Happy Holidays and Happy New Year

Much has happened to us in 2012.  Theresa suffered from many medical ailments earlier this year which resulted in her requiring medical leave and a procedure.  A mild infection and an unsuccessful round of antibiotics led to a terrible battle with C Difficile this spring.  It was an unpleasant experience to say the least, but we are happy to report that she is doing fine now.  Inflammation remains, but fortunately it is no longer related to the GI system.

Nathan and Buz Dad in Red Square

In June, both sets of parents visited us in Seattle to witness Nathan's commencement from the University of Washington, Department of Electrical Engineering.  We hosted a picnic for friends and family in his honor at Madrona Park.  The weekend was windy, stormy, and unseasonably cool for the start of summer.  Thankfully the summer turned into a gorgeous one in July.  Everyone in Seattle knows that summer does not officially start until Independence Day weekend.  Nathan defended his dissertation and completed his PhD in August.  He earned multiple job offers from well-known companies and national laboratories, and he enthusiastically accepted an offer with the same group with whom he had interned in Winter 2011.

Theresa and Nathan at Hohenschwangau 

We spent three weeks celebrating in Germany and then one week travelling to Maryland.  Never again will we drive for so long with cats.  At least not with these cats.  The good news is that our feline friends have adjusted very well to their new home and are now proud freeloaders of the Old Line State.  The bad news is that we had to retire our beloved 2003 Ford Escape.  After a recent recall tune-up, the Escape started making strange jerking motions when accelerating and climbing hills.  This posed a problem for us during our second day in Idaho and in Western Montana.  The slight shifting of gears turned into severe jolts when we exited off of I-90 into Billings, Montana.  The mechanic was unable to determine the exact cause of our problem and because of our tight schedule, we decided to purchase a new car.  We had anticipated doing this within two years, but we wanted to hold on to our car for a little longer to save some more money.  Sadly this would not be the case.  We bought a brand new 2013 Ford Focus; this has turned into a wise investment for us as the gas mileage is substantially better.  By the next day, we were recording nearly 38 mpg on the highway.  It was also a much smoother drive.

Theresa and other WPSP delegates at UNESCO

Shortly after we arrived in Maryland, Theresa then left for a one week trip to attend a conference in Paris.  She has been actively participating in The Women in Public Service Project since Smith College and The US State Department invited her to serve as a delegate.  It has been a good transition for her into global health services, and she recently sent off her applications to doctoral programs where she can specialize in that field.

Gink and Schrödinger say, "Meowy Christmas!"

We expect to hear some good news from a graduate department this spring.  From there, we anticipate buying a home somewhere in Howard or Montgomery County.  Next summer, we are looking forward to a grand vacation on an Alaskan cruise with our parents again to celebrate Theresa's parents' retirement.  To our friends in Seattle, we hope to see you for a few days after the cruise.  After that, Nathan will likely travel to Turkey for a conference while Theresa will be at Bryn Mawr for a conference.  We look forward to seeing what 2013 has in store for us, and we wish you the best for the upcoming year as well.