by Jean (pictures to come)
Ok, it has been a while since we posted anything… but we are going to make up for an entire year right here in one pass. It is the annual Christmas letter, where we provide a rundown of our entire year in nauseating detail. So if you have a cup of coffee or another stronger beverage and are prepared to read for a while, go ahead.
Ted, Adam and I are still living in northern Louisiana. We had no hurricanes again in 2011 – so we need to leave the state before the next season blows us off the map since we have now been here 2 years without a major storm! Mississippi River flooding aside, it was a very dry and hot year in Louisiana – it was strange to be in a drought for most of the year while in danger from the worst flooding since they started record keeping! But we still managed to get out and do some fun stuff this year.
January was filled with trips – Ted was going to go do the Phoenix ½ marathon, but had to watch from the sidelines due to a leg injury. So he enjoyed 3 days with his friend Travis exploring the Phoenix restaurants that have been featured on Man Vs Food (having the exact opposite effect that running a ½ marathon would!). Adam and I made our own trip west, meeting up with my parents in Las Vegas. Now that they are retired, they get in one (of their several) RVs and hit the road when the weather turns cold and wet in Washington, usually ending up somewhere in the southwest, chasing sun and warmth (and interesting hikes and locations). So we met them in Las Vegas and after spending a few hours showing a 3 year old the Vegas strip, we decided that was enough of the bright lights, volcanoes, and pirate ships, and spent the rest of our trip out hiking around red rocks, cacti and sand. We also celebrated Adam’s 3rd birthday while there, so it was a great trip. Thanks to Uncle Duke and Auntie Sharon for letting us all stay at their house!
February was filled with Adam’s class at preschool, Ted’s trips to the doctor to try to figure out what was (still) wrong with his leg, and my work for John Deere, which is what keeps us here in Louisiana. I enjoy working with the local dealers and every day has a different challenge for us. The weather and climate are so different down here that there were farmers in the field doing bedding and starting to plant by the end of February – and this was a little earlier than normal. Once farmers get into the field and start work, it doesn’t slow down again until November!
March marked the first triathlon of our season. Ted got to do the Warhawk Triathlon last year, so this year was my turn. It is over on the ULM campus, and includes a pool swim (thank goodness – no way I am getting in a lake or bayou in March!!), bike and then run. Adam ran the last 50 yards of the run with me, crossing the finish line and then he had to have several cups of Gatorade to recover!
April and May were full of excitement as we watched the weather reports and listened to the locals talk about the Mississippi River and the possibility of flooding. If the levees had broken near Vicksburg, there could have been water almost to Monroe (70 miles away). That is how flat Northeastern Louisiana is. We were actually more worried about the drought conditions in our area and how that would affect the crops and the economy. Record high temperatures were recorded during this time also, just to put an extra twist on the weather concerns!
At the end of May we made the long journey (way too many hours on a plane with a small child) to Washington to visit family. Ted’s dad has some health problems, and Ted ended up flying out a few days early to be there and help support him and the rest of the family. By the time we got there everything was much better, and I am happy to report that he is now back home and doing well with Ted’s mom Mary. While in Washington we also got to spend lots of time with Adam’s grandparents, cousins, aunts, uncles, and some of our school friends, which was great! And it didn’t even pour down rain the whole time – thank goodness!
After that trip west, it was a shock to come back to Louisiana and the heat and humidity, but we managed to cope. I did the Cotton States Triathlon in August, and I lucked out – the weather was cool and almost rainy, perfect for a swim, bike and run. And Ted did a triathlon a week later in El Dorado, AR. Not often in the summer in Louisiana do I worry that I will be too cold getting out of the water! Adam did the Kid’s Fun Run, just like last year, so he is building a collection of event t-shirts already!
Other kid events took up many of the fall weekends – the Ouachita Parish Safety Day is a great opportunity to learn more about safety and all of the entities that are there to protect us (and for the kids to sit on fire engines, boats, atvs, etc). And they always give out hats, so Adam has a collection of fire, police and safety hats.
There was a great Kids Fitness day at Kiroli Park near our house, and Adam and I had a great time trying Zoomba (he is more coordinated), hula hoop, shooting baskets, climbing the rock wall (in harnesses and hard hats and everything), and all kinds of other events focused on getting kids outdoors and more active.
And as always we spent lots of time at our local zoo and the NorthEast Louisiana Children’s Museum.
In October I took some vacation time, and we headed over to Anderson, SC for a ½ ironman distance triathlon that Ted (still injured) was determined to finish. He had been planning this with our friend Kati for months, and was going to be great on everything but the run. So we camped and did some sightseeing on our way there, and then enjoyed a great race venue with lots of kids’ activities while Ted and Kati tore up the triathlon course. They both finished, and we are very proud of them!
After that big trip, we had a quiet November with Thanksgiving at home featuring pulled pork (this is Louisiana after all) and green beans and sweet potatoes. And a week later we left for Washington to do a “tweener” visit – catching up with everyone between Thanksgiving and Christmas, instead of trying to go on a major holiday. I also had another reason for the trip. My friend from college Jessica invited me to her wedding – in Hawaii! Don’t let Ted tell you that I didn’t offer to take them – I did! Somehow the idea of another 5 hours flying, either with or without Adam was too much for him, so they stayed in Washington and visited with many of our family and friends while I was off on Oahu helping Jessica get her wedding details together, visiting with my sister Shannon who lives there, and taking a little time to snorkel and sightsee. It was a great trip and a wonderful wedding so I am glad I went! When I got back we had a great “ThanksChristmas” dinner with all of our family at my parent’s house and had a chance to visit a little more, and then we had to fly back to Louisiana.
Adam has been VERY EXCITED about Christmas for a while now (since Thanksgiving day at approximately 3:45pm). It is about to drive him nuts that it still isn’t Christmas – every day he asks us if it is here yet. So tonight is going to be great! We have presents under the tree, bean soup for dinner, cookies made and ready to leave for Santa (and eat ourselves), lots of Christmas carols playing, and we are ready for the main event!
Hope you have a VERY Merry Christmas and that your New Year is full of all the best for you and your families!
Love,
Jean, Ted, and Adam Jones
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