ups.

The highlight of 2011 was Chris’ sister, Alicia, giving birth to Ms. Ava Grace. A true miracle baby.

Alicia and her husband J suffered through and emerged triumphant over a serious bout of bad luck. Ten years of bad luck to be exact. In a 10-year span, J lost both of his parents to cancer. He, himself, faced and defeated cancer. And Alicia had a series of miscarriages--including an ectopic pregnancy. For a couple that so wanted to have children, it just didn’t look like it was in the cards. Well, that was until early spring when Alicia and J discovered they were expecting.

The excited, yet hesitant couple approached the pregnancy with caution. They sought advice from OBGYNs that specialize in high-risk pregnancy. They went to every follow-up appointment hoping for the best, but in some small way expecting to hear the worst. It’s a path they had been down many times. They knew the drill.

But this was different. Every appointment showed a growing baby. Sounds of a beating heart. A life. A joy. A miracle.

A miracle named Ms. Ava Grace who was born on November 29, 2011. Mondo congrats to the happy family!




Rebecca and I ended our year celebrating the Holiday with our Wichita-based niece and nephews: Austin, Alyssa and Luke. It’s been such a joy watching them grow through the years. Austin, an unbelievably caring and kind young man with a penchant for music; a love of the guitar and a special hate for the trumpet--although his teacher thinks he’s one of the best trumpeters his school has. Alyssa, an intelligent and sensitive soul who promises that when she grows-up she’s either going to be an olympian or an artist--or if all else fails, a doctor. And Luke, the youngest; a 5-year old with a remarkable wit and humor that will take him very far in this world.

That was our 2011. And here’s hoping to an even better 2012.

Wishing everyone peace, health and happiness.

Chris and Rebecca