As 2005 draws to a close, we are eager to start the new year. This past year family members had to cope with serious illnesses and we hope for their improved health next year. Along with these painful lowlights there were glorious highlights as well as a background stress that lasted all year.

Cara prospered during the year, growing from a 1 1/2 year old to a 2 1/2 year old. She is an active girl. She often carries around a doll or purse, plays with her "people" (small toy figures) and dollhouses, hosts tea parties, enjoys music, and takes gymnastics classes. She has her Mom's tomboyishness when she plays rough with her brother or does her version of martial arts. Cara is a beautiful, caring, intelligent, talkative, and very independent minded young girl who is loved if not adored by all who know her. Cara had her own health issue during the year; she needed work done on her top front teeth (as her brother did at her age).

Eric became a teenager this past summer. Over the year he seemed to grow six inches taller and he assumed more adult and big brother responsibilities--he was Missy's right hand while Curt was overworked and overstressed. Eric had a successful year in martial arts. He was awarded his first degree black belt in Hapkido in May, then in November he started his six month preparation period to test for his second degree black belt. Eric participated in four Taekwondo tournaments, including the Massachusetts State tournament, and in seven events he had six first places and one second. He became a member of the White Tiger Taekwondo Elite Forms team and again participated in dozens of demonstrations throughout the year. Eric started private gymnastics lessons to help him gain skills for some of the more difficult martial arts techniques. His guitar lessons are going well and his love of driving radio-controlled vehicles continues to grow. This year he bought a high speed (50 mph) gas powered car and got an RC helicopter. He not only drives his vehicles but he maintains and repairs them as well.

For too many days and nights this past year, Missy seemed to be a single parent Curt often worked long hours in the office, then more at home, and when he wasn't working, he was often stressed out from work. Though her year had a great deal of stress, Missy found outlets in sports, crafts, and traveling that helped her move through the year. Missy played on seven soccer teams. Her women's indoor soccer team and over 30 outdoor soccer team both won league championships. In martial arts, she became a member of the White Tiger Taekwondo Elite Forms team. She was awarded best tester trophies during Hapkido red belt and bodan belt testing and was chosen the Leadership Team member of the month for November. Missy and Curt had a great time testing together for their first degree black belts in Hapkido. They put on a wonderful performance during the four hour test and were richly rewarded in audience approval, self-satisfaction, and judges' scoring. Missy continued to create beautiful crafts through knitting, quilting, and--her newest craft--embroidering.

Curt's year was far too consumed with work. In the first half of the year, he had to deal with the forced transfer from IBM (after 22 years) to the Chinese owned Lenovo company. He had a management chain that was inept at dealing with its personnel and unable to recognize their ineptness. Fortunately, with Curt's help, this was resolved midyear when his management changed. Through the second half of the year, Curt assumed more responsibility in his department than anyone ever had. The time and energy he spent on work is something he does not want to do again. Though he did not spend the time he wanted in martial arts, Curt was awarded Hapkido best tester trophies for black stripe and bodan belt (jointly with Missy). He received his second degree black belt in Taekwondo (joining Missy and Eric at that rank) and tested for his first degree black belt in Hapkido. Curt turned fifty during the year and thoroughly enjoyed celebrating it. He reconnected with longtime friends, reread old correspondences, and traveled to visit people he hadn't seen in years. Due to Lenovo work, Curt's efforts on the retrospective video of his first 50 years was put on hold.

In part because of the stresses of the year, we felt a greater need to be with family and friends. We did more traveling to visit loved ones than we ever did before--it was not always the four of us traveling together. During the year we visited Curt's hometown family and friends four times (Pennsylvania), Missy's parents and friends four times (Michigan), our Korean family Masters Richard and Eunha An, Master Yun Thul Oh, and Tiger three times (New Hampshire), the Holsten family twice (Virginia), Dan Frantz and Jim Leslie and their families and the Giel family (all in Ohio), Don Leslie and his family, Uncle Rich and Aunt Julie, and Roy and Jeannette Brasch (all in Iowa), Uncle Dave and Aunt Earlene (Arkansas), Great Aunt Julie (Missouri), Gail Mitchell and her family (Massachusetts) and Rich and Bob Frantz (Delaware). We camped a couple of times and spent two days at Topsail Island Beach. We enjoyed visits from Missy's parents Jack and Joyce, her brother Jeff and his family, Curt's brother Will, and Amie Carolyn Groobey.

Happy events for family and friends were also memorable highlights for us. Three of our dearest sets of friends birthed babies this year. Tiger An was born to Masters Eunha and Rich, Caroline Holsten was born to Tami and Steve, and Rachel Pontious was born to Lana and John. Some of our trips were to share in the high school graduation celebrations of four nephews/nieces: Kelly, Paul, and Matt Leslie and Kimberly Frantz.

© 2005 frantzml@juno.com