The Holiday Newsletter 2005

December 2005 Greetings to our dear family and friends!      We hope this holiday season finds you and yours well.  It is always amazing how quickly time passes and we are here reflecting on another year gone by.   Our home has been as busy as ever!  The boys are growing like crazy, while Jim and I are actually shrinking!      Garrison is at a new school, Whittier, in a new program called EAGLES.  It is a 3rd, 4th, 5th combined classroom for Multi-exceptional children.  Garrison was identified as Gifted and Talented last year, that, with the Asperger�s Syndrome makes him �Multi-exceptional.�  He is really enjoying being a 4th grader in an inquiry based classroom and loves having homework only on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  He has made the transition really well.  I wish I can say it has been as easy on Mom and Dad.  We spent 4 years �training-up� the staff at Grant Elem., so it has been a bit challenging on us with the new teachers.  Garrison �graduated� from Occupational Therapy in the spring, but still has Speech once a week, as well as at school.  He played baseball on the same team as Grant this summer, and started Karate last winter.  He loves scouting, especially when he and Jim went on a weekend camp for his 10th birthday in October.     Grant is in 3rd grade at Grant Elementary.  He is a great student and so social.  We were so proud of him and his first straight-A report card last quarter.  He is active as a Bear Cub and played baseball this summer and does Karate during the winter.  Grant is a great helper around the house, feeding Hali and taking out the trash.  A budding photographer, Grant just won his third trophy in Photography in the PTA Reflections art contest.  Our 8-year-old is also a great helper to his little brother, Griffin.      Griffin, 6, loves being in first grade!  He is a very active little boy who loves learning.  Griffin played modified T-ball this summer and started Karate last year.  Griffin started as a Tiger Cub this summer and even has Mom as a Den Leader.  He is doing a great job in Speech and Occupational Therapy and should be finishing up with both in the spring.  We are so proud of him.  He is improving his reading skills and learning math facts.  A constant talker, it is so great that we can finally understand what he is saying!  He has had a couple of visits from the Tooth Fairy and we are looking forward to more in the next year.  He loves Star Wars and anything that Grant is doing.      Jim is still working for Oracle as a Software Support Engineer.  He gets to work from home, which we love!  He is Cub Master for the boy�s Cub Scout pack.  He pitched as an assistant coach for the Grant and Garrison�s baseball team this summer.  April was very exciting for him when he went to Celebration III in Indianapolis for the opening of Star Wars Episode III, Revenge of the Sith.  He was there for five days and got to meet a lot people involved with the movie as well as people in the Jedi Assembly and the Rebel Legion, who he had only corresponded with on-line.  He joined me in Weight Watchers in May and has lost 21 pounds.   Then he had rotator cuff surgery at the end of September.  He is in rehab working on getting his strength and mobility back.      I have had a very busy year.  I am finishing up my 3rd season acting at the Iron Springs Chateau Dinner Theatre.  I am also working as a full-time tutor at Ivywild Elementary.  I chaired my 20th class reunion this summer, am a Den Leader for Cub Scouts, Reflections Chair in PTA and joined PTO at Garrison�s school this year.  A fall in October on frosted steps at school has slowed me down bit.  But it is only pain, right?   I joined Weight Watchers in February and have lost 33 pounds!  I love wearing button pants and have had to keep taking in my costumes at the theatre.  Yea! I am looking into getting my teaching certification, so we�ll let you know next year!      Hali is the sweetest, most lovable dog!  She goes wild every time we get home, but especially Mom!  She loves to snuggle, a true lap dog at 70 pounds!  She isn�t chewing everything anymore, but still loves to chew!  The boys are learning to keep their toys picked up!  Our little girl sure has us wrapped around her paw! Well, again we wish you the best for the New Year!  We always have a extra bed if you want to visit beautiful Colorado Springs!  Our address is still 2140 Saddle Place, Colo. Springs, CO 80918, phone- 719-268-0834 and Jim still tries to up-date the web site www.geocities.com/jmoncher.       Take Care!           Love,           Danine, Jim, Garrison, Grant, Griffin and Hali

See you soon

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