Our Christmas letter this year was short and sweet. I added the pictures to this blog post to make it more interesting.

December 2014

Dear Family and Friends,

It's that time of the year where I write our Christmas letter. I know some people loathe, and even make fun of Christmas letters in general because they can come off as braggy, but I genuinely want to fill you in on what's going on in our lives. Call me crazy, but I enjoy getting similar letters from others.

• Steven

  

  Steven has completed his 2nd semester at ASU. Though he remains an A/B student, I think he misses the comradery of his Marine buddies. As a result, he's accepted a job in New Braunfels, Texas near San Antonio. He'll be working for XPC, a company that provides security for oil rigs, transport ships, and executives. Think Captain Phillips, but he'll be the one on board with a gun. The company was formed by and includes Marines he served with in combat. He is excited to start a new chapter of his life.

• Stephanie

  

  Stephanie loves Hyatt Hotels Corporation and working with the press, and the Hyatt CEO has become a fan of Stephanie's work, so he enlists her to work on special projects in addition to her normal duties. She used the perks of her job to afford travel — including first-ever trips to Austin for SXSW, Milwaukee en route to a truly freezing Green Bay Packers game, and Seattle for the wedding of friends. She still enjoys Chicago, even in the cold. We all witnessed this first hand as we gathered as a family for Thanksgiving at Stephanie's apartment. There were times I could not feel my face as we walked down Michigan Avenue.

• Sheryl

  

  Sheryl is thrilled to be teaching part-time. Black Friday was just another vacation day, not the “Do you have earrings that go with this bracelet?” affair of former years. Sheryl substitutes at Bay Farm Elementary, our old neighborhood school, and also at Paden Elementary, which is walking distance from where we live now. These two schools allow her to see a great disparity in education and help in ways that are appropriate for each school. A tattling student did tell Sheryl that a classmate said “the N word” which turned out to be “naked.”

• Scott

  

  I am still working at Autodesk. Our vision is to help people imagine, design, and create a better world. As a software engineer, I could work on any kind of software, so I'm delighted my contributions help build things. Through the Autodesk sabbatical program, Sheryl and I were able to spend April in New Orleans. We certainly loved that. Sheryl and I are still active in our homeowners association, as I am a board member and maintain the web site, while she helps out with events. We are one of three units hosting the Christmas party this year.

As one grows older, one realizes that family and friends are what matter most. So by all means, if you are ever in the San Francisco area, please contact us so we can share a moment with you.

Love,
Scott, Sheryl, Stephanie, and Steven

Sharing is alive in the lab.