�Tis the season for another holiday letter! It is hard to believe it is this Christmassmy time of year again! We hope that you and yours are healthy and well. It has been another busy year in the Moncher Home. We have much to be thankful for, and that includes you and so many special people that bless our family every day.
In February, we were able to buy the home that we had been renting for the past 3 years! It has been a dream of ours for a long time to become homeowners, and this year it finally came to pass. It was great not to have to move again! We love our neighborhood and the school that the boys go to. Of course, once we bought the house, the kids started hounding us to get a dog. An opportunity came about in May, and we were able to get a new family member. Hali, (pronounced like holly) is a beautiful golden retriever. She has brightened our home so much; it is hard to believe how we ever lived without her! The promises to help clean up the yard soon fell to the wayside, but Hali is such a joy, Jim doesn�t mind being the �Pooper Scooper.�
The boys all played baseball this summer and are doing karate now. They love playing on the trampoline together, playing spies and fighting with each other. We were so proud that each of them won at least one trophy in the PTA �Reflections� art contest recently. Garrison won for a poem and a painting, Grant won 2 awards in photography and Griffin won in literature. Mom was the volunteer who ran the whole program, so she is glad it is over and everything is moving on the county level now!
Garrison is 9-years-old and doing very well in third grade. He is working hard learning to write in cursive, doing multiplication and studying different countries. He loves maps and geography, science and art. Bionicles (Lego- type building toys) are still one his favorite things. We are still doing Occupational and Speech Therapy once a week for Garrison�s Asperger�s, and we really see the results coming through at home and school.
Grant is 7-years-old and in second grade. �Mr. Social� is very popular at school and has a lot of friends. He is working hard to keep improving his reading. He is Hali�s favorite chew toy! We have a little problem when he starts biting her back, but they love to play together. He is very helpful around the house and helps out a lot with Griffin.
Our little 5-year-old, Griffin, isn�t so little anymore! I think he and Grant grow every night! Griffin loves Kindergarten! He loves to go to school and is working hard to learn all of his letters and getting ready to read! He goes to Occupational Therapy once a week, also, for Sensory Integration Dysfunction. We are finally going to start Speech after the New Year. He is Grant�s shadow at home, but he is making lots of new friends at school and we are so proud of him!
Jim is still working at Oracle. Fortunately he is on a new team and able to work from home part-time again! We love it when he can be home! He is part of several �Star Wars� costuming groups and he is looking forward to the next movie out next May! We are already planning his trip to �Celebration III� in Indianapolis in April. It is a Lucas sanctioned convention promoting �Episode 3�. We�re polishing up his light-sabers and dusting off his Jedi robes for the trip! Jim serves as Assistant Cub Master for the boy�s Cub Scout Pack 86. He was an assistant coach for baseball and is a parent helper in Karate.
Danine is still acting and singing at the Iron Springs Chateau Dinner Theatre. She loves being able to perform and get paid for it! She is in PTA, and was working part-time as a Teacher�s Aide at school, until budget cuts recently cut her. Danine is the Bear Cubs Den Leader and had a great time at Day Camp running the Cub Specials.
So that, we hope, catches you up with our family. We always love to hear from you. We have an extra set of bunk beds if you ever get out to the Pikes Peak Region!
Take care and have a blessed 2005!
Love,
Danine, Jim, Garrison, Grant, Griffin and Hali
