December 2012- Our Christmas card list has grown to a nearly incomprehensible amount in the past decade. At a quick glance we've kept the post office busy in 24 states plus Australia. The list is comprised of so many friends, family, colleagues, clients and others we associate with both near and far that have come into our lives at some point. We think about you throughout the year and don't correspond nearly enough, but we enjoy sharing our Christmas card with you and hope you enjoy receiving it. If you aren't on the list I probably don't have your address! Even though my graphic design skills have improved quite a bit over the past few years, I probably spend way too much time working on the card to get it just the way I want it. This is our third year for our attempt to entertain and update you in the form of a letter that so many of you claim to love. Just in case you missed it, here it is- our card and letter for 2012:
Front:
Back:
Worrell
Wanderings
2012
By the looks of our
Christmas card this year you can tell we’re not in Texas anymore. But don’t worry; we haven’t left for good,
just returned to Casey’s roots for a visit. Truth be told, Pecos & Brazos
are the only Texans by birth in this family. If you were to guess which state
Casey was born in, what would you pick- Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico? How far down the list would Maine be?
This summer the
Kennebunkport Conservation Trust held a reunion for former lighthouse keepers
and their families. While the thought of
flying with a 2-year old was less than appealing, the chance to visit the
lighthouse where Casey spent the first six weeks of his life~ Goat Island~ was too good of an
opportunity to pass up, especially since the Trust let us stay in the
house. It was a homecoming 40 years in
the making that we will forever cherish filled with memories of beachcombing, lobsters,
crashing waves lulling us to sleep, and jumping into the frigid Maine water. The all night foghorns, daily boat rides to
shuttle back and forth from shore (have you ever hauled groceries in a boat?),
rapidly short showers (fresh water is in limited supply), and “ghostly” visits
from long ago keepers made it an experience we will never forget. Even after four days of what is commonly
referred to as “island living” we wouldn’t change a thing and would serve as visiting
lighthouse keepers for the duration of the summer in a heartbeat if the Trust
should ever find themselves in need.
Aside
from our coastal jaunt we’ve been busy with The River Boys. Pecos gave t-ball
and flag football a try this year and had fun with both but until he can find
boots with cleats it may prove to be a temporary thing. Tune in next year to find out. He is well on his way to catching up with Casey
in height but if we’re going to keep that boy in jeans we’ll have to start our
own clothing line, as everything is too big in the waist and too short in
length- don’t you wish you had the same problem? Luckily his high top boots usually cover up
his high water pants. Pecos started his
first play day rodeos this fall; you guessed it, Casey was already looking for
a replacement horse after the first night.
His new mount, Chief, is a better fit for his long legs and arrived just
in time to make it to a few play days.
Our miniature pony, Widow Maker, can conserve her energy for
Brazos. Pecos still swings a rope any
time he gets his hands on one but has traded Charolais Kitty for a more
challenging moving target- his brother!
Brazos is quite the
character and although he keeps us laughing with his comedic ways, he is as
stubborn as the day is long. Headstrong is
an understatement. Mr. Independent would
rather sit in the gravel spinning the tires of his John Deere tractor until the
battery runs dead than have someone give him a push. Rarely does a day go by when he doesn’t call
out “watch this” as he demonstrates his latest flip, jump or flying
attempt. He is certainly not tipping the
scales and never will if he doesn’t slow down long enough to eat a full
meal. Even those trendy skinny jeans {that
boys should never wear} don’t fit him.
His favorite things have diesel engines, big tires and a green and yellow
paint job. He can identify nearly every
type of tractor and construction equipment so if he tells you about a bobcat
he saw you can bet it wasn’t the 4-legged kind.
Brazos attends a mother’s day out program twice a week and spent the
first three months of it as the only boy in his class. The time spent with girls has been good for
him but they are not interested in his tractor talk.
All the while Erin
keeps up with them and continues in her role as an associate with Demeter
Communications, plus a few other freelance projects that come her way. Modern technology in the rural world makes it
all possible but she’d really like Santa to bring an AT&T 4G tower to
Harper. She attempts to escape with her
college girlfriends once a year regardless of the destination; this year they
explored Portland, Oregon. She managed
to learn a bit more about photography this year; even though it is mostly trial
and error with camera settings, many of the boys’ activities are viewed
through the camera lens with her obsession to capture the memories of our
family. The good pictures plus a few
not-so-good ones {and commentary} often make it onto www.theworrellfamily.blogspot.com. Anyone want to volunteer as her mentor?
Casey continues to put
Ford trucks to the test with over half a million miles and counting between two
of them. He has toll road passes for
three states and uses all of them on a monthly basis- sometimes more, but if he
makes any more trips to Kansas before the end of the year we may have to look
into real estate in the Flint Hills.
Even though he’s upgraded to an iPhone to keep in touch with us while
travelling he just recently figured out what LOL means. His work ultrasounding cattle affords us a
life out here in the country; the trade off is lots of nights away from home
but at least it is with customers and friends who have become more like family
with every passing year. We truly appreciate each and every one of you.
We continue to be blessed
beyond measure, that is certain. As we
close out the year to gather and celebrate the birth of our Lord, we pray you
have a joyous holiday with the ones you love, and may the new year be filled
with wonder, peace and meaning. If you
are ever out our way please plan to stop by and visit.
Blessings and Beef,
The Worrell Family
Casey ~ Erin and The
River Boys
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