I don’t usually start our annual Christmas letter until sometime after Thanksgiving, but 2006 has been a tough year already and it’s only June. In January, in a calamity beyond my comprehension, we lost my brother-in-law, Tom Erhardt and effectively lost my nephew, his son, David Erhardt. Enough said.

As if that weren’t already enough heartache for one year, on June 9th the Lord finally called my mom home for good. At nearly 85, mom reached the culmination of five years of struggle with health and personal issues. My sister’s passing in 2001 hit mom really hard and I’m not sure she ever really recovered from that loss. In the years following, her physical health also faltered and while never one to complain, she was ready for her final trip to glory. Forgive my obvious bias, but my mom was one of the finest individuals I have ever known. While small in stature, she was a source of strength and love for all who had the pleasure to share her life. I shared my reflection on her life at her funeral in July, and the text can be found at our webpage (theluders.us).

The kids remain an absolute source of pride and inspiration. Beyond our own two sons, we are now also claiming our niece, Laura, as the daughter we never had...whether she likes it or not :-) Laura’s life has been more than challenging over the past five years, since my sister died, but she has mapped out her young life with a resolute fortitude not unlike her maternal grandmother, whose middle name was Laura. Mind you, she’s had the support of some incredible people, including Dave and Diane Monde, who took Laura in as their own. Laura finished high school, went to work full-time while putting herself through college, was a volunteer fireman, and started pharmacy school this fall at LECOM in Erie, PA. You go, girl!

Chris is a working stiff this fall. He continues in his second year of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering studies at Georgia Tech and is currently co-oping with a startup called MedShape (medshapesolutions.com). He is working with polymers, researching new solutions for ACL reconstruction. Working long hours under demanding conditions, he’s realizing the near utopia of the college years while he still has time to enjoy them. After finishing up his first year in May, he stayed down at Tech, took classes and did research over the summer. He’s currently living in a suite on campus with six fraternity brothers, travels to the ACC Championship (Go Jackets!) in early December, heads out on the annual fraternity ski trip after Christmas, and is looking into a 2007 summer in Europe.

Lori, Coda and I are maintaining the home front. Lori is very busy with her mother’s affairs: selling her home, handling her finances, and being at the ready when her mother needs her...even in the middle of the night. I am staring down the big one, turning 50 this year, and am hoping for some midlife calmness versus any more crisis. I also hit the 20 year mark at Lindsay, Pope, Brayfield & Associates (lpbatlanta.com) this year, and while setting a record year for growth in the business, it’s been another very challenging year. Coda, still a teenager in dog years, avoided going under the knife for her joint issues with the help of a daily supplement. We think she may have a little Jack Russell Terrier in her hybrid genes because if she can find a tennis ball, inside or outside of the house, it is the source of her undivided attention...and ours!