For the past fifteen years, we've mailed a Christmas letter to friends and family (we're about 50/50 getting them out before Christmas.) A few days ago, Susan and I began listing the things we thought should be included in this year's letter. There were so many cool things to talk about; each with an image attached to it. A blog seemed the ideal solution, as it would allow us to tell the complete story! I hope you'll take a few minutes to read the following Boulden news. Then, let us know what you think; we'd love to hear from you!
Gavin graduated from Simsbury High School in June. This fall he enrolled at Northwestern Connecticut Community College. He plans to pursue a fine arts degree, and NCCC has an excellent two year program with strong ties to nationally respected art schools, including the Savannah School of Art and Design (SCAD). Of course, Gavin doesn't know if his course will take him there or not. We're very proud of the seriousness with which he's approached school. Gavin continues to work at 5 Guys Burgers and Fries. I think he might actually consume more burgers than he sells.
Erick is a senior at Simsbury High School and looking forward to graduating in the summer. After graduation he plans to attend Community College in the Fall. Connecticut State universities grant 100% credit for community college course work. So, our plan is to handle the Freshman and Sophomore years at Community College. They can get English 101 and History 102 out of the way at an affordable price. When not at school, Erick works about thirty hours a week at Andy's, the local grocery store, hangs out with Evangeline, and plays World of Warcraft.
Both Erick and Gavin have been dating the same people for a number of years. I've included some cool pictures of Erick with Evangeline and Gavin with Rochelle prior to prom 2008. They're both good girls and have become fixtures around the house. Evangeline is a 
Freshman at Saint Joseph's College in West Hartford. Rochelle is finishing her senior year at Simsbury and looking forward to college.Our little Hannah continues to grow up on us, despite our best efforts. She's midway through her eighth grade year at Henry James Middle School. It seems like only a few years ago that she was born in Chicago; time certainly does fly. Of the three children, Hannah keeps the most hectic schedule. During the year, she's represented her school as a cheerleader, competed for the high school ballroom dance team, and volunteered at a horse farm.
One of my particularly proud moments was watching her compete in the UCONN Ballroom Tournament this fall. Simsbury High, one of the few high schools there, competed against college teams from across New England, including Yale, Harvard, UCONN, Princeton, Dartmouth, and MIT. While she didn't win an award, she seemed to almost always make the semifinal cut. Heady stuff for a fourteen year old. She comes by it honestly though, both Mom and Grandma were longtime dancers.
Hannah's cheer leading team also represented her school and town at the New England regional competition. While they didn't make the cut and advance to nationals, we're very proud of them.No letter would be complete without a little news about Susan. Last February she left her job with the YMCA to work for The Children's Clubhouse. She and her partner Denise manage a classroom of infants five days a week. They do a nice job. Susan also volunteered to be cheer coach and coordinator for the Trojans while serving on two boards. Football games, practices and board meetings kept her busy this fall. She loved it. If she wasn't busy enough yet, she also enrolled in a CDA program (one year certificate) at the University of Hartford this year. Her weekly Saturday classes began in September and will continue until June.
In the midst of all this, the family found time for two vacations. This July the five of us travelled to Quebec City, Quebec with Gavin's friend Drew and Evangeline, for the Festival D'ete. This fourteen day fest in the old city features hundreds of music groups from around the world playing outdoors. A one time $30.00 pass gets one into any outdoor concert. Quebec City is truly unique. It is North America's only walled city and retains the vibe of a European city. While there, we also stopped over at the Montmorency Falls. Beautiful!
A month later, Susan took Hannah to the cottage in Michigan for two weeks. They saw friends in Cleveland along the way. The cottage retains a special place in the family. It's the one place where the family congregates every year. Liz, Jorn, kids and Stefan come from London. Rob, Lisa, Simon, Noah, Carolyn and Roger come from Chicago. Bob and Barbara Jillson, serve as gracious hosts for two weeks of swimming, dune running, hiking, eating and wine consumption. Located in a national park, the cottage and surrounding area are breathtaking. This year being an IMTS year, I 
was unable to take any time off during August. It was a real bummer. Needless to say, I'm definitely planning to make the trip next year.As for me, I'm still with Rem Sales and Morris Group, Inc. If I reflect on the choices that brought me to Morris and my family to Connecticut, I can honestly say that I'd make the same decision again. Morris Group, Inc. is truly one of the premium machine tool distribution companies. While the next few years will no doubt be challenging, 2008 was outstanding. At the IMTS show Rem Sales more than doubled their best booking year ever!
On the personal side, I've slacked a little. I haven't really run since returning from IMTS and didn't compete in any races this year. Still, I plan to get back on the road soon and would like to move beyond the 5K race this year to compete in some 10K's.
This blog post has been huge. Sorry. Susan and I have wanted to open a blog and write the Christmas letter. Combining the two was a natural decision. I hope you'll check back from time to time to see what we're up to. Much love to all and best wishes for success in 2009.
