2014

DeKraker/Halbeck Executive Summary Christmas Letter 2014 Year

H – Hugh retired December 4th!

A – Amman Jordan.  Hugh and I travel there in May. What a trip!  This was the most fascinating place I had ever traveled to. The highlights of the trip – cooking class in Petra and seeing Jesus’s baptismal site… Cuba was postponed.

P- Party for Hugh’s retirement with Hugh’s brother Chuck coming from St. Louis and my brother David coming from Greensboro. And a surprise for Hugh – Julianna from London!

P- Pies – brother David gave Timothy and Julianna pie baking lessons when he visited in November. And, sister Mary took lessons from me when she visited over Thanksgiving.  The list of pies – cherry, grilled  pumpkin, German chocolate, cranberry & prickly pear cactus, pear and sour cherry, sweet potato with grilled bananas and praline, lemon meringue, grapefruit with meringue pies, English walnut. My jeans are tight again!

Y-Yes! Tim finished college and moved back to AZ.

 

H-Heart – Hugh had a stent “installed” this fall.  He is good for another 100,000 miles, I am told.

O-Only in AZ.  After finishing our bedroom remodel complete with new carpet – our bedroom flooded.

L- law school for Julianna. She finishes Spring 2015.  Still in London, we visited several times and will spend Christmas with her.

I – Initiated a name change to my business, Robin who has been my long time employee becomes an owner in January.  The new name DeKraker & Winkler, CPA, PC.

D- Downstairs remodeling is complete and was  finished in time for Hugh’s party.  We started in May 2013 and finished in early November.  Still have part of the upstairs to finish – the bathroom needs remodeling and the floors replaced. Our new upstairs balcony was finished this year, so Hugh can start his star gazing.

A-Auckland, New Zealand is our January 2015 trip.  We will be joined by Maud and David.  Maud and Hugh have worked tirelessly on the trip especially this last week.

Y-  Why we adopted a new cat. Well Pretzel died in January and Squeak was lonely.  So we adopted a stray “kitty” name Echo.  He was a gray almost 9 pound cat with the skinniest tail you ever saw.  He is now called Eli and weighs in at about 15 pounds and regular food has transformed him into avery handsome cat with a bushy tail.  We have one chair in our family room that is his safe spot.  It doesn’t matter who sits there – Eli will be on your lamp – much to the surprise of our guests. We did find out Squeak wasn’t that lonely but was enjoying all the extra attention moping garnered her.  She welcomed Echo with many hugs and kissed – no really it was hisses and bats.  She has warmed up somewhat since he came in May – but now we  guilty for adopting Eli without her approval so she gets extra pets and treats.

S-Starbucks has a new employee, Timothy!

We plan to have a Happy Christmas!  We hope you do to…and that you have a wonderful New Year!