I hope you've had a wonderful year in 2018, full of peace and joy. I apologize for only corresponding with you once a year, but honestly, things get to convoluted the rest of the year that I tend to forget. I'd be a bad pen pal.
In spite of all the insanity that has been going on in the rest of the world, I think we have fared nicely here in Houston. This year we tried to focus more on doing "stuff" rather than getting "things." I'm realizing more and more that my kids are growing up more quickly than I'd like. Their clothes seem to get smaller and some of their toys get played with less and less. I've decided that the only things they're going to keep a hold of is the memories I give them, so I've been trying to give them positive experiences that they will take with them the rest of their lives.
My snow angels
Our year started off with a bang... or more rather, a lack of solar radiation. Due to the the hurricane that came through our area, the jet streams got all messed up and it snowed for the first time since we've lived here. I say "snow" is a loose sense because it really just wound up being frozen humidity. Still, to my kids it was snow.
They might be awesome
Sarah and I were able to have a wonderful anniversary, albeit a few weeks late. I had noticed that my favorite band, They Might Be Giants, was coming into town. We had a wonderful night together where we drove to Houston Heights and ate some gourmet tacos and dreamed about living in the cozy neighborhoods there. The concert was awesome, as expected, and I was able to introduce my bride to the main staple of my musical consumption. All in all, it will be a night to be remembered.
I might become a cowboy
One of my favorite annual traditions here in Houston is to go to the Rodeo and Livestock Show that they hold downtown. It's one of the few times during the year when I really question when I can justify eating a gigantic piece of meat followed by as many deep-fried desserts as possible... Actually, I probably can't justify that, but either way it's a fun experience. This year I was planning on going with Sarah and Leah, but Sarah wound up getting sick. So it turned into a full-day Daddy-Daughter date and a memorable adventure. Leah was a trooper and had a lot of fun, although she was exhausted by the end. Her favorite thing about the entire experience was going on the roller coaster at the fair (which admittedly gave me whiplash and motion sickness).
Silly Philly
During various times of the year we've taken to borrowing a bulldog for extended periods of time. Philly has become our quasi-adopted pet and we've loved every minute of it. She may be slobbery, chunky, and lazy, but she's such a gentle animal that tolerates all the love we give her. We're grateful for the chance to get to watch her on the occasions that we do and it's always a pleasure when she comes to visit. I suppose it's like her doggy vacation, because now she knows all the right spots in our house to rest and relax.
Waking from sleep
This year I caught the camping bug. I had taken Leah camping on my own last year, but we had just stayed in a shelter at a local state park. This year I started to invest in more tents and equipment so I could go enjoy the outdoors. I was able to go on the annual Fathers and Sons campout this year with Sean, which was fun. The following month, I decided we'd take the entire family up to Huntsville state park, which turned out to be a beautiful little trip. Granted, there are lots of complications to taking little ones camping, but it's all worth it when they yell out exuberantly "This is the BEST TRIP EVER!"
Testing out our dragon breath
However, our results with camping in Texas have been mixed. I made the mistake of taking the family camping to Galveston at the beginning of June. It was hot and humid, and I don't think any of us had a good night's sleep. By 8AM the next morning, Sarah and I looked at each other and said, "Let's pack up." By 8:30, we were ready to head home.
Another time we booked a camping spot at Brazos Bend State Park (one of my favorite places to go) and it rained the entire time. I stood outside of the tent in the rain cooking our dinner while the rest of the family tried to stay dry. There was a brief moment where the rain let up for a few hours so we could get some marshmallow roasting in. Rain spattered the tent all night long and made it difficult to sleep. In addition, the moisture in the air collected all over the inside of the tent, leaving puddles underneath all our gear. In spite of all of this, the kids still exclaimed, "This is the BEST CAMPING TRIP EVER!" You have to know it's worth it if they can still say that.
Reliving history
This summer Sarah bravely took the kids to Utah and Idaho on her own for six weeks while I stayed in Texas and worked. She was able to spend lots of time with family and help her parents get settled into their new home in Idaho. It was a hard absence (although, admittedly, the house stayed very clean and I played a lot of computer games), but eventually I was able to go out and join them in Utah. One of the many things we did during my time was take the kids to Lagoon. I went there every year growing up for my dad's company party. It was fun to have my kids relive some of the experiences I had on some of the rides (not a lot has changed there since the 1960s). Leah surprised me with her daredevil spirit, wanting to go on Colossus, the original double loop roller coaster. We will likely go again next summer as well.
A joyous reunion
One of the other nice things that happened during my visit to Utah was that Sarah surprised me with a birthday party with many of my friends that I grew up with. (I suspected something was up that day, but played along because I love surprises.) It was especially poignant because I discovered that one of my dear friends had gone through some almost fatal health issues over the past few years. It was wonderful to reconnect and see these people face to face instead of on Facebook.
"Reentry"
My girlie
Leah continues to pave the way for the rest of her siblings, finally starting first grade. She loves to create artwork and is quite an avid reader. I frequently find a few chapter books hidden under her pillow so she can read a bit before bed. She is our peace-maker in the house and consistently wants everyone to get along.
"The Boy"
Sean still marches to the beat of his own drum, which I suppose is a good thing. There are many times when his antics drive us up the wall, but I am amazed at his capacity to love and engage others. Everyone is a potential friend to my boy. He has many qualities in him that will make him a fantastic leader some day. He is running at 110% from the moment he wakes up in the morning and is always questioning the status quo, looking for a new, inventive way to do things. We were informed by his school this year that they would be testing him for the gifted and talented program. He (along with Leah) just began taking taekwondo lessons at the local civic center with the ambitions of some day obtaining his black belt.
Our Lucy Goose
Lucy has had to adjust to being the youngest at home this year. She's taken to it quite well, having her mother's attention most of the day. She continually amazes us at what she picks up from watching her two older siblings. She has an adorable personality that mixes sweet and sassy, but is always ready for a snuggle. She is practically ready for school since she spends a lot of time there volunteering with her mom quite a bit. In the meantime, we're enjoying her cute dances, kisses, and artwork.
Nice haircut!
This year Sarah took a step back from her book selling business in order to volunteer on the school's PTA board. She is the VP of membership, a role which she has been inadvertently training for her entire life. She has taken to volunteering a lot at the school, which has allowed her to be more involved in the lives of our kids while relieving some of the overworked teachers there. This past year she whacked off her long locks in favor of a more manageable hairstyle. (Admittedly, I like her hair any way she wears it!) We still are struggling with getting some better results in regards to her health, but we have enjoyed many wonderful outings together.
Kids, amiright?
As for me, I'm still doing the same thing as always: being a NASA nerd. It's still quite a thrill sometimes to be a part of history. For example, the other day I had Tom Stafford, Gemini and Apollo program astronaut, randomly walk into my office. Granted, he was really looking for a cup of coffee, but I was happy to oblige him. As I said before, I've been rediscovering a lot of personal passions and am always looking for a way to do what I love and get paid for it. I miss being close to my extended family and a number of my dear friends, but I've realized that where we are right now has rewarded us with many opportunities for our personal and familial growth.
So, Santa, I've been asking you for years now for a Jaeger fighting robot just in case any kaiju start coming out of the ocean, but I get the feeling you either A) don't have one, B) don't think I need one, or C) don't think I need one YET. I'm going to hope for C. Truth be told, we don't have a lot in our family that we need in terms of material objects. All our needs are met; we enjoy a nice roof over our heads and food in our bellies.
I can't really ask you for much for myself, but maybe there's something you can do for the world at large. I'm sure you've noticed that things keep getting crazy down here. So many people are addicted to anger, almost looking for the next thing to be outraged over. In a society where we have people who are literally paid to play video games, I find it hard to swallow that we still can find things to be mad at. I know we all have differences in appearance, religion, or economic status, but the one thing that I think we should all have is a sense of decency toward other human beings. It hurts my heart to see such anger being hurled in all directions. I've met many people whom I may disagree with in terms of their policies, but I can't deny that they truly want what is best for others. I just wish that everyone would be able to hold a level of decency towards each other. It's okay to disagree with another individual, but it's also okay to talk to them in order to understand their viewpoint, even if in the end you still don't agree. That seems to be what is missing from the world. I don't know if you've got anything in that bag that would work, but if I had one Christmas wish, it would be that. I am told that rapidly blinking advertisements on the side of a web page have massively successful results, so maybe send out the message that way. If that doesn't work, I'd settle for a solution using psychotropic medications... but it's your call.
All I know is that I witnessed something that I can only call miraculous happen during and in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey here in Houston. During the chaos so many people went out of their way to make sure everyone was safe. During the cleanup it didn't matter if you were a Jew, Muslim, Baptist, Methodist, Catholic, Buddhist, or Mormon (excuse me, member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints). If you needed help, it was there. When I was mucking out houses, random people would stop by and ask if we needed water or food. Massive donations poured in from all over the community. You see, Harvey didn't discriminate; he hit people both rich and poor. Once you stripped away all the material goods, people were all that was left. They realized what valued: life. I am continually grateful for the sense of decency that was awarded to so many people in need during that time. I just wish that kind of decency would be felt the entire year round.
So Santa, pack up your sleigh and get ready for a busy night. I hope the weather treats you well. I look forward to your visits every year, especially so now that I have little children. The magic and wonder that is in their eyes on Christmas morning is truly a gift in and of itself.
Sincerely,
-Brad Reynolds
P.S. Okay, so if I can't have the Jaeger fighting robot, can you at least get me a hover tank? I want something I can combat the Houston traffic with.
